A Man of Many Colors

I recently watched this video of Jordan Peterson speaking about the Old Testament Joseph and the significance of a “coat of many colors” (Genesis 37:3). I particularly liked his use of this coat as an analogy for being good at whatever you do. As he pointed out, Joseph did well by the grace of God in everything he did—from being a son, brother, servant, prisoner, and even second-in-command of Egypt.

When I heard this analogy, I almost immediately thought of St Teresa of Avila’s experience (and mine) that Joe has been patronage in all matters: 

... I am astonished at the great favours which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint, and at the perils from which He has freed me, both in body and in soul. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succour us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succours us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks...

-Autobiography, Chapter 6 (page 52)

Joe and the Holy Spirit: Lord and Giver of Life

Jesus called Himself “the Way, the Truth, and the Life...” (John 14:6), and in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the Church acclaims, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life...” In this we find yet another parallel between Joe and the Holy Spirit—both are lords and givers of life (albeit by nature in the Holy Spirit and by Grace in Joe).

Tradition has regularly applied the words spoken of the Old Testament Joseph, “he made lord over his household, ruler over all his possessions.” (Psalm 105:21), to Joe. Joe was called upon by God the Father to be in a certain way, the “lord of Life”.

So what about “giver of Life”? Consider this, had Joe not believed Mary’s marital fidelity to him, he could very well of had her stoned to death, which also would have meant the death of her Son as well. He chose, rather, to give physical life to Life. Further, when Joe enrolled Jesus in the Abrahamic Covenant through circumcision, he chose to give spiritual life to Life (cf. Deut. 30:15-20). And further still, by giving life to Life, Who gives us His own Life, Joe has given Life to us. 

So yes, Joe, like the Holy Spirit is the lord and giver of Life.

A New Bethlehem

It occurred to me a couple days ago that the Old Testament Joseph made Egypt the world’s house of bread during the great famine of Genesis 41ff. In other words, he made Egypt the first Bethlehem. So, in the same way Joe makes every place where he stays a new Bethlehem—Egypt, Nazareth, even our souls.

Furthermore, both Joseph’s invite others to come and live off the fruits of the earth provided for by God. Neither is selfish. Both transform separation into an invitation to reunification. Perhaps there is someone we need to be reunified and reconciled with. Will we let Joe take charge over the situation and bring about restoration of what was lost?

Prince Joe

As we come to the end of this Liturgical Year and approach the final Sunday of Christ the King of the Universe, I thought it would be appropriate to share (perhaps again?, I don’t really recall) a line from scripture that has been applied to Joe from the early years of the Church: “He made him lord over his household, ruler over all his possessions...” (Psalm 105:21). What immediately follows also catches my attention: “... to instruct his princes as he desired, to teach his elders wisdom.” (Psalm 105:22). 

Joe taught Jesus, Who really was Joe’s elder, but Joe did not allow himself to be filled with pride. No, Joe acted in humility-simply doing what God the Father commanded when He commanded it. For this reason, Joe truly is the greatest prince of his Son’s Kingdom.

This coming Saturday, we remember the memory of Blessed Fr. Miguel Pro, a Mexican Jesuit priest who was martyred for serving the persecuted Catholics of Mexico in 1927. It’s hard for me to believe that it has almost been a whole year since I visited the Church of the Holy Family in Mexico City that keeps his relics. (I shared some pictures in La Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia...) I feel it is appropriate to share once again the painting in the apes of the sanctuary:

Joe, Our Tax Collector

Last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the first reading at Mass were taken from the last chapters of the Book of Genesis. We could easily call these chapters (37-50) 'The Book of Joseph' since it primarily tells the story of the Old Testament Joseph, the last of the great Old Testament Patriarchs.

On Wednesday, I was struck with the image of tax collectors. The Gospel of the day listed the names of the twelve Apostles and referred to Matthew as "the tax collector". Often tax collectors received and continue to receive a bad rapt for their work; however, we learn that the Old Testament Joseph was himself a tax collector--"he collected all the food of these years of plenty that the land of Egypt was enjoying and stored it in the cities" (Gen. 41:48). I know that I have often complained that the government takes too much of my income in taxes; however, one thing is true, they have never taken all of it (despite it feeling like it at times!). Yet, we could say that Joseph did; he collected all the food, not some, not most. How do you think that made the Egyptians feel during those seven years of plenty? Here is a foreigner, ex-slave, and accused sex-offender, demanding all of the produce of their hard earned labor. I would have been extremely upset. But Joseph, unlike so many of the tax-collectors in the New Testament, did not impose ridiculously high taxes for his own sake, but for the sake of others placed under his care by the "god"-man, Pharaoh.

