Issue link: http://archden.uberflip.com/i/1366114
38 THE YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH | ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER M ary does not mention Joseph explicitly in Scripture. She only refers to him after Jesus was lost and was found in the Temple: "Your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." Joseph is always mentioned in the third person, which can lead us to perceive him more as a character in a chronicle than a living person, with feelings and experiences. But for Mary, Joseph was much more than what is written in the Gospels – he was her husband, Jesus' adop- tive father, the man who experienced with her the events of family life. She knew Joseph's heart and feelings. She knew how he prayed, suffered, had fun, and even what his favorite meal was and the unique ways in which he treated her. The Gospel tells us that Mary was a contem- plative woman who would ponder things in her heart, constantly seeking to understand the deeper meaning of events (cf. Lk 2:19; 2,5,10). Mary's perspective was based on God's cen- teredness in her heart. I picture Mary at home in Nazareth atten- tively looking at Joseph as he plays with the child Jesus, as he works hard in the woodshop or as he prays in the synagogue. Mary's gaze was probably full of appreciation and grati- tude for the man who accepted her, defended her, protected her and accompanied her in the upheavals they experienced together. She saw how Joseph was sorrowful, afflicted, humanly devastated and suffering in silence when he discovered that his betrothed was pregnant. She saw the peaceful look in his face as he told her what the Angel said to him in a dream. Mary silently saw the restlessness with which her young husband looked for an inn as his wife was about to give birth. Mary witnessed the fear and affliction in Joseph's face when he realized that someone was out to kill the son he was entrusted to protect as a father. Needless to say, she also observed his frightened expression after hearing that their son would be a sign of contradiction and that she would be pierced with a sword. Likewise, she contemplated Joseph's distress after losing their son in the crowd. Mary spent many days and many hours looking at Joseph, her husband, pondering in her heart the mystery of his soul. But none of her words about Joseph are recorded in the Gospels. Thus, in order to discover the story of Joseph, as told by Mary, we must turn to her contem- plative and quiet heart, which tells us about Joseph's soul through the events they lived together. Mary was able to understand deeply the goodness and suffering of her betrothed, who had embraced her with respect and love, knowing that for him this involved the end of St. Joseph through Mary's eyes There are two people who could best provide a description of St. Joseph: Jesus, who always called him "dad" and experienced human fatherhood in his arms, and Mary, who called him "my husband Joseph." BY BISHOP JORGE H. RODRIGUEZ Auxiliary Bishop of Denver