Joseph

Quiet Faithfulness in Our Work, Matthew 1:18-25

We don’t always think about St. Joseph very deeply at Christmas. Yet, he is an important part of the whole story. He was called by God the Father to raise Jesus as his son and to take care of him and Mary throughout his days. And then he vanishes from the text. His faithfulness was quietly executed and completed. What do we make of this? What can we do to reflect this kind of faithfulness?

Image: Gerard Seghers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Quiet Faithfulness in the Coming of the Son, Matthew 1:18-25

How does Joseph respond when he discovers Mary is pregnant? How does he respond when he learns her pregnancy has been caused by the Holy Spirit? He responds with righteousness and faithfulness before God! He is a quiet man who strives to do as God commands and takes on the task of being the earthly father of the Messiah, who he knows to be more than an ordinary man.

Image: An Angel Appears to Joseph in a Dream, uploaded by Martin LaBar, licensed under: CC BY-NC 2.0, no changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/2079380