We already know that the Old Testament Joseph prefigures Joe in many ways, so can we say that he prefigures Joe in this way as well? I think the answer is yes.

In my experience in prayer, has been that when I give to Joe any intention -whether in times of spiritual plenitude or famine- he has always taken it and made the situation better. In a way, Joe has become my heavenly tax collector. For the last year or so, I've begun adding to letters "All for Jesus. All through Mary. All with Joseph." This is exactly what the Old Testament Joseph did. He collected the grain with the Egyptian people. I encourage you, maybe I'll even say that I dare you, let Joe be your heavenly tax collector in times of plentitude and famine, whether spiritual or physical. You will not be disappointed! You will survive whatever famine may be coming your way. He has been appointed by the true God-man, Jesus Christ, to this office, and he will not let you die of starvation!

Old Testament "Annunciation"

Last week I introduced Asenath, the wife of the Old Testament Joseph. This week, I would like to continue observing Asenath and Joseph to draw out more "behind the scenes" footage of Mary and Joe. In the apocryphal book, Joseph and Asenath, there is a story of an angel of God appearing to Asenath. This is what the angel said (14:6-15:11):


"Asenath, Asenath... Take heart, Asenath, and do not be afraid; but stand up, and I will speak to you... Take heart, Asenath, for lo, the Lord has heard the words of your confession. Take heart, Asenath, your name is written in the book of life, and it will never be blotted out. 


From to-day you will be made new, and refashioned, and given new life; and you shall eat the bread of life and drink the cup of immortality, and be anointed with the unction of incorruption. 

Take heart, Asenath: lo, the Lord has given you to Joseph to be his bride, and he shall be your bridegroom. And you shall no more be called Asenath, but 'City of Refuge' shall be your name; for many nations shall take refuge in you, and under your wings shall many peoples find shelter, and within your walls those who give their allegiance to God in penitence will find security... 

And lo, I am on my way to Joseph, and I will talk to him about you, and he will come to you to-day and see you and rejoice over you; and he shall be your bridegroom. So listen to me, Asenath, and put on your wedding robe, the ancient robe, the first that was stored away in your room, and deck yourself in all your finest jewelry, and adorn yourself as a bride, and be ready to meet him. For lo, he is coming to you to-day; and he will see you and rejoice." 

This sounds a lot like the Annunciation pre-nativity scenes (Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-21). In fact, this passage would do well as a Marian Annunciation for the Gospel of Matthew. It follows the structure of Luke, with some additional details that fit Matthew's emphasis on Joe.

• First, the angel appears to Mary and Asenath, greets them, and tells them not to be afraid. 
• Next, the angel relates a message/assurance to Mary and Aseneth.  
• Then, the angel informs Asenath that he will go to Joseph and speak to him.
• Finally, there is the meeting of Joe/Joseph and Mary/Asenath. 

Joseph and Asenath

We have finally entered the liturgical season of Advent, preparing for the celebration of Christ's birth and for His return. It is also the season of reading the Old Testament as we will for every celebration of Mass during Advent. So, we too shall look to the Old Testament.

Last week, we began looking at the story of the Old Testament Joseph, and in particular, the story of Pharaoh making Joseph the #2 guy in Egypt, which gave us a deeper understanding of Joe's role in the "hierarchy" of saints. Immediately after this scene, we get some really interesting information that furthers our understanding of Joe: Genesis says, "Pharaoh also bestowed the name of Zaphenath-paneah on Joseph, and he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis." (Gen. 41:45).

Now, if you're like me, the first time you read this, you probably asked yourself "What did Pharaoh call him? Zaphe-WHAT? and what in the world is up with his wife?" but don't worry, because these names are really cool and more than coincidental!

The New American Bible (Revised Edition) gives a footnote for this verse, which says:

1. Zaphenath-paneah: “the god speaks and he lives.” 
2. Asenath: “belonging to Neith.” 
3. Potiphera: “he whom Ra gave”. 
• Heliopolis: a city of the chief temple of the sun god.

