The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

Daily Scripture, March 20, 2017

Feast of St. Joseph

Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Reflection:

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, the spouse of Mary and the Foster Father of Jesus.  It is usually on the 19th but since yesterday was the Third Sunday of Lent, the feast was transferred to today, Monday, March 20th.

The first two readings for today connect Joseph with King David and Abraham.  Joseph is an important link in the clear fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to make of him the father of a great nation.  The reaffirmation of that promise through and to King David, a descendent of Abraham, and on to Joseph, a direct descendent in the House of David.  Joseph, the husband of Mary and the Foster Father of Jesus, identifies Jesus as the legitimate fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants forever!

In the Gospel, we learn a little more about the person Joseph beyond his place in the Abraham/Davidic line.  We hear his story at the critical moment of his betrothal to Mary.  When Mary is found to be with child before their marriage, Joseph doesn’t rise up in righteous anger at her betrayal.  Rather he decides to break their engagement quietly so she won’t be held up to the harsh judgment of others.  Clearly, he is a gentle, thoughtful man who truly loves Mary and wants to protect her even though he believes she has sorely betrayed him.  But then he has the dream with the message from the angel assuring him that Mary has not betrayed him nor has she been unfaithful but rather has become the vessel of God.  He believes wholeheartedly in the message from the angel and takes Mary as his wife without further fanfare.

There are only a few Gospel stories about Joseph but they are completely consistent.  Joseph is the gentle loving protector of Mary and her son, Jesus.  He is a man who believes that God speaks to him in his dreams and takes prompt action to keep Mary and Jesus safe.  He is present as Jesus grows up, teaches Jesus his craft and through his example, shows Jesus how to be open to God and faithfully loving to those around him.

It’s no wonder that Joseph is held in such high esteem throughout the Christian tradition.  His faithful love for Mary and Jesus is a great example to all of us.


Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Ash Wednesday

On March 2, the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday. 

Most of us learned early in our Catholic lives that Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and that is a time of special sacrifice in preparation for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Dear brothers and sisters, every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping and loving…. These words of Pope Francis, taken from his Lenten Message of last year, 2021, and echoing the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, can still inspire our answer to the question: “What am I giving up for Lent?” 

We can draw our Lenten sacrifices out of our daily life: 

Share our faith in God’s presence by sharing in prayer with our family or with those in our parish community.
Share our hope in God’s promises by encouraging positive and respectful dialogue in our family circle and among our friends. 
Share the charity God has bestowed on us in the Passion of Jesus, with those whose sufferings are ignored or aggravated.

Let us pray for one another as we enter the season of Lent. Our Passionist “motto” can be our daily prayer during Lent, “May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.”