SAINT JOSEPH.- (prepared by Jorge Casas).
The Pope Franciscus, has declared
the year of Saint Joseph, a very good decision, it goes from, the 8 of December
2020 to the 8 of December of 2021, and this decisión was taken to conmemorite
the 150 years of, the declaration of the saint as Patron of the Church. And
something very important is that indulgences can be gained, as the apropiate
instance has declared.
Saint Joseph betwen other things, is the saint
of the good death, we know this by logic, since nothing is writen about the matter,
but for a moment let´s thik of his own death, for sure that at his last moments, Jesus Christ and the Holy
Virgin must have been at his side, conforting him in this transit, from this life to the Eternal Life.
Saint Joseph, was born in Betleham,
but is known as Joseph of Nazateth, due to his living, in that city. Many are
the things that he made in his life, as we will see, the scriptures do not
register, one single word said from him, such was his discretion, and form of
living in the shadow, he was an example of discretion being the adoption father
of the Son of God, and husband to the Virgin Mary. Few are the mentioned in the
scriptures, of the many thigs that he realized, but between lines we can
mention some of them. For us catholics he was an example of man of faith, and
many other virtues, of wich we could mention:
his love for others, the responsabiities always acomplished, the
discipline of his live, entirely delivered to his adopted son and it´s holy
Mother, he worked with his hands and teached the trade to Jesus, they both were
known as carpenters.
As a Young bachelor, he had been
promised to Mary, in that time this promises, by both of the couple was a serious ceremony, but they
did not live together, but until the ceremony of wedding, wich was to take
place in a few months after, it was in this period of time that two very
important happenings took place, one was the visit of Arcangel Saint Gabriel to
Mary, to anounce her that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. And the other
her visit to her cousin, the old Elizabeth that in her very old age was
expecting, as a very special favor from God. And the person she was carrying in
her womb, was, later in his life , nothing less than John the Baptist. When
both women met, Elisabeth filled whith the Holy Spirit, said to Mary. ¡How is
it that the future mother of the Messiah visits me!, and the answer of Mary was
the prayer that we know as the, Magnifica. (Magnificat). Being in the middle of
such happenings, Mary should not have been worried of what Joseph would think
of her apearence of pregnant woman, she must have hoped that in some manner he
would be adviced, as her cousin was.
When Mary returned to Nazareth, Joseph,
did not have any notice of what she was carrying inmediatly noted her pregnacy,
and since he was a good hearted man, took the desition of leaving, going away,
and nothing else. But in his dreams he was informed of the maravellous
pregnacy, and that he should go trough with the marring ceremony. And that was
what happened, and since then they lived together. Some months later he had to
go to Bethleham, the city of his origin, due to an order of the roman
goverment, that every one should go to register acording to the protocol of the
sensus of population, that the romans decided, and not having, at the moment
any persons to care for her wife, in such critical time, he took the desition
of taking her along, in the short trip, probably two journeys. Once arrived
they could not find vacancy in the inns, the ownwers did not want a woman about
the give birth in their place, we have to remember that the inns at that time, did not have privacy,
they were large rooms in wich the beds were side by side, and did not want to
have a birth in he middle of the rest of the clients.
Joseph will solve the problem, going
to the shelters for the shepherds and part of their cattle that were built in
the caves, those exist near the city, and using one of the mangers, that he
properly cleaned and prepared for Mary and the baby to come. And there took
place the most important happening in the history os mankind, such form of
starting his life among us, is the first
lesson of humility that we receive from Jesus Christ. The witnesses were simple
young pastors, kids realy, and the company they had was that of a cow anf the
monky, whose breath warmed the place, this wids knew what was happening sice
they were told by the Holy Spirit, and
took the news of what they had seen, and those who listened to them werw
amased.
The birth was, -- a saint puts it in beutiful words--, as
the mature fruit that separates from the branch that has given it, its sap,
until it is ready to be separated.
Some time after the visit of the
three Wise Men, took place, and after as Herod, that did not see the Wise Men,
as they did not want to see him, in
their return, took a terrible decision.
Joseph was the silent witness of
this history, that will continue with his acting in the situations that came,
receiving in his dreams the instructions to act. They had to go to Egipt due to
the order of killing all youngsters under two years of age, given by Herod, in
order to kill , among them, the baby Jesus.
Joseph kept his
family in Egipt for the time, providing
what they needed until the time that, again in his dreams, was advised
to return, since Herod had died. But as Herod´s son was the new King, so instead
of going to Jerusalem, he decided to go to Nazareth, and there they were
stablished, as any normal family, the Sacred Family that they were. The
education of Jesus included the learning of Joseph´s trade, so we will find
that Jesus was known as the son of the carpenter, and also as carpenter himself.
St. Joseph, died
some time after, we do not know when, and his last moments most have been in
the arms of his wife and son, we can not
imagine a sweeter way of going from this life to the other Life. That is why he
is known as the saint of the Good Deadth.
In this time of pandemia in wich
we have to take new decisions and responsabilities, no one is a better bet than
St. Joseph. So lets pray to Jesus Christ, The Holy Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph,
for the help that we need.
