This morning at the Office of Vigils we heard St Bernadine of Siena tell us that God adorns the person chosen for a divine vocation “with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfil the task at hand”and how true this is of St Joseph; that in him the “Old Testament finds its fitting close” and “he brings the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfilment”.
We could think of the story of Susannah we heard yesterday [1st Reading Monday Week 5 of Lent from Daniel chapter 13]; falsely accused of adultery by the two corrupt judges because she would not succumb to their lust. Susannah escapes death only because the Lord stirred up the spirit which resided in the young boy-prophet Daniel who prudently discovers the truth of the whole matter. The judges are put to death and Susannah, faithful and chaste wife of Joachim is vindicated.
How much more was St Joseph granted discernment and prudence in the case of his betrothed, Mary, the faithful and chaste daughter of another Joachim. His heart, his love for Mary, the look from Mary’s gaze told Joseph one thing; Mary’s pregnancy seemed to suggest another. Two realities by all appearances irreconcilable. But God granted Joseph the gifts of the Spirit – the message of an angel while he slept “...do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:20)
We might also recall the example of Caleb and Joshua as related in the book of Numbers. Among the group of spies sent to the land of Canaan they were the only two to give a true assessment of the situation. Yes, along with the rest of the group they saw the inherent dangers: the many and mighty inhabitants of the land. The other spies brought back an “evil report of the land” and focused on their many potential adversaries – “We are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we” (Num 13:31-32). Caleb and Joshua saw the reality of the situation. Their hearts were mindful of all the mighty works of God they had witnessed – “Let us go up at once and occupy it; for we are well able to overcome it… The Lord is with us” (Num 13:30; 14:9)
“Rise” the angel says to Joseph “take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there till I tell you for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him” (Matt 2:13). From Joseph’s lips there are no protestations about sojourning in a pagan land, about the dangers of such a journey. Joseph simply takes Mary and the child Jesus and, at night (a most dangerous time to travel), sets out in obedience to the divine command. Like Caleb and Joshua, Joseph knows that the Lord is with him.
To see the heavenly Father’s will manifest itself through apparent contradictions and to look upon the real dangers in life, yet be confident in God’s help were two precious lessons St Joseph passed to Jesus, his son through his marriage to Mary. These two lessons would lead Jesus to the Cross. It is fitting then that St Joseph’s feast always falls in Lent – he schools us in the way of the Cross: “The everyday obedience of Jesus to Joseph and Mary both announced and anticipated the obedience of Holy Thursday” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 532).
“Eli, Eli lama sabach-tha ni… My God my God why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46) Jesus hung suspended in the apparent contradiction of what seemed like abandonment and His heavenly Father’s love, as death, humanity’s greatest adversary, made its approach. So too St Joseph hung between the seeming contradiction of Jesus’ absence and His filial obedience as he and Mary returned from Jerusalem. Of all he had been through – Mary’s unexpected pregnancy, the journey to Bethlehem for the census, the birth of Jesus in a stable, their flight to Egypt and life as refugees – only in today’s Gospel do we hear of the anxiety of Joseph from the lips of Mary (cf Lk 2:48). The guardian of the Redeemer had lost Him. He had lost the touch of Jesus.
Yet in the gaze of Mary Joseph received no rebuke, no reproach, no blame, only a source for courage and renewed strength; her look that told him: “We will find Him together”. So too Jesus met the eyes of His mother lifted up on the Cross. But He redirects her maternal gaze to St John, to each of us: “Behold your son… Behold your mother”(Jn 19:26-27).
“Behold you mother” Joseph whispered to Jesus as he lifted Him up into the arms of Mary as His birth to meet her loving gaze. “Behold your mother” St Joseph whispers to each one of us today. It is under Mary’s gaze that we will find the courage to pass through dangers and contradictions of our life. Mary’s gaze mediates all the graces that pour forth from her Son’s Passion, all the graces that we need to be adorned with in order to fulfil our divine vocation. It is when we feel we have perhaps lost our way, lost the touch of Jesus, that Mary’s gaze quietly speaks to us - “We will find Him together” so that, together with Mary and Joseph, we journey back to our heavenly Jerusalem.