20180319
ST JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY
19 MARCH, 2018, Monday, St Joseph, Spouse of the B.V.M.
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
|
First reading
|
|
2 Samuel 7:4-5,12-14,16 ©
|
|
The Lord will give him the throne of his ancestor David
|
The word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell
my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are
laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body
after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house
for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a
father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the
rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Yet I will not
withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. Your House
and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be
established for ever.”’
|
Responsorial Psalm
|
|
Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29 ©
|
His dynasty shall last for ever.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
His dynasty shall last for ever.
‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.
His dynasty shall last for ever.
‘He will say to me: “You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.”
I will keep my love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.’
His dynasty shall last for ever.
|
Second reading
|
|
Romans 4:13,16-18,22 ©
|
|
Abraham hoped, and he believed
|
The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and
his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which
consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so
that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants,
not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of
Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made
you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes
of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls
into being what does not exist.
Though it
seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and
through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly
as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. This
is the faith that was ‘considered as justifying him.’
|
Gospel Acclamation
|
Ps83:5
|
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord,
for ever singing your praise.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
EITHER:
|
Gospel
|
|
Matthew 1:16,18-21,24 ©
|
|
How
Jesus Christ came to be born
|
Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was
born Jesus who is called Christ.
This is how
Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but
before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the
Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her
publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do
this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph
son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has
conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and
you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from
their sins.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him
to do.
OR:
|
Alternative
Gospel
|
Luke 2:41-51a ©
|
|
Mary
stored up all these things in her heart
|
Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the
feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast
as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus
stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was
with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look
for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him
they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.
Three days
later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to
them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at
his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his
mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried
your father and I have been, looking for you.’
‘Why were
you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my
Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.
He then went
down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.
ST JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SAM 7:4-5. 12-14. 16; PS 89:2-5,27,29; ROM 4:13. 16-18. 22; MATT 1:16. 18-21. 24 or LUKE 2:41-51
]
Today as we
celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph, the husband of Mary, we are invited to
reflect on how men can be good husbands to their wives. This indeed
is a timely reflection because the roles of husband and wife have changed and
evolved over the years. In the past, husbands were the breadwinner of
the family and wives stayed at home to be homemaker. Boys were generally
given higher education whereas girls, unless they came from rich and educated
families, were given only basic education. The thinking was that the
woman’s place was at home with the children, looking after the family, whilst
the husband must go out and eke out a living for the family. He was seen
as the financial supplier and often a strict discipline master. Under the
patriarchal system, the father was the head of the family and all had to obey
him and submit to his decisions.
In today’s
world, especially in modern society, most men and women have the same education
and compete equally academically. Many women are very bright, intelligent and do
well in their studies. Many are doing well in their businesses, careers
and professional life. Some are leaders in government and in the
corporate world. Many are highly qualified and more successful than
their husbands. They are great leaders in society and earn much more
money than their spouse. They do not spend as much time at home because
of their career and commitments. This change in the roles of
husband and wife must be taken into account when reflecting on how husbands are
called to support their wives.
The
patriarchal model of the husband as the head of the family and accorded total
obedience must be contextualized. In the uncomfortable message of St Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians, he wrote, “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For
the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his
body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let
wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.” (Eph 5:22-24)
This passage is true within the conditions that presuppose how wives are to be
subjected to the husbands. Without the prevailing conditions, this
exhortation will lead to dictatorship, authoritarianism and the consequent
abuses of authority. We must be careful that we do not take the
advice of St Paul out of context.
St Paul was
making the comparison between the husband’s role and that of Christ. The demands on the
husband is great if he wishes his wife to obey him or submit to him in
obedience. He must first be like Christ who is the head of the
Church. Christ commands our obedience only because He has earned it by
His life, death and resurrection. How Christ acts for the Church is the
way husbands must act for their wives. In other words, obedience to the
husband who is the head of the household is credible only if the conditions
permit it.
Firstly, a
good husband is one who loves his wife. St Paul said, “Husbands should love their
wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man
ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the
church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man
shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh.” (Eph 5:28-31) That was how St Joseph loved Mary. He
loved her so much that loving himself meant that he put Mary’s welfare and
security before his own. When Joseph was told that she was pregnant,
Joseph’s reaction was not one of vindictiveness or revenge. Instead of
exposing her, shaming her and even having her stoned to death, Joseph, “being a
man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her
informally.” Joseph cared for her more than he cared for his own
interests, dignity and honour.
