There are no recorded words of Joseph in any of the gospels and yet he has much to say to us about faith. Mary and Joseph were betrothed to one another, which is not the same as in our modern context of being engaged. Betrothal meant that there was already a binding contract between the man and woman and their families. The only distinction was that they had not yet moved into the same home as man and wife. There was no set time for a betrothal, but most lasted up to a year.
This is why, “Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). They were married, and Joseph, not believing Mary’s account regarding the origin of her pregnancy, which must have been shocking news for him, decided not to stay with Mary. While at the same time, he did not want to make a public spectacle of her either.
Joseph made his decision but wisely waited before acting upon it. That is the only window of time that God and a weary and fallen world needed. God sent his angel to Joseph in a dream who confirmed what Mary had said. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
What may be two of the hardest things for us as human beings to do, is to resist reacting to unexpected and shocking news and once we have reacted and made a decision, to change course. Joseph didn’t believe Mary and reacted, but he also didn’t rush into putting his choice into action.
That Joseph was as open as he was to the angel also points to the fact that Joseph was a man of prayer. That Matthew calls him a righteous man, the term meaning rightly ordered with God and his will, would also support that. Joseph had faith and trusted in God’s plan even though it was hard for him to understand.
Before making any rash decisions, especially when we are still feeling emotional, it is good to step back from the situation and seek God’s guidance. Even when the situation, as one such as Joseph found himself in, seems impossible, it is important to seek the counsel of Joseph’s son, who he named Jesus, Yeshua, One who saves. It is important to trust God’s plan even if at first it does not seem to make any sense.
Jesus can save us from ourselves when we give ourselves some time to calm down, to slow down. He works best with us when we have already established a rhythm of daily prayer and deepened our relationship with him. We will choose best when we have firmly in place the point of discernment that says we are to make no changes while we are angry, distraught, or in a time of desolation. Let us ask for the intercession of Joseph and Mary today and ask them to help us to trust in God’s plan for our lives, to seek the guidance of his Son, and embrace the love of the Holy Spirit.
Photo: Holy family outside Chapel of St. Mary, St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 