Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 20th March 2023

Although it’s Lent, today the Church keeps the transferred Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Devotion to St Joseph and the exaltation of his person was late to develop among Christians, partly because we know so little about him, save what we read in the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. It’s from the 9th century that slowly devotion for him grows among Christians of East and West. St Thomas Aquinas, for example, discussed the necessity of the presence of Saint Joseph in the plan of the Incarnation for, if Mary had not been married, the Jews would have stoned her, and that in his youth Jesus needed the care and protection of a human father. It was St Bernardine of Siena, in the 15th century, who cemented popular devotion to St Joseph in his homilies and theological writings. Today he is one of the most popular and best loved saints of the Universal Church. Yesterday might have been Mothers’ Day in the U.K., but 19th March is Fathers’ Day in Italy. In fact, Pope Francis tweeted, “Today, we extend best wishes to all fathers! May they find in St Joseph a model, support and consolation to live their fatherhood well. Let us pray together for Fathers.”

The German theologian Friedrich Justus Knecht wrote, “St. Joseph’s high place in the kingdom of God comes from this, that God chose him to be the guardian and protector of His Son, entrusting him with what was greatest and dearest to Himself, singling him out and especially blessing him for this office. The Church celebrates a Feast in honour of St. Joseph on 19th March, and desires that all the faithful should honour him, ask for his intercession, and imitate his virtues. St. Joseph is the especial patron of the Church. Even as he was the protector of the Child Jesus on earth, so, we believe, is he now the protector of the mystical Body of Jesus, His holy Church. We also especially seek his intercession for a good death, because, having died so blessedly, in the presence and with the assistance of Jesus and Mary, he should be supplicated to obtain for us from Jesus the grace of a happy death.”

The Gospel passage for today comes from Matthew, (Mt 1: 16, 18-21, 24).

“Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ. This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do.” May we follow St Joseph’s example of obedience to God’s will and his love of Jesus and Mary. May he protect the domestic Church that lives in our homes and grant us all the grace of a holy death. Amen.