Page 95 - Reflections on St. Joseph

noble." The biblical concept of justice is determined by relationship with God. In the Old and
New Testaments it is believed that those who fulfill the divine will in the fear of God, in love
and in respect for others are just men. "The righteous will live by his faith" (Hab 2, 4), says the
prophet Habakkuk, after affirming that the wicked will die without escape. The man of faith
expects help and salvation from God (Ps. 34, 9-10), because he knows that the Lord is just and
merciful (Ps 4: 2,4).

The ideal of the "righteous Israelite" is presented especially in the Psalms, in Job and in the book
of Proverbs. The chosen people exercise justice when they do not neglect their duties to God (Is
58: 2) and when every individual leads a perfect life in every respect (Ps. 4, 2-5; Is 56, 1-3).
Alongside religious fidelity, civil honesty and loyalty in general, the just Israelite is assiduous
in the practice of faith, respects the law in all its precepts, and is held up in the administration
of justice. In the New Testament the term indicates the ethical and religious rectitude of man,
in the sense of willingness to make God's will his own. In Mt 21.32 and 2Pt 2.21 the way of
justice is the life lived according to the precepts of God and therefore he who keeps the
commandments is right. The adjective "right" refers, of course, to Jesus, but not to him alone
(Mt 13.17; 23.25.25, Lk 1.6; 2.25; 2Pt 2.7). The full meaning of this term becomes clearer when
it is combined with other adjectives of an ethical-religious "holy" (Acts 3.14), "God-fearing". And
so was Saint Joseph throughout his life. The constant inspiration of his action was the will of
God in all circumstances. And the vicissitudes of life presented him with particularly difficult
moments (change of vocation, acceptance of paternity, long journey to the census, threat of
death of the Child, flight to Egypt, return to Nazareth, loss of his son, possible illness with
concern for the future of Mary and Jesus, and death). In all, Joseph saw the will of God. He was
a faithful and just man to the end.

To reflect: Is faith for me a commitment to a set of static truths or rather the following of the person
of Jesus and growth in his friendship? (The Apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith.) Am I God-
fearing, honest, sincere, and responsible? Am I faithful to the practices of piety, even when I cannot
do them with the community?

02 - Being a "just" man - because he was willing to do the divine will joyfully and faithfully -
Joseph gives his life to a project that transcends him, with the acceptance of the command to
take Mary with him. Here is the justice of Joseph: it is not simply a question of the scrupulous
observance of the commandments, but of a justice that is an integral search for the divine will,
received with full obedience. Because of this obedience, a new life begins for Giuseppe, with
previously unimaginable perspectives. He slowly discovers a deeper sense of the vocation of
spouse and father. He will thus remain beside Mary as faithful bridegroom, and to the child a
paternal and responsible figure. The assumption of this responsibility is expressed first with
the decision to take Mary, his wife, with him; then with the imposition of the name to the
newborn Son of Mary (Mt. 1.21). The act of naming means giving the child the social identity of
the father: it is precisely for this reason that Jesus can be recognized as a "descendant of David",
an essential requirement of messianicity. This child is, therefore, handed over to the
responsibility and love of Joseph and, through him, God gives to human history the greatest
pledge of his fidelity, he who is the "Emmanuel", the "God-with-us", prophesied by Isaiah.

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