Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today's Mass Readings

The central figure in today’s gospel is clearly Joseph. This is a special feature of the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on Joseph more than on Mary.

Matthew starts out by giving us the genealogy of Jesus. It is a genealogy that starts with Abraham and ends with whom? Not Mary. No, Matthew ends with Joseph. Joseph is a descendant of King David. Matthew wants to show the importance of Jesus being called the “son of David.”

Furthermore, it is to Joseph – again, not to Mary – that “the angel of the Lord appeared … in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.’”

Then, after the magi leave, what happens? The Gospel continues, “When they (the magi) had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.’”

Finally, chapter two of Matthew’s Gospel has a final appearance of the angel to Joseph. “When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel …’ He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth.” There in Nazareth, Jesus would be recognized as “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55).

There can be no doubt that Matthew wants us to understand that Joseph is the adoptive father of Jesus. Remember how today’s Gospel selection began. “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly …”

Wow! Those are powerful words. “Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man …” What does it mean to be a righteous man? That will be a powerful teaching in the rest of Matthew’s Gospel.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares, “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). For Jesus, being righteous means being merciful and compassionate.

That is a virtue that clearly characterized Joseph. He did not want to shame Mary. He was merciful. He lived the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the merciful” (Matthew 5:7).

Joseph wasn’t merciful to show off. Jesus would say that one should practice righteousness in secret rather than bragging about it (see Matthew 6:4, 6, 18). Jesus when he is criticized by the Pharisees for eating with tax collectors and sinners will say “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:12f.).

Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, is praised because he was not self-righteous. Rather, he was merciful. I believe that is a virtue that characterizes adoptive fathers. They do not condemn the birth parents of their children. No, they like Joseph are full of mercy and compassion. I am blessed to have two brothers and one brother-in-law who are adoptive fathers. In their relationships to their adopted children, they have imitated the righteousness of St. Joseph. The adoptive mothers have done the same. God bless them.

Reflection by Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB