Reading 1

2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
The LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David,
'When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'"

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29
R. (37)  The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. The son of David will live for ever.
"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations."
R. The son of David will live for ever.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. The son of David will live for ever.

Reading 2

Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
Brothers and sisters:
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.

Verse Before the Gospel

Ps 84:5
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord;
they never cease to praise you.

Gospel

Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

 

Father Kirk's Daily Lenten Reflection
Monday of the 4th Week of Lent: March 20, 2023

Solemnity of Saint Joseph

Today is the feast of St Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We don't know a lot about Joseph himself – but we do know that his father’s name was Jacob and that he was the husband of Mary. We know that he was a carpenter and that he lived in Nazareth. We also know that he was a righteous man who followed the law: He observed religious law – we know he went to Jerusalem for the Jewish festivals. He also followed civil law: He went to Bethlehem for the census. We also know that Joseph had dreams. We know that God spoke to him in his dreams – through the voice of an angel - and we know that when he awoke Joseph always did as God asked.

We know that after Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the family returned to live in Nazareth. Only two other incidents are mentioned where Joseph was present. One was at the presentation of Jesus in the temple, eight days after his birth. This was where they met Simeon who made prophecies about Jesus’ future and spoke of a ‘sword of sorrow’ which would pierce Mary’s heart. The other, was when Jesus was 12 years old, and went with Mary and Joseph to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem.  Interestingly we do not know one word that Saint Joseph ever spoke but we know that through his silence he has spoken volumes.

St. Joseph may have been a simple carpenter, but today he is venerated as one of the greatest saints in the Church. St. Joseph is the patron and protector of the Universal Church.  He is also the patron saint of families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, carpenters and craftsmen, engineers, working people in general, and of the dying.

Let us pray for the grace to imitate Saint Joseph.