Saint Joseph's Day

Luke 2:41-52

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

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I find the appointed gospel for the Feast of St. Joseph (Luke 2:41-52) an interesting selection. Granted, the Biblical choices concerning Joseph, the husband of Mary, are few. However, the focus of this passage is not on Joseph, but on Jesus the child: clarifying for all that his Father is God in heaven. The gospel writer tells us that Mary and Joseph were confused by what Jesus said to them (Luke 2: 50), so I feel in good company.

The epistle appointed for the Feast of St. Joseph comes from Paul’s Letter to the Romans (4:13-18). Verse thirteen in one of my favorites from this passage: “For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (NRSV). Scholars spend a lot of time reflecting on what is meant by the “righteousness of faith” – especially “righteousness;” however, I wish us to simply look at faith.

For many of us, Lent is a season of the Church year that requires a lot of faith: faith to keep our fasts; faith to embrace a new avenue for spreading the good news; faith to devoutly observe the many and varied opportunities in Lent; faith to prayerfully and devoutly engage the events of Holy Week. For many of us, we find faith easy and simple -- some times -- and difficult and trying -- many times.

What must the faith of Joseph been like? Here is a skilled tradesman, upright and honorable, engaged to marry a wonderful young woman. Then what happens: he finds out his betrothed is pregnant (by the Holy Spirit of God nonetheless); an angel visits, his wife is carrying the Son of God, his world is turned upside down.

In all of this, he marries Mary, and helps rear the child Jesus. This is faith: putting aside one’s own hopes and aspirations in favor of the actions and desires of God. Lent is a time for us to seek ways in which we can set aside our own self-centered focus and seek to embrace what God requires of us. Though this is not easy, the task is not impossible. Through God’s Grace we are empowered to keep the faith and each day draw closer to what God would have us do.