Matthew the Evangelist calls St. Joseph a just man in Matthew 1:19, and from this biblical chapter Father Donald Calloway (Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press, 2020) expands the saint’s title to “Just and Reverent Man” in his book “Consecration to St. Joseph.” Here are the two most pertinent biblical verses, according to the English Standard Version of the Bible, with three key words in bold:
“He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. ... When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.”
Jesus attended a wedding feast at Cana at the beginning of his public ministry (Jn 2:1-11). Jesus wanted that couple, as well as every married couple, to have a wonderful life together and to be faithful in their love for each other.
In our Catholic faith, we are frequently drawn to thinking about life and death. Our entire faith is centered around the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even in our church buildings, a visual centerpiece is the crucifix. We know all of this through faith.
When asked to speak on the virginity of St. Joseph, I tried to convince Deacon Dan Gannon to switch talks. Deacon Gannon’s talk “Wonder 9: Patron of a Happy Death” (Nov. 2) will be at the Carondelet Center, which the Sisters of St. Joseph own, and I worked as a nursing supervisor at the retirement home of the sisters for years. I have been with many sisters as they experienced a happy death. But, alas, Deacon Gannon did not want to give up a happy death for virginity.
“This is how it is with the kingdom of God ….” So begins the two parables from the Gospel of Mark on this Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. These parables are addressed to the whole Church and all its members to give us all courage and assurance when our efforts at building up the kingdom of God on this planet seem to produce such meager results.