On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we are presented with the reading from Matthew of the birth of Jesus. Matthew’s Gospel highlights the role of Joseph in the course of events which the Messiah comes into the world, and I would like to briefly summarize two points from this account.
First, the passage immediately preceding this one is the account of the genealogy of Jesus. Genealogies are very popular these days in order to discover ancestry, or what part of the world one may come from, or even in medical diagnoses, certain preconditions one might have toward particular ailments. But all of these have in common a biological, genetic understanding.
The genealogy of Jesus we receive is not of Mary’s lineage, but of Joseph’s – whom Jesus would have no biological relation to, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit. Rather, the names contained in this genealogy recapitulate the whole of salvation history, the story of the People of Israel. And, if one is aware of the stories behind some of those names, we recognize that Matthew did not shy away from revealing the family story with all of its warts.
The story of Jesus found here, showing the integral plan of God through his foster-father, is a look at the genealogy through which our salvation is granted. In our own families, too, there are stories that are both heroic and shameful; indeed, many families today do not fit the typical mold. In this light, it should be of great comfort to see that even these things were not beneath the dignity of Emmanuel – God with us – when he became incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary. God comes to be with us today, in the midst of all of the hurts and wrongdoings surrounding us and which are beyond our control, and with him he brings his saving love.
The second point that I would like to observe is how Matthew describes Joseph: he is a righteous man. This term is meant to denote that Joseph, an observant Jew, is understood to live his life in accordance with the Law. Yet, this righteousness also held mercy as a high value, as is seen by the care that he has to divorce Mary quietly. The revelation given to Joseph by the angel offers a consolation: in faith and hope, Joseph’s righteousness is directed to the fulfillment of the Law in the birth of his adopted son, Jesus.
Joseph’s virtue offers a model for us, too. In adverse situations, even ones which at first glance carry the worst of tidings, with the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, we too can seek to live in a manner that is righteous before God, and with Joseph look to the time of fulfillment when Christ will come again to establish his eternal reign over all the earth.
May St. Joseph, chaste protector of the Virgin, foster father of the Son of God, intercede for us, and partake with us in the joy of the birth of Emmanuel, Jesus the Christ.
- some parts adapted as a report of the homily of Bishop Soto to the seminarians of the Diocese of Sacramento