Josef, icon of care and service

sister Marzia Ceschia

We celebrate Saint Joseph on 19 March and even if his figure is well known we can meditate on his personality especially nowadays when we debate on the relationship between men and women: the masculinity of the holy carpenter of Nazareth presents itself as an alternative. According to the Evangelic narration Joseph is a just man: “Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1, 19). Matthew the Evangelist describes Joseph as a righteous man. He is called righteous because he showed compassion to Mary by planning to divorce her mercifully without shaming her. He does not react impulsively, he thinks, he considers what should be done. Reading this passage of the Gospel we feel that he is looking for a solution to protect himself but he really loves and respects Mary, he does not want to shame her and to disgrace her in public but he wants to save her from death by stoning... (continue)

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