ST. JOSEPH.

 

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.