Church of the
Annunciation

We hear the saying: “Keep Christ in Christmas.” I suggest that we keep Joseph in Christmas! St. Luke, the evangelist, highlights the annunciation of the birth of Jesus by the angel Gabriel to Mary. St. Matthew, in his Gospel, begins by highligting the annunciation by an unnamed angel to Joseph. Matthew tells us that Mary is betrothed to Joseph but before they live together she is found with child. Joseph, being a just and compassionate man, does not want to expose her to shame intends to dismiss her quietly. Until and “behold” the angel of God comes to him in a dream and explains to Joseph (a distant relative of King David) that Mary is with child through the Holy Spirit. The messenger of God bids Joseph to take Mary into his home as his wife and to name the baby boy, “Jesus” meaning: “God saves us from our sins.” When Joseph “awakes,” he takes Mary into his home and, when the baby is born, names the boy Jesus. By naming the boy, Joseph says publicly he is my son. Joseph prays with the boy, takes him to synagogue and teaches him a trade – carpentry. Joseph shares his Jewish faith Jesus. As an adult, when his disciples ask Jesus how to pray, Jesus says pray to God as “your Father” using the informal Aramaic word for “Dad.” In praying to God as Father or Dad, Jesus reveals his intimate relationship with God, his Father, in heaven and his affectionate relationship with Joseph, his foster Dad on earth. Adult children often follow their fathers in practicing the faith. Our fathers/dads set a moral and spiritual compass within us. St. Joseph is a model of healthy male spirituality nurturing in men and women, boys and girls, qualities of fidelity, integrity, loyalty and kindness. We need to keep St. Joseph in Christmas and throughout the year.