19 March 2013: In the Gospel of Matthew we hear that “Joseph
did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24).
These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to
be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus;
but this protection is then extended to the Church… How does Joseph exercise
his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing
presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the
time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in
the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the
spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to
Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave
birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search
for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of
Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.
19 March 2013: How does Joseph respond to his calling
to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly
attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s
plans, and not simply to his own. […] Joseph is a “protector” because he is
able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is
all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look
at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make
truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s
call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian
vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can
protect others, so that we can protect creation!
19
March 2013: ...Caring
and protecting demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the
Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man,
yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak
but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for
compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of
goodness, of tenderness!
1 May 2013: In the silence of his daily activity, St. Joseph shared with
Mary a single, common focal point of attention: Jesus. They accompany and
guard, with dedication and tenderness, the growth of the Son of God made man
for us, reflecting on everything that happens. In the Gospels, Luke points out
twice the attitude of Mary, which is also that of St. Joseph: "She
treasured all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (2:19.51).
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1 May 2013: In the Gospel of St. Matthew, one of the times when Jesus
returns to his native region, to Nazareth, and speaks in the synagogue, the
Gospel underlines his fellow villagers' astonishment at his wisdom, and the
question they ask one another: is not this the Carpenter's son?" (13:55).
Jesus enters into our history, he comes into our midst, being born of Mary by
the work of God, but with the presence of St. Joseph, the legal father who
guards him and even teaches him his trade. Jesus was born and lived in a
family, in the Holy Family, learning from St. Joseph the carpenter's trade, in
the workshop of Nazareth, sharing with him his commitment, hard work and
satisfaction, as well as each day's difficulties. This calls to mind for us the
dignity and importance of work. … Work is part of the plan of God's love; we
are called to cultivate and safeguard all the goods of creation and in this way
we participate in the work of creation!
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