VATICAN - Saint Joseph: “Privileged witness to the birth of the Son of God into the world” (I)

Monday, 18 December 2006

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Saint Joseph was a “privileged witness to the birth of the Son of God into the world on Christmas night in Bethlehem” Pope John Paul II writes in his apostolic exhortation “Redemptoris custos” (n. 10).
“The mystery hidden for centuries in the mind of God”, is revealed to Joseph and Mary “in the fullness of time” (cf. Galati 4, 4). As eye witnesses to this birth, Joseph with his spouse Mary, were the first to see God, who made himself visible to mankind becoming man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin and born in the stable Bethlehem. For months Joseph had waited expectantly to see the Child. “He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly 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” (Matthew 1,20)
St Joseph finds a privileged place in the season of Advent, as we come to the end of the millennial waiting for the Messiah announced prophets and awaited by the people of Israel. Joseph saw the One whom kings and prophets had longed to see as Jesus said to his disciples: “'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.'” (Luke 10, 23b-24). The Liturgy of Advent, gives little space to Joseph and focuses more on John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin. In this way it respects the humility of the carpenter descendent of David, and the Gospels give not even one word of Joseph.
This birth was the end of the waiting and the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham: “In you all the families of the world will be blessed” (Genesis 12, 1b). Saint Mathew understood this well and he begins his Gospel with the “Genealogy of Christ son of David, son of Abraham” (Mathew 1, 1) … which concludes with “Matthan fathered Jacob; and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.” (Mathew 1, 18). (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 18/12/2006; righe 23, parole 336)


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