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Advent : St. Joseph by Fr Andrew George The Orthodox Church reveres St Joseph as a Saint and usually refers to him as either the "Protector of the Virgin Mary" or as the "Guardian of Christ." This is so, for he was both in reality, yet we need to remember he was not the father of Jesus, a surrogate dad so to speak of the Son of God (Jesus), for Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and the will of God in the womb of Mary and not by the usual manner, a mystery of great amazement! In the Orthodox Church, St Joseph is remembered on December 16 and again on the Sunday after Christmas. The Eastern and Western Churches have a great difference of view on just exactly "who" Joseph was. The west views Joseph as a handsome young man who married Mary to save her from embarrassment of bearing a child out of wedlock. The eastern and early Christian view is that Joseph was a man of advanced years and a widower who had his own children. (Orthodox icons of St Joseph depict him with gray hair and beard). He was a respected gentleman of the linage of David the King and active in the Temple community. It was a common practice that young women would be assigned to care for the elders of the Temple in their old age and so it was that Mary and Joseph were first associated. The Gospel of Matthew refers to Joseph as "a just man unwilling to put Mary to shame" when he learned that she was pregnant. He considered sending her away in secret but then he was visited in a dream by an angel. Thus we read in Matthew 1: 20-24: "Behold as he thought about these things an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, Son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bring forth a Son and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins...Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife." In the Gospel of Luke (chapter 2: 1-40) we read that Joseph took May with him to his home town of Bethlehem to enroll for the census, there Mary gave birth. We read on that Joseph gave Jesus his name of the eighth day and furthermore took Mary and Jesus to the temple for the purification rites on the fortieth day and made the offering of the 2 turtledoves. We also read (again in Matthew 2:13-23) that Joseph is visited another time by an angel and warned of the killing of babies that Herod had ordered. So Joseph takes Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt until after Herod’s death. Yes Joseph is clearly recorded in biblical history and planned a crucial role in Christ’s early years, up till Jesus is age 12. There is no mention of Joseph after this point, nor during His adult ministry and travel, nor at the crucifixion. Thus it has been a basic assumption of the Eastern Church that he died well before Jesus began to preach in that he certainly would have been involved in these activities as was Mary. This again is another difference of opinion with the Western Church (i.e. that Joseph out lived Jesus.) Nothing with God’s Divine plan is at random. Joseph was selected to fulfill an important role, being of the lineage of David, Jacob and the grandsires Solomon and Abraham. It is of everlasting credit that Joseph not only obeyed the word of God in his righteous and proper living but went beyond it to protect both the Virgin Mary and Jesus in His Youth. Thus we glorify God in His Saints and urge our faithful to bring the name Joseph to better visibility with naming a future son with this much honored name! A Blessed Christmas Season to one and all! --Fr Andrew Sermon Archive A Culture Obsessed With Food - Douglas Cramer Advent - St. Joseph - Fr. Andrew Advent - A Mixed Bad - Fr. Andrew Building Bridges - Fr. Andrew The Importance of Restitution - Fr. Andrew Declare How Much - Fr. Andrew Being Truely Thankful - Fr. Andrew Wheat or Hay - Which are you offering the King? - Jim Petrou |
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