We can understand these words to be very interesting foreshadowing of the Holy Family:

1. When Joe found Mary pregnant, and not by him, he could have had her put to death for being unfaithful to their marriage. Naturally, if she would have been put to death, so would have her Son as well. So, when God speaks through the angel in Joe's dream and Joe is obedient to the messenger, the child does in fact live.
2. Neith can be considered to relate in two ways:

1. Neith was the Egyptian goddess who gave birth to Ra, the Egyptian sun-god and the greatest of the gods. Mary, although not a goddess, is indeed the true Mother of God.
2. Neith was also the goddess of creation who brought about creation by moving the primordial waters. The Holy Spirit, who moved the primordial waters of creation (Gen. 1:1-2), also had a role to play in the incarnation of Jesus (Luke 1:35, Matt. 1:18,20)
3. Asenath's father was a priest, but not just any priest. He was a priest of great sun-god, Ra. Recall the tradition of Mary being a daughter of Aaron that I shared already? Just like Asenath, Mary too was a member of the High-Priestly House.

Cool huh!?

Joe, King of Heaven?

Like Mary, Joe's dignity comes from his relationship to the Incarnate Word: Mary's dignity comes from being Jesus' mother; Joe's dignity comes from being Mary's spouse. This past Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King of the Universe in the Roman Catholic Church. Many use this as the launch point for believing that Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth. But what about Joe? Is he of royal dignity like Jesus and Mary?

Yes, he is "son of David," the great King of Israel (Matt. 1:20), but is there more? Let's take another look at the Old Testament Joseph. We all know the story: Joseph has dreams and special clothes and is sold as a slave into Egypt (Gen. 37), he goes to jail for being chaste (Gen. 39), he interprets dreams in jail (Gen. 40), and after being in jail for two years, he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh (Gen. 41). In gratitude for Joseph's response, Pharaoh says to him, "You shall be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your command. Only in respect to the throne will I outrank you." (Gen. 41:40)

Does not the same happen with Joe? The Father says to him, "You shall be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your command. Only in respect to the throne will I outrank you."

So, is Joe "King of Heaven"? No, but he's only a step below God - although, it is an infinite step between him and God.

"He made him lord over his household, ruler over all his possessions"

-Psalm 105:21

First Rule of Engineering: Make Good Assumptions

Today, we celebrate the Assumption of Mary completely, body and soul, into heaven, but did you know that there has been a subtle tradition within the Church that Joe was assumed body and soul into heaven too? And these are no insignificant people, perhaps the most notable modern day attribution is St. John XXIII who in his homily for the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord said that "we can piously believe" that Joe was assumed into heaven (unfortunately, there is no official English translation, but if you speak either Italian or Spanish, here is a link to the homily).

But what are the basis of this belief? Most begin with the assumption (pun very much intended) that the Old Testament Joseph prefigures Joe. If we accept this, then we can look to the what happens to the Old Testament Joseph, and begin inferring.

1. Genesis 50:24-26
• Joseph died, but before he did he made his family promise to bury him in the Promised Land, when they would eventually leave Egypt. 
• and after he died, "He was embalmed and laid to rest in a coffin in Egypt."
• that is to say that his body was preserved from extreme corruption.
2. Exodus 13:19
• Moses brought the bones (or whole body if he was mummified) of Joseph out of Egypt into the desert.
3. Joshua 24:29-33
• Joshua died and was laid to rest in the Promised Land.
• Then Joseph's bones/mummy were laid to rest in the Promised Land.
• Finally, Eleazar died and was laid to rest in the Promised Land.

So how does this infer Joe's Assumption?

1. Egypt and the Promised Land have been repeatedly seen to signify Earth and Heaven. 
• So like Joseph, Joe died in the not-so-promised land, but his body was preserved from corruption.
2. Christ has been seen by many to have been prefigured by Moses, who does not die in the Promised Land but right outside it and is mysteriously buried (Deut. 24:5-6, Jude 1:9)
• He carries Joe's bones outside of Earth into the Limbo of the Just.
3. Just as Christ is prefigured by Moses, so He is also prefigured by Joshua, particularly after His Resurrection.
• After Joshua is laid to rest in the Promised Land (aka Jesus enters heaven), 
• Joseph is laid to rest (aka Joe enters heaven), 
• and finally Eleazar is laid to rest (aka Mary enters heaven) ***More on this point later!!!

This only scratches the surface of the believe that Joe is assumed body and soul in heaven, but I'm sure we will return sometime later!