St. Joseph, spouse of Mary. Solemnity of St. Joseph (A)

«Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.». 

The Gospel of today's Solemnity begins with these words. In the midst of Lent we are offered the opportunity to celebrate St. Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary. Today we celebrate him precisely as the husband -of Mary-. The comma after the saint's name is important: «Joseph, spouse of the Virgin Mary». It shows us his identity, the key to his holiness and the reason for this celebration. 

St. Joseph teaches us the essential virtues for a husband. What can we learn from him? The Gospel invites us to contemplate the situation in which Joseph finds himself and the way he decides to welcome Mary as his wife. His response remains a worthy example for all husbands.

The Gospel describes Joseph as a «righteous man». In the Old Testament, this means more than outward obedience to the law; it describes someone who truly lives the covenant, who seeks God's will with sincerity of heart. Joseph was that kind of man. He did not simply follow the rules; he discovered God's love behind the law and in the law. Pope Benedict XVI once remarked that in St. Joseph «the Old Testament becomes the New», because it seeks not only the commandments, but God himself, the personal love of God.

The Gospel presents Joseph in a difficult situation. We can imagine his disappointment at finding his wife pregnant. He knew that Mary was a righteous young woman; he knew her inner and outer beauty, the purity of her heart, and now he is confused and disappointed. But Joseph, being truly a righteous man, does not apply the law rigidly at the expense of goodness, but he takes «a way of love in justice, of justice in love». It shows that the righteous not only live by faith (cf. Habakkuk 2:4), but also by love. His righteousness is dictated by love. He was a man of genuine love, a husband who knew how to love.

Joseph is also a husband who knew how to listen to God and obey him. He is attentive to the voice of God. He was not a dreamer, although God entered his life through the door of a dream. He is a man of prayer and reminds husbands of the need for constant dialogue with God before making any decision within the family. He had the ability to listen to God and the courage to do the right thing, to live the vocation of a husband, taking Mary as his wife.

When Joseph arose and obeyed, receiving Mary as his wife, he also said yes to fatherhood: «She will give birth to a son, and you shall name him Jesus.». By being a chaste husband, he also became a father. In Joseph we see another dimension of fatherhood. He is not only a model for husbands, but also for celibate men. He shows that his chastity can also lead to true fatherhood.

St. Joseph is a model for husbands and there is an urgent need for many more «Josephs» in today's world. No wonder a pious mother once told me that I should pray for her daughter to find her Joseph. How right she was! If we need more holy families, we need holy men, holy husbands like Joseph. Let us pray that we have many men like St. Joseph, holy husbands.