Auspice Maria: The Holy Family, Part One
As we continue our celebration of the Advent Season, the liturgy unfolds, and we meet certain persons in the story of Jesus’ birth, such as Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, and Joseph. The story told anew each year hopefully reminds us that the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was “in the works” for centuries and generations. We can say that since the Original Sin was committed by our first parents, humanity and all creation needed a savior. The Father provides! St. Paul writes, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
The expression “fullness of time” means that after centuries and generations of human beings living on this earth, the time was right for humanity’s salvation to come. We celebrate that arrival at Christmas each year and tell the complete story as we celebrate Easter and remember our Lord’s saving death and resurrection. According to the Father’s intricate timetable and plan, Jesus took on human flesh and came to live among us. Although he would experience the fullness of human existence by being born in time into a family, he existed before time. It is a mind-boggling story of love. God the Father wanted to save us and restore us to an intimate relationship with him based not on fear but on love. Desiring our best, he entered our condition fully as man minus sin.
As Jesus enters our world, we are told that he does so through the womb of Mary of Nazareth. Luke tells the intimate details of how God the Father proposes to Mary the opportunity to be the mother of the “Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:32) When the archangel Gabriel announces this good news, Mary says an unequivocal “yes.” She says, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Thus, as St. John says, “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (1:14)
Intriguingly, the Father chose Mary of Nazareth as the mother of His Son. Mary would conceive Jesus in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing like this has happened in the history of humanity. God becomes a man through the womb of a teenage girl who lives in some remote town in relative obscurity. Why Mary? It's a great question that no one can really answer. However, it is important to remember that God provides the grace needed for Mary to fulfill her role as Mother of God. The archangel Gabriel, in greeting Mary, addresses her as “favored one,” and says, “The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28) Through Tradition and Scripture, we understand the truth of Mary’s Immaculate Conception (a Solemnity celebrated on December 8th, however, this year December 9th because of the second Sunday of Advent). God created Mary and gave her a “prevenient grace,” a special grace, so she is created without Original Sin and remains free of personal sin. Mary was sinless! Sinless because God created her to be the mother of His Son. Fully woman and human, Mary had no sin. Thus, she is well disposed to offer herself to be Jesus’ mother and first disciple. This “prevenient grace” was due to her being chosen as the Mother of God.
Mary was betrothed (engaged) to Joseph of Nazareth. Joseph, of the line of King David, was also relatively unknown, except Mary knew him, loved him, and chose to marry him. Mary had good taste. Joseph, although he did not have the same “prevenient grace” that Mary had to be sinless, was a “righteous man.” (Matthew 1:19) Joseph loved Mary profoundly and was deeply disturbed when he found that she was pregnant with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to subscribe to the belief that the cause of Joseph’s angst was not due to his doubting Mary’s fidelity. Joseph knew her intimately. Joseph knew her so well that he wanted to marry her. His angst and initial decision to break off the betrothal quietly was due to the incredible awesomeness of the conception. Joseph knew that Jesus was not his biological child, and he most likely believed that Jesus was no man’s biological child. He was conceived miraculously. Being awed by this, he sought to excuse himself from a responsibility he felt unworthy to undertake. However, when God communicates to Joseph the circumstances of the conception of Jesus and who Jesus is, Joseph overcomes his fears and chooses love – he will love Mary as his wife, and he will love and raise Jesus as his own. Love overcomes all fear.
In this first reflection on the Holy Family, I would like to point out that Jesus was born into a family. This young couple, two devout Israelites, took on the unbelievable responsibility of raising the Son of God. Joseph would help form him and his humanity with his “masculine genius.” Mary would help form him and his humanity with her “feminine genius.” The complementarity of the femininity of Mary and the masculinity of Joseph was essential to Jesus’ human development. Mary and Joseph, loving and desiring the best for each other, form Jesus in the “school of love,” the human family. There is an important reality found in the Holy Family. We cannot deny the importance of our God-given gender. Women are distinct and unique as men are distinct and unique. The femininity of Mary is in her physicality, spirituality, and humanity. The masculinity of Joseph is in his physicality, spirituality, and humanity. Together, in their bond of marriage and bond of love, they are the image and likeness of God. The child Jesus learns how to love in the context of the marriage of Joseph and Mary.
St. Joseph, the just man, pray for us. Mary, Mother of God, spouse of Joseph, pray for us.
-Bishop James T. Ruggieri
