|
Previous • Contents • Next
I. THE GOSPEL PORTRAIT
Marriage to Mary
2. "Joseph, Son of David, do not fear
to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call
his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:20-21).
In these words we find the core of biblical
truth about Saint Joseph; they refer to that moment in his life
to which the Fathers of the Church make special reference.
The Evangelist Matthew explains the significance
of this moment while also describing how Joseph lived it. However,
in order to understand fully both its content and context, it is
important to keep in mind the parallel passage in the Gospel
of Luke. In Matthew we read: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ
took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed
to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child
of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 1:18). However, the origin
of Mary's pregnancy "of the Holy Spirit" is described
more fully and explicitly in what Luke tells us about the annunciation
of Jesus' birth: "The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a
man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's
name was Mary" (Lk 1:26-27). The Angel's greeting: "Hail,
full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) created
an inner turmoil in Mary and also moved her to reflect. Then the
messenger reassured the Virgin and at the same time revealed God's
special plan for her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you
have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He
will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and
the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David" (Lk 1:30-32).
A little earlier the Gospel writer had stated
that at the moment of the Annunciation, Mary was "betrothed
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David." The
nature of this "marriage" is explained indirectly
when Mary, after hearing what the messenger says about the birth
of the child, asks, "How can this be, since I do not know
man?" (Lk 1:34). The Angel responds: "The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son
of God" (Lk 1:35). Although Mary is already "wedded" to
Joseph, she will remain a virgin, because the child conceived in
her at the Annunciation was conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
At this point Luke's text coincides with Matthew
1:18 and serves to explain what we read there. If, after her marriage
to Joseph, Mary "is found to be with child of the Holy Spirit," this
fact corresponds to all that the Annunciation means, in particular
to Mary's final words: "Let it be to me according to your
word" (Lk 1:38). In response to what is clearly
the plan of God, with the passing of days and weeks Mary's "pregnancy" is
visible to the people and to Joseph; she appears before them as
one who must give birth and carry within herself the mystery of
motherhood.
3. In these circumstances, "her husband
Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved
to send her away quietly" (Mt 1:19). He did not
know how to deal with Mary's "astonishing" motherhood.
He certainly sought an answer to this unsettling question, but
above all he sought a way out of what was for him a difficult situation. "But
as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do
not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall
call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins'" (Mt 1:20-21)
.
There is a strict parallel between the "annunciation" in
Matthew's text and the one in Luke. The divine messenger introduces [inducit] Joseph
to the mystery of Mary's motherhood. While remaining a virgin,
she who by law is his "spouse" has become a mother through
the power of the Holy Spirit. And when the Son in Mary's womb comes
into the world, he must receive the name Jesus. This was a name
known among the Israelites and sometimes given to their sons. In
this case, however, it is the Son who, in accordance with
the divine promise, will bring to perfect fulfillment the meaning
of the name Jesus--Yehosua'--which means "God saves."
Joseph is visited by the messenger as "Mary's
spouse," as the one who in due time must give this name to
the Son to be born of the Virgin of Nazareth who is married to
him. It is to Joseph, then, that the messenger turns, entrusting
to him the responsibilities of an earthly father with regard to
Mary's Son.
"When Joseph woke from sleep, he did
as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary his wife" (cf. Mt 1:24).
He took her in all the mystery of her motherhood. He took her together
with the Son who had come into the world by the power of the Holy
Spirit. In this way, he showed a readiness of will like Mary's with
regard to what God asked of him through the Angel.
Previous • Contents • Next
|
