Today’s Angelus was
devoted completely to the figure of Saint Joseph, a “righteous man” who
bore witness to Mary’s virginity, God’s selfless deed”, and took care of
“the earthly life of the Messiah”.
Inspired by today’s Gospel (fourth
day of Advent), Benedict XVI said that Saint Joseph was the “new man,
who looked to the future with confidence and courage, who disregarded
his own goals, but entrusts himself completely to the infinite mercy of
the One who fulfils prophecies and opens time to salvation.”
To him, the
universal patron of the Church, the Pope entrusted all the bishops,
urging them to “quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to
the faithful and to the whole world”.
Here is the full text of the
Pope’s reflection before the Angelus prayer in Saint Peter’s Square.
Dear brothers and sisters,
In this fourth Sunday of Advent, the Gospel of Saint
Matthew tells us the story of Jesus’ birth through the eyes of Saint
Joseph. He was betrothed to Mary, “but before they lived together, she
was found with child through the Holy Spirit” (Mt, 1:18).
The Son of God, fulfilling an ancient prophecy (cf Is,
7:14), became a man in the womb of a virgin, and this mystery shows
God’s love, wisdom and power for humanity, hurt by sin. Saint Joseph is
presented as a “righteous man” (Mt, 1:19), faithful to God’s law,
and ready to do his will.
For this reason, he becomes a party to the
Mystery of the Incarnation when an 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” (Mt,
1:20-21).
And so it came about that Joseph gave up the idea of quietly
repudiating Mary, and took her in because at this moment his eyes could
see in her the work of God.
In his commentary on Saint Luke, Saint Ambrose said,
“in Joseph you find the friendliness of the righteous, to give greater
worthiness to his standing as witness” (Exp. Ev. sec. Lucam II,
5: CCL 14, 32-33).
“He,” Ambrose said, “could not contaminate the temple
of the Holy Spirit, the Mother of the Lord, the womb fecundated by
mystery” (ibid, II, 6: CCL 14, 33). Despite his turmoil, Joseph did “as
the angel of the Lord ordered”, certain that he was doing the right
thing. Even when he gave the name “Jesus” to the child who carries the
universe, he joined the army of humble and faithful servants, like the
angels and the prophets as well as the martyrs and the apostles, praised
in ancient eastern hymns.
Saint Joseph announced the marvels of the
Lord and bore witness to Mary’s virginity, God’s selfless deed, whilst
protecting the early life of the Messiah. Let us venerate Jesus’ lawful
father (cf CCC, 532), because in him we see new man, who looked to the
future with confidence and courage, who disregarded his own goals, but
entrusted himself completely to the infinite mercy of the One who
fulfils prophecies and opens time to salvation.
Dear friends, I wish to entrust all pastors to Saint
Joseph, universal patron of the Church, urging them to “quietly present
Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole
world,” (Letter proclaiming a Year for Priests). May our life join more
and more the Person of Jesus, because the “One who is the Word takes on
Himself a body, comes from God as a man and draws to himself the whole
of humanity, bringing it into the word of God (Gesù di Nazaret, Milan: 2007, 383).
Let us confidently call on the Virgin Mary, full of
grace, “adorned with God”, so that on this coming Christmas, our eyes
might open and see Jesus, and the heart rejoice in this admirable
meeting of love.
SIC: AN/INT'L