Ite Ad Ioseph

Gospel Reflection for Wednesday March 19, 2025--- The Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin

Courtesy of Baritus Catholic

“Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.” Matthew 1:18-19

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin and foster father of Our Blessed Lord. The first option for the Gospel today is taken from St. Matthew and speaks of Joseph encountering the newly pregnant Mary after the Annunciation. Upon discovering her condition, the evangelist tells us that St. Joseph seeks to divorce her quietly so as to not expose her to shame. I want to explore the differing opinions on his motivation and advocate for one specific motivation that I find most likely.

Within the different schools of theology, three overriding motivations have been put forward for St. Joseph in moving to divorce Mary. They are generally referred to like this:

1. The Suspicion Theory--- This theory considers Joseph as finding Mary pregnant and knowing that he was not the father of the child since they ‘had not yet come together’¹ 1. and suspecting her of adultery. Because of this, Joseph resolves to divorce her as the law allows. Thus, the Evangelist calling Joseph just would indicate his fidelity to the law. This seems to be the common opinion today.

2. The Perplexity Theory--- This serves as a middle ground between the first and third opinions. This opinion holds that Joseph was immensely confused by the claims that Mary had made and did not know what to think. On the one hand, he did not suspect her infidelity but on the other hand, he could not explain how she was pregnant. Because of this, he resolves to divorce her since he does not know what else to do.

3. The Reverence Theory--- This opinion shows Joseph as being a pious man who believes that Mary has conceived by the Holy Spirit and that the Child in her womb is the Son of God. This is motivated by the fact that Joseph knows of Mary’s holiness and her connection to the House of David and so would have believed that she was the mother of the Messiah. He moves to divorce her out of extreme humility, not believing himself to be worthy of being the head of the Holy Family.

Of these three, I want to advocate for the third. The reason for this is because the Evangelist describes Joseph as a ‘just man’ who is ‘not willing to expose her to shame.’ The virtue of Justice demands that we give to another person what is due to them. By Joseph not exposing her as an adulteress, which would have been the just thing to do under the Law of Moses,² I believe that this indicates that he did not find her to be unfaithful.

Further, it would seem that Joseph would have known of Mary’s great chastity. Many of the Church Fathers advocate that Mary had taken a vow of virginity as a young girl and sought to keep that vow even in marriage. It would be completely contrary to Mary’s virtue, and wholly unjust toward Joseph if she had not informed him of this vow prior to their betrothal. Thus, knowing of her great holiness and her vow, it seems fitting that Joseph would not have suspected infidelity, but instead, more easily believed that she had virginally conceived.

St. Thomas Aquinas holds this position following St. Jerome and Origen. He writes:

“But according to Jerome and Origen, he had no suspicion of adultery. For Joseph knew Mary’s chastity; he had read in the Scriptures that a virgin will conceive (Isa 7:14), and, and there will come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will rise up out of his root (Isa 11:1); he also knew that Mary was descended from David. Hence, he more easily believed that this had been fulfilled in her than that she had fornicated. And therefore, considering himself unworthy to live with such great sanctity, he wished to hide her away, just as Peter said, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord (Luke 5:8). Hence, he did not wish to hand her over, i.e., to take her to himself, and receive her in marriage, considering himself unworthy.”³

St. Thomas affirms that Joseph, a humble man who knew the scriptures, would never have suspected Mary of infidelity. To that end, he seeks to divorce her, not because she has morally failed, but because he considers himself so unworthy to live with such great holiness, that is, with the Son of God and His mother. This is a movement of immense humility, certainly a virtue that is necessary for the Just Spouse of the Virgin to possess. Joseph is called just by the Evangelist because of his great humility and reverence for what is before him.

The Evangelist goes on that as he was considering these things, Joseph received a vision of an angel in a dream:

“Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” Matthew 1:20-21, 24.

Joseph is consoled by God and instructed to remain with his wife and foster son. The words do not be afraid are echoed many times within scripture. This time, they are a consolation to not be afraid of his unworthiness since it is God who has made him worthy to be the head of the Holy Family. Here we can see the obedience of Joseph. Despite his own feelings of unworthiness, he rises to the task of shepherding the Holy Family in the coming years, providing for and protecting the two most necessary and precious people who have ever lived.

In today’s gospel, we receive a glance of the interior life of St. Joseph. We see an infusion of the virtues of justice, humility, and obedience. These three virtues speak louder than any words can. Perhaps this is why none of the evangelists recorded any of St. Joseph’s words. He is not meant to communicate with the church through words but through actions which are the fruit of virtue.

He teaches us justice by giving to the Blessed Virgin the reverence that is due and, most especially, to the Incarnate Son of God the worship that He is due. This justice moves him to trust that the child in the womb is of the Holy Spirit and not one of fornication. In justice, he does not expose the Blessed Virgin to shame that she did not deserve. Instead, he trusts his wife and God.

He teaches us humility by realizing his own profound unworthiness to be the head of the Holy Family. He teaches us to know our place is comparison to God. But, through that humility, God made St. Joseph worthy of the state that he held and made him Patron of the Universal Church. Likewise, once we recognize our unworthiness before God, we are able to be elevated into His glory.

Finally, he teaches us obedience. The world was ruined through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Through the Holy Family, we find an example of how to be obedient to God, even unto death. Joseph obeyed God and took his place as head of the Holy Family. Mary obeyed God by consenting to the Incarnation. Jesus obeyed God by willingly going to death. Obedience must untie the knot of disobedience.

It is in these three virtues that the glory of St. Joseph is found. He is given to the universal church as both protector and example. Ite ad Ioseph. We are told to go to St. Joseph. The protector of the Holy Family has been given to each of us as a protector. Let us go to him when we need shelter from life’s storms. Just as he sheltered Our Lady and Our Lord, he will come to our aid as well. Let us imitate his great virtues especially in this season of Lent. Let us finish out this season in justice, humility, and obedience.

St. Joseph, ora pro nobis!⁴

1. Cf. Matthew 1:18. This phrasing shows that Joseph and Mary were in the betrothal stage of Jewish marriage. This means that they were legally married but did not yet live together, so they would not have enjoyed the conjugal rights yet. Jewish couples lived apart from one another at the beginning of their marriage and did not have marital relations until they began to live together. The Evangelist specifically mentions that Joseph and Mary did not live together, so Mary would still have been a virgin to fulfill the prophecy.

2. Cf. Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

3. St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, C. 6, L. 4, 117.

4. I would be remiss if I did not include the store link for the image used for this article. Baritus Catholic is an amazing Catholic Art store that brings glory to God with the religious art produced. I cannot recommend them enough. Find the Etsy store here.