Lenten Meditations: Tuesday 19 March

Mar 19, 2019 by Jill

SECOND TUESDAY OF LENT – Saint Joseph, Spouse to Mary and Foster Father to Jesus

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: In the gospel of Matthew, Joseph is depicted as a good man, a working carpenter, who trusted in God. He received God’s messenger who shared with him God’s will for him and for Mary, to whom he was engaged to be married. Luke’s gospel describes how Joseph took the new -born child as if he were his own. He was with Mary when, on the fortieth day after the birth, Jesus was presented in the Temple, ‘where every first -born male is designated as holy to the Lord’. The adoption of Jesus by Joseph also established Jesus in the descent of David, to accord with the prophecy that Israel’s deliverer would be of the House and lineage of David.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY : We don’t know a lot about Joseph from Matthew’s Infancy Gospel, and even less from Luke’s Gospel, but what Matthew tells us is important then and now. Namely that Joseph simply was a “righteous” man, both with regard to the mystery of Mary’s pregnancy, and with regard to what will be asked of him as the earthly father of Mary’s son.

If Joseph had obeyed the letter of the law he would have divorced Mary, but because he was righteous he put his faith and trust in God’s word that came to him in a dream, submitting himself to a plan that was beyond his understanding. We know of Mary’s fiat: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” This is Joseph’s gift to us in Christian witness. Humility and righteousness are essential to holy living. Don’t you think it possible that Jesus perhaps picked up some of that charism from the man who helped raise him. Perhaps that is why Joseph has always been a model to consider for those who live the vocation of fatherhood.

PRAYER OF THE DAY : O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “St. Joseph was chosen among all men, to be the protector and guardian of the Virgin Mother of God; the defender and foster-father of the Infant-God, and the only co-operator upon earth, the one confidant of the secret of God in the work of the redemption of mankind.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

Lenten DISCIPLINE:  Try to observe some of the customary attached to St. Joseph’s Day by wearing red and building  what is known as “St. Joseph’s Table.” This table is often decorated with flowers and candles, and people place wine and foods on it that are considered a blessing. . Some of these foods include fava beans, lemons, as they have symbolic meanings. Fava beans were the only things that survived a drought during the Middle Ages in Italy – which is why it is considered a blessing. Breadcrumbs are worked into the recipes of the dishes because St. Joseph was a carpenter and the breadcrumbs represent sawdust. However, what is not placed on St. Joseph’s Table is any dish which contains meat. That’s because this holiday occurs during Lent.

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