SAINT JOSEPH, SPOUSE of MARY
“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 an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.” If Mary has us enter into the Mystery of Jesus, Joseph enters into a very harsh trial. The one whom the Father has chosen from all eternity to be mother of his only Son, Joseph had also chosen her as his bride. Now, before they had come to live together, Mary was pregnant! Joseph knows the quality of Mary’s heart, he in no way doubts her and believes in the work of the Holy Spirit. But Joseph does not feel worthy of welcoming the mystery of God that is at work in Mary. He makes the choice to go home and to divorce Mary informally. “He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly an 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.’” If the mystery of the Annunciation is a trial of faith, it is even more so a trial of charity, for if her love for Joseph is great Mary’s love for God is an infinite one. Mary, through this mystery of the Annunciation, becomes so close to the mystery of God that she keeps silent. “Don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.” says the angel to Joseph! The one who is his wife has also gone through trials! She has consented to what God asked of her and her people cannot understand this mystery. Mary has been espoused by the Holy Trinity, all life circulating in her comes from the Holy Spirit. A new world breaks forth, a new world in which God becomes so close to humanity. Mary was alone, walking, in faith, the darkest path. “Elizabeth will say to her :”Blessed are you who have believed!" Elizabeth
penetrated her secret, for she also says : “Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?”
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do; he took his wife to his home.” When we enter into the faith of Mary, we enter into Christian faith. We allow God to come forth into our human nature.“Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife to your home.” For Joseph this shakes his fundamental being and it is a matter of a whole new life that is given to him. This new life is also offered to us, it has us situate ourselves to each other, like Mary and Joseph, in a whole new dimension of the Holy Spirit where He himself is the King of Love. The Holy Spirit invites us into his own mystery of Love, proposing that we live from God! Mary lives from God in the most intimate part of her being and femininity. The Only Son of God becomes flesh in her. After Elizabeth, Joseph is the first person to enter into this new mystery, a new love unites him to God and unites him to Mary. Thanks to him, Jesus will come into the world in a legitimate manner : “You will give him the name of Jesus.” By receiving the Word of God come into the world, we become “a child of God” in the footsteps of Jesus.