Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
December 10, 2006
“St. Joseph Gets His Due!” That was the large print caption on the front page of last week’s
National Catholic Register. It
introduced the review of the recently released film: The Nativity Story. The whole article was very positive,
approving the way in which the producers have brought the gospel to life and in
doing so, have enriched our experience of the Christmas mystery, focusing
especially on the indispensable role and the quiet heroism of St. Joseph. With Matthew’s Gospel as its guide, the film
moves Joseph out of the shadows and places him where he surely belongs - front
and center in the story of Jesus’ Birth.
Even without viewing the film, we can applaud its
focus and acknowledge the tendency so to concentrate our attention on the
Mother and Child that we all but lose sight of this God-chosen man without whom
the Nativity story would have been vastly different. St. Joseph is truly an Advent-Saint - a Neglected Advent-Saint. Even the liturgy sells him short, if we can
so express it. In preparing this homily, I searched in vain through all the
gospel readings and all the proper prayers for all the Advent Sundays for all
three Cycles - and I could not find even the mention of his name!
There is one small Joseph-opening - one for which we
can thank Good Pope John XXIII (whose baptismal name was Giuseppe ).By a
special papal decree, rather belatedly, he directed that St. Joseph’s name be
added to the Roman canon of the Mass, the one we will be using this morning in
our eucharistic prayer. Over all the
Catholic world, wherever this canon is used, we will “honor Mary, the ever
Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God” and in company with her, “we
honor Joseph, her husband.” Taking
our cue from Blessed Pope John, in our homily today, we propose to do just
that - to find time, however brief - to
honor our Advent saint - Joseph....
What better company can we find as we prepare to celebrate the birth of
Our Lord?
In the lovely scriptural expression, Joseph, like
his ancestor, King David, was truly “a man after the heart of God”. What was it that so claimed the divine
endearment? St. Teresa of Avila, a
tireless promoter of devotion to St. Joseph, gives us a comprehensive answer
when she describes him as a person of
Radiant Faith, a person totally turned toward God, completely His to
command. The Heavenly Father found in
him a perfect conformity - heart and soul, mind and will. He wanted only what God wanted for him and
from him. He embodied in himself the
first and the greatest commandment.
Certainly the gospels verify St.
Teresa’s glowing description.
Both Matthew and Luke give us the picture of a person totally available
to God - a man upon whom God could and
did depend.. We read through their Nativity chapters with due focus and we see
Joseph - a central presence, willing and able, always where he was needed,
lending strength and reassurance, quietly - faithfully following wherever God’s
way leads him - God’s Man for God’s Redemptive Work.
And it was no easy. well lit road which he
followed. Both gospels show him to us
as a Man of Steadfast Courage and Trouble-Tested Trust.. He breaks into print just four times in the
gospel story - and every time he is in some sort of difficulty. First, we see him at Nazareth, pacing up
and down his little carpenter shop, perplexed at the
mysterious pregnancy of Mary, the lovely girl to whom he is espoused. It is impossible for us to appreciate how
the heart of Joseph must have been weighed down by the seeming infidelity of
her whom already he had come to esteem as blessed among women. It took an angel from heaven to solve that
first great difficulty for him. Then,
at Bethlehem, we see him going from door to door, and one door after another
closed in his face, till finally he must hang his lantern in a broken-down
cattle stall - that poor shelter for the Birth of the Divine Babe. Next he appears in headlong flight into the
land of Egypt, just a step ahead of the storm-troopers of King Herod, their
swords dripping red with the blood of the slaughtered Innocents. And finally, twelve years later, up and down
Jerusalem’s streets and back alleys, he trudges, looking into doorways,
inquiring of passers-by, he searches for the
Lost Boy Plenty of trouble for anyone - more than his share. We might
even expect to see him represented in
Christian art with an anxious, apprehensive expression and a brow furrowed with
worry. But quite the contrary. For whatever good reason, do we not think of
Joseph as our Quiet Serenity Saint, his face radiating a contagious peace of
soul? The reason is clear enough. Joseph could walk upright and confident in
the midst of trouble because he lived in Total Trust - in a Lived-Out Dependence
upon God. When things became difficult,
he didn’t panic. He pressed on, using
the good judgment and the abilities God had given him. He would do his best. And leave the rest to God. He knew that if he did not have all the
answers - God Did. It was that simple.
Radiant Faith - Total Availability - Steadfast
Courage - Quiet Trustfulness - all these enter into the composite picture which
the gospel gives us of Joseph, Man after God’s own heart!
In our reflections this morning, our purpose has
been to give St. Joseph his due and to deepen our own appreciation of his
central role in the Nativity Story. Now
we turn back to our altar to celebrate together the one eucharistic prayer in
which St. Joseph finds a place of honor.
As we do so, we turn to our Advent Saint and make our prayer:
St. Joseph, heavenly patron,
be our companion in our Advent
journey to Bethlehem.
Share with us your own Radiant
Faith.
Guard and Guide us on our
pilgrim way
With the same paternal love
with which you protected
Your Holy Spouse, the Mother
of Our Savior and cradled in your arms,
the New-born Infant to Whom
you were privileged To give the Name - Jesus.