Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda

I find it somewhat ironic that March – the month when we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Mary’s great “yes” to the Lord’s plan (March 25) – is actually dedicated not to the Blessed Mother, but to her most chaste spouse, Joseph (whose feast we celebrate on March 19).

The Annunciation is so important that it would be hard to imagine anything taking priority over that. My patron, St. Bernard of Clairvaux indeed wrote that “the whole earth” awaited Mary’s reply to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. Everything – all of salvation history – depended on her response.

I’m not aware that St. Bernard ever commented on Joseph’s parallel experience. While not celebrated liturgically, St. Joseph clearly had an annunciation moment of his own, when an angel came to him in a dream and told him to take Mary into his home as his wife, even though she was with child. As a “just man,” Joseph had been inclined to divorce Mary quietly so as not to put her to shame. Yet, once the angel explained to him that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Joseph chose the path set forth by the angel: he took Mary into his home and gave the child the name “Jesus.”

Have you ever considered how different salvation history would have been if Joseph had said “no”? While none of Joseph’s interior struggle is captured in the Gospel account, it is easy to imagine the battle he might have faced. Should he dismiss her, as he first intended, based on his human understanding of the situation? Or should he trust in this angel’s message, seeing the situation with the eyes of faith? He was at a proverbial crossroad and was not taking any part of his situation lightly. He carefully “considered these things,” as Matthew points out, and then ultimately chose faithfulness to the Lord’s plan, as outlined by the angel. He welcomed the Blessed Mother into his home and would dedicate his life to her and to the son that she was carrying.

And that was only the first crossroad that Joseph had to face. It was up to Joseph to decide where the child Jesus was to be born, and up to him to decide what to do, when once again in a dream Joseph was warned to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. Should he remain in Bethlehem, the land of his ancestors, or seek protection in an unknown and foreign land, in accordance with the angel’s command? Once again, Joseph chooses fidelity over personal ease, and as a result the child Jesus is spared from the massacre of the innocents. It was in this gesture that Joseph earned the title, “savior of our Savior.” One of my colleagues says that an equally appropriate title would be “king of the crossroads” – and I can see that as well.

In each of our lives, we too face crossroads; points of decision that require us to discern God’s will and to say “yes” to whatever God is asking. Next time we are faced with a challenging decision, my suggestion would be that we seek the intercession of Mary AND Joseph.

A few years back, the Little Sisters of the Poor read a story about Pope Francis having great devotion to St. Joseph and always placing the most difficult decisions that came to his desk under a statue of the “sleeping Joseph” with the expectation that St. Joseph, in his most productive position, would help the pontiff discern the Lord’s will and then say “yes.”

The sisters were kind enough to give me a similar statue, and I have to say that Joseph has helped me out at the crossroads even while seemingly asleep.

At the top of the pile these days under my “sleeping Joseph” is a prayer intention for Pope Francis. It’s painful to hear of the Holy Father’s health struggles, and yet I’m confident that his beloved San Jose is at his side. With Catholics around the globe, I’m praying for the Holy Father to know of the consoling closeness of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph even in the midst of his suffering. As the Successor of Peter who assigned me here to the Archdiocese, Pope Francis will always have my deep gratitude. Please join me in lifting him up in prayer throughout this month dedicated to St. Joseph.