Page 4 - Michael Journal 2020 March

St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer

Apostolic Exhortation of Saint John Paul II

Several papal documents and as close as possible to Christ, to whom
homilies have been written on this every election and predestination is
great saint, “into whose custody God ordered (Romans 8:28-29) – comes to
entrusted his most precious treasures pass through marriage to Mary, that is,
(Jesus and Mary).” On the occasion of through the family.
the centenary of Pope Leo XIII’s Encyc- While clearly affirming that Jesus
lical Letter on St. Joseph, Quamquam was conceived by the power of the
Pluries, Pope St. John Paul II delivered Holy Spirit, and that virginity remained
the Apostolic Exhortation, Redemp- intact in the marriage (Mt 1:18-25; Lk
toris Custos (The Guardian of the Re- 1:26-38), the evangelists refer to Jo-
deemer), on the person and mission seph as Mary’s husband and to Mary
of St. Joseph in the life of Christ and of as his wife (Mt 1:16, 18-20, 24; Lk
the Church on August 15, 1989. Here 1:27; 2:5).
are large excerpts from this docu-
In recalling that “the beginnings
ment: Saint John Paul II of our redemption” were entrusted
“Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded “to the faithful care of Joseph,” the liturgy specifies
him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matthew 1:24). that “God placed him at the head of his family, as a
Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from faithful and prudent servant, so that with fatherly care
the earliest centuries stressed that just as St. Joseph he might watch over his only begotten Son.” Leo XIII
took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated him- emphasized the sublime nature of this mission: “He
self to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches among all stands out in his august dignity, since by
over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, that is, the divine disposition he was guardian, and according to
Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and human opinion, father of God’s Son. Whence it fol-
model. lowed that the Word of God was subjected to Joseph,
Guardian of the mystery of God he obeyed him and rendered to him that honor and

If Elizabeth said of the Redeemer’s Mother, “bless- reverence that children owe to their father.”
ed is she who believed,” in a certain sense this bless- Since it is inconceivable that such a sublime task
edness can be referred to Joseph as well, since he would not be matched by the necessary qualities to
responded positively to the word of God when it was adequately fulfill it, we must recognize that Joseph
communicated to him at the decisive moment. While showed Jesus “by a special gift from heaven, all the
it is true that Joseph did not respond to the angel’s natural love, all the affectionate solicitude that a fath-
“announcement” in the same way as Mary, he “did as er’s heart can know.”
the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary When the magi departed, Herod “sent and killed
home as his wife.” What he did is the clearest “obedi- all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that re-
ence of faith” (Romans 1:5; 16:26; 2 Corinthians 10:5- gion who were two years old or under” (Mt 2:16). By
6). One can say that what Joseph did united him in killing them all, he wished to kill the newborn “king of
an altogether special way to the faith of Mary. He ac- the Jews” whom he had heard about. And so, Joseph,
cepted as truth coming from God the very thing that having been warned in a dream, “took the child and
she had already accepted at the Annunciation. his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and re-
Pope John XXIII, who had a great devotion to St. mained there until the death of Herod.” ‘Out of Egypt
Joseph, directed that Joseph’s name be inserted in have I called my son’ was the fulfillment of what was
the Roman Canon of the Mass – which is the perpetual spoken by the prophet (Mt 2:14-15; Hos 11:1).
memorial of redemption – after the name of Mary and And so Jesus’ way back to Nazareth from Bethle-
before the apostles, popes and martyrs. hem passed through Egypt. Just as Israel had followed
It was to assure fatherly protection for Jesus that the path of the exodus “from the condition of slavery”
God chose Joseph to be Mary’s spouse. It follows that in order to begin the Old Covenant, so Joseph, guard-
Joseph’s fatherhood – a relationship that places him ian and cooperator in the providential mystery of God,
even in exile watched over the one who brings about
Left: Saint Joseph Patron of the Church the New Covenant.
by Giuseppe Rollini, 1893 It was from his marriage to Mary that Joseph de-
Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Rome

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