Secondly, a
good husband’s greatest gift to his wife is the gift of himself. This is what St Paul
wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave
himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the
washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in
splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and
without blemish.” (Eph 5:25-27) If husbands want their wives to obey them,
they must first learnt to obey their wives! Husbands are called to make
themselves a living sacrifice for their wives and give their lives entirely for
the good of their wives more than for themselves. Wives are not called to
serve the husbands as if they are kings in the house; rather, husbands are
called to be sacrificial servants to their wives. If the husband’s intent
is on doing what is best for his wife, there is no reason why any wife would
not want to submit to him, since he desires what is truly good and holy for his
wife. It is in the wife’s interest to go along with the husband because
he puts her needs, preferences and happiness before his.
Again, this
was the case of St Joseph. He put the interests of Mary before his own. For Joseph, it was
more important that Mary fulfilled her vocation to be the mother of our
Lord. He was happy to take second place and simply be the foster
father. He was not envious of Mary being given the great honour to be the
mother of Christ. For the sake of Mary’s vocation, he remained a celibate
and without having a child of his own. But if that was what it took to
support Mary in her vocation, Joseph was willing to put aside his own needs and
aspirations. “He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream … he did what the angel of the Lord had told
him to do.” So too, many husbands today are ready to become homemakers or
take a less prominent role in public life and allow their wives to excel,
whether in politics or in the corporate world. They do not vie with their
wives for fame and popularity. In fact, they are happy for them and
willing to play the second fiddle. This is a great sacrifice indeed,
considering that most men are egoistic and seek attention and glory. In
any case, husbands must see their wives as equal partners in the relationship
and in the raising of the family, respect their intelligence and unique gifts,
acknowledging them as equals. This is concretely what it means for
husbands and wives to lay down their lives for each other as Christ sacrificed
His life for His Church.
Thirdly, a
good husband is faithful. He protects the marriage from enemies within
and without, at home with in-laws and without with tempters. Joseph was not judgmental
when he heard that Mary was pregnant with child. He could have walked
away from the marriage. Although he could not understand how it was
possible, he continued to trust in Mary. He was faithful to Mary even
when doubts were raised because of her pregnancy. But Joseph, being a
just man, would not condemn anyone until proven beyond doubt. He believed
in Mary’s story. That is what a faithful husband must do. He must
allow his wife to share with him her sorrows, her pains, her anxiety and her
fears. She needs a confidante whom she can share openly without
reservation, knowing that she would not be judged, condemned or rejected.
She needs a husband who is supportive, encouraging and affirming.
Finally, a
good husband must be a leader in example, especially in faith and
virtues. If a husband is to be the head of the household then he too must
follow Christ who led by example. He must be a man of faith like Joseph
who trusted in God and in His divine providence. Indeed, Joseph is that
man of faith that St Paul spoke about when he portrayed Abraham as a man of
faith. Joseph too trusted in God completely, even when he could not
understand. His faith was expressed concretely in action. He did
what the angel told him to do. He was an obedient man like Abraham
who was obedient to God even though it seemed his “hope could not be fulfilled,
he hoped and he believed, and through doing what he did became the father of
many nations exactly as he had been promised”. This is why the Church venerates
St Joseph as the Patron for the Universal Church. Indeed, no better husband can
any wife find than in a husband who is a god-fearing man, who obeys His word
and seeks to live out the gospel truths and values.
All these
would not have been possible if not for the fact that Joseph was a praying
person and a contemplative. Joseph was a man of silent contemplation. He is not heard at
all in the gospel. However, he was one who listened deeply and
attentively to the Word of God, which often came to him in his dreams and in
his ordinary life during the day. Even as he worked, we can be sure that
the presence of God was around him all day. Only because he heard
the voice of God, was he able to act calmly and righteously in difficult
moments, walking by faith, not by sight, trusting in His divine
providence. We look therefore to St Joseph for a model of how we
can be good and loving husbands to our wives.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment