Obedience = Holiness

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓. 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐇

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏: 𝟐 𝐒𝐚𝐦 𝟕:𝟒-𝟓, 𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟒, 𝟏𝟔

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟖𝟗:𝟐-𝟓, 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟗 “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.”

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐: 𝐑𝐨𝐦 𝟒:𝟏𝟑, 𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟐

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟏:𝟏𝟔, 𝟏𝟖-𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟒

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞     

                  𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬.” (𝐯.𝟐𝟏) 

          There was a time in the history of our country when marriages are arranged by the elders in the family if not the parents of either the man or the woman. We thought in the early days that this was a culture we picked up from the Chinese.

           Such arrangements even included marriages between cousins, especially if the family was landed and rich and the purpose was to keep wealth within the family.

            We heard of instances where there were some parties who complained and protested of such arranged marriages. But what if the marriage was arranged by no less than God. Of course, we already know the love story of Joseph and Mary.

            They were already scheduled to formalize their wedding, but something happened and Joseph planned to back out of the wedding, though quietly so as not to embarrass Mary.

            That was how honorable of a man Joseph was. Though he was unsure of how they came to this point, Joseph still cared and thought of the circumstances that would befall Mary if her condition was exposed unnecessarily. It was at this point that God intervened, and the angel Gabriel was sent not only to assuage the feelings of Joseph but to assure him that this was God’s will.

             And like Mary whose fiat ensured the salvation of the world, Joseph’s own acquiescence was the imprimatur that made sure that God’s plan to accompany the whole of mankind towards a journey of restoration, transformation and eternal fellowship with him will be realized.

            Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find a phrase, quote or words that Joseph uttered. But that simple gesture of obedience to God’s will as conveyed by the angel Gabriel was so profound that it literally paved the way for the love of God to flow to mankind by way of the virgin birth.

            So admirable was Joseph’s humility and obedience that he even didn’t have a chance to choose the name for the child that Mary carried in her womb notwithstanding the fact that naming a child is an important tradition among Jewish families.

         Similarly, I am sure many of you have experienced a time in your family when members gather to exchange ideas with regards to the name of a newborn addition to the family. It used to be the domain of the father and mother but as time passed, the naming activity involved the whole family.

         Many times, too in our life that we change and or completely abort a plan that we took pains in preparing because we don’t want to be criticized if the plan goes awry. There were instances when we either put off deciding or avoid doing what is right because of what others might think even if we know that it was the right thing to do.

         In other words, some of us think more of what others will say about us, of how others perceive us and we go to great lengths to keep our reputations from being soiled by rumors and we rue the times people talk about us behind our backs.

         But what if the woman you are to marry suddenly told you she was pregnant and you knew it wasn’t possible because you treated her with respect and honor and didn’t have sex with her.

         Like St. Joseph, your first impulse would be to cancel the wedding and terminate the engagement. And under Jewish law such an engagement could be broken through a divorce and Joseph had every right to resort to what the law says. But since the reason for the divorce was Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness, it follows that the Jewish authorities will have her stoned to death (𝐃𝐞𝐮𝐭 𝟐𝟐:𝟐𝟑-𝟐𝟒).

         Joseph did what a rational man should do under the circumstances. He pondered his move and as he fell asleep an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to proceed with his marriage to Mary because the child in her womb has been conceived by the Holy Spirit (𝐯.𝟐𝟎).

         As the Jews generally believed that God speaks to them in their dreams, Joseph woke up and did what the angel said and brought Mary home to be his spouse (𝐯.𝟐𝟒). His relatives, friends and neighbors may not have agreed with his decision, but Joseph obeyed what he was told also because it was the right thing to do.

         What could have possibly changed the mind of Joseph? It was the mention of the Holy Spirit that moved Joseph to accept that what was happening to Mary was a supernatural event. The Jews in those days generally believed that the Holy Spirit was the person who brought God’s truth to men which means that it was the Holy Spirit who taught the prophets what to say and do. In particular, the Jews connected the Holy Spirit to the work of creation and re-creation as well.

         We too have experienced what Joseph experienced when we were faced with difficult choices to make. And like Joseph, there were times when we found ourselves with only two options on which to choose from. Joseph’s option was (𝟏) 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝, (𝟐) 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝.

         But God gave Joseph a third option – marry her. What God is telling us in this Gospel passage is that there are more options available to us than we think. Under Jewish law it was right for Joseph to divorce Mary but God’s guidance that came through a dream helped him make the best decision. This is the same with us. When we are faced with decisions to make that affect the lives of others, we must always go to God and rely on God’s wisdom for guidance.

         Many times, we are too preoccupied by what others will say such that our decisions have not only become too generic but were made to please others. Joseph certainly gave his reputation some amount of thought because he knew how his relatives, friends and neighbors would perceive him, but he took Mary as his spouse because he had character.

         This Gospel passage reminds us that Joseph was a godly man of character who has a genuine light that shines for the world to see. When right-thinking men see this light, they glorify God (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟓:𝟏𝟔).

         The reputation seeker has no real light, but he or she works very hard at giving the impression that he/ she has the light, and we see them in our parishes and or community for that matter. Their artificial light changes color as it radiates in different directions. It is adjusted so that men who see it will glorify him instead of God being glorified.

         What we can see in the character of Joseph is the need for us to work to become a man or woman of character. To do this, we must start on the inside and the outside will follow. Those who love truth and right, though they may be few, will love you and God will love and reward you.

         We must not forget that the applause of men is fleeting and cannot match the authentic approval of heaven or that of your own conscience. At the end of the day, character is what God sees and not our reputation.

         The main message of this Gospel story today is that the birth of Jesus would not have been possible had not Joseph obeyed God. It also showed the movement and power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men for it is the Holy Spirit who was God’s agent in the creation of the world and who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost its life. Joseph obeyed and this was the reason God rewarded him with holiness that we continue to recognize and remember till the fullness of time.

         In gratitude, we all should thank God for entrusting this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. We should look at Joseph as a model especially for those of us who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young.

         Joseph was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. During this Lenten Season we too must learn to put our trust in the Lord and come to him to help and guide us in fulfilling our responsibilities as Christian disciples. Out of the abundance of his heart, God will give us strength and guidance when we seek his help especially in times of trials, doubts, fears, perplexing circumstances, and what we think are insurmountable problems and challenges in our personal lives.

         God our heavenly Father has not left us alone but has given us his only begotten Son Jesus as our savior, teacher, and healer. During this Lenten observance, let us ask ourselves what areas in our lives do we need God's help and guidance? Let us ask Him to increase our faith and trust in his promises and in his guiding hand in our life. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 19, 2026)