Saturday 19th March

St Joseph, Husband of Mary

2 Samuel 7: 4-5, 12-14,16. Psalm 89; Romans 4:13,16-18,22;
Matthew 1: 16, 18-21, 24.

A man of honour.

When Mary was betrothed to Joseph, by law she was responsible to him, and he for her. Think about the dreadful hour when Joseph became aware that Mary would be the mother of a child who was not his own. An agonizing time for Mary, too.

By instinct Joseph understood that whatever had happened, Mary was not at fault. Then God intervened. Joseph took Mary to his home, assumed full paternity in the eyes of the world, of the child that was born, Jesus, the Son of God. From infancy to manhood Jesus had the most loving, caring guardian, Joseph, head of the Holy Family at Nazareth.