At the general audience, Francesco continues the jubilee cycle on “Jesus Christ hope”, developing his catechesis on the figure of the foster father of Jesus. Docile “to the voice of the Lord,” towards Mary he acted without being overwhelmed by instincts or fears: he was “obedient” to God’s plans and listened to “dreams.”
Edoardo Giribaldi – Vatican City
Joseph, horizon of God’s dreams. “Righteous” and fearless, he participates in the history of salvation by letting his actions speak for him, rather than useless “empty words.” On the figure of the foster father of Jesus and the invitation to take example from him and “listen more than we speak,” Pope Francesco introduces today’s general audience catechesis on January 29th in the Paul VI Hall.
READ THE FULL CATECHESIS BY POPE FRANCESCO
Setting aside instincts and fears
The reflection follows the path of the jubilee cycle dedicated to “Jesus our hope,” drawing inspiration from the Gospel of Matthew. The text takes Joseph’s side, “the man who assumes legal fatherhood of Jesus, grafting him onto the trunk of Jesse and linking him to the promise made to David,” explains Francesco. The figure of Christ is indeed that of the “righteous shoot,” the perfect fulfillment of the “hope of Israel.” In the context of salvation history, Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, enters the scene. A “legal” bond in Jewish religion, aimed at celebrating the marriage in the following year. During that time, Joseph “discovers” Mary’s pregnancy, putting his love for her to a harsh “test.” The Law at that time provided two ways to break off the engagement: “a public legal act” to be carried out in the courts, or a letter of repudiation to be delivered in private. Joseph, a “righteous” man as a follower of the Law, “acts thoughtfully.” He sets aside instincts and fears, letting himself be guided “by divine wisdom,” separating from Mary “without making a fuss.”
This is Joseph’s wisdom, which allows him not to make mistakes and to be open and docile to the voice of the Lord.
Dreaming “God’s miracle”
A presence that is revealed through the channel of dreams. A predilection that recalls the biblical character son of Jacob, aptly nicknamed “lord of dreams.” What does the foster father of Jesus see during sleep? A question to which Francesco answers: “He dreams the miracle that God performs in Mary’s life, and also the miracle he performs in his own life: taking on a fatherhood capable of guarding, protecting, and transmitting a material and spiritual inheritance.”
The womb of the bride is pregnant with God’s promise, a promise that bears a name in which everyone is given the certainty of salvation.
Trusting without needing proof
“Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” This is the revelation before which Joseph does not ask for “further proof,” trusting in God and accepting his dream for him and his promised wife. In doing so, he “enters into the grace of one who knows how to live the divine promise with faith, hope, and love.” The detail highlighted by Francesco is Joseph’s silence. He prefers “concrete actions” to “empty words.”
Linking his thought to that of Benedict XVI, Francesco depicts Joseph’s “being inwardly vigilant for God” as the source of his spontaneous “obedience” to God’s plan. Listening to his dreams, the Pope invites us to pay attention:
Sisters, brothers, let us also ask the Lord for the grace to listen more than we speak, the grace to dream God’s dreams and to responsibly welcome Christ who, from the moment of our baptism, lives and grows in our lives.
