St. Joseph: INCREDIBLE TALK

my first talk today is going to be about St Joseph one of the things I really want to focus on is what you can know about St Joseph from scripture so it'll be a kind of a theme throughout this talk but let's first start by talking about Devotion to St Joseph the purpose of Devotion to St Joseph as with Devotion to Mary is to bring us closer to Christ now the scriptures themselves imply that devotion to Joseph and Mary bring about a greater Devotion to Jesus and conversely a lack of devotion towards Mary and Joseph result in a lack of Devotion to Jesus I'll read you two passages and they said is this not Jesus the son of Joseph do we not know his father and mother then how can he say I have come down from heaven another passage is from Matthew 13 Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue they were astonished and said where did this man get such wisdom and mighty Deeds is he not The Carpenter's son is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James Joseph Simon and Judas are not his sisters all with us where did this man get all this and they took offense at him so in spite of the evidence that Jesus was someone very remarkable nevertheless the people refus to glorify or reverence Jesus precisely because they did not think he came from a a remarkable family they did not hold Joseph or Mary in any particular esteem and as a result they had little esteem for Jesus so if it's true that a lack of Devotion to Joseph and Mary results in a lack of Devotion to Jesus we can see that the converse is also true the more we have respect the more we have devotion for Joseph and Mary the greater will our devotion be for Jesus and that's the whole point after all now one might reasonably ask but why should we approach Jesus Through Devotion to Joseph isn't the person who's standing right next to someone closer to him than the one who has someone else between them so aren't we closer to Jesus if we just go to him directly and farther from Jesus if we go to Jesus in some way through Joseph or through Mary right it's a fair objection but I would like to point something out it's not always true that having someone or something between us and another thing makes us farther away who is closer to the stars and galaxies and the heavens the man who looks with his naked eye or the man who looks through a telescope you see a telescope has a power to bring the eye closer to the Heavens to the galaxies and in the same way Mary and Joseph have a power to bring us closer to Jesus in fact our lady uses exactly that language she says my soul magnifies the Lord she's basically saying I'm a magnifying glass for God you look at me God gets bigger God gets closer and what's true about Mary is true also about Joseph now we run into a difficulty right away when we try to Kindle and strengthen our devotion to St Joseph there is not even one word recorded in sacred scripture attributed to St Joseph he was not a man of many words apparently but not even one word got into scripture certainly he talked but but there's no quotes from St Joseph in scripture so it's very hard to say anything about him you would think because how do you get to the interior life of a man without even knowing anything he said there seems to be a profound spiritual meaning of this why is it that St Joseph