When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Matthew 1:24
While we don’t know a great deal about St. Joseph, we know from today’s gospel that he was a “righteous” man. We can also extrapolate that he was a man of great faith. Had he not been, I don’t think that even the appearance of an angel would have changed his mind about divorcing Mary.
His faith also saw him through many more troubles— no place for his wife to give birth, having to flee from a king who wanted to murder his newborn son perhaps he heard Simeon tell his wife that her heart would be pierced with a sword. And Joseph must have been beside himself for the three days that his 12-year-old son was missing.
But through it all, he trusted God. And God entrusted the care of the Savior of the world to him. What greater endorsement of this man could anyone ever need? May we faithfully follow his amazing example.
Terence Hegarty
Originally published March 19, 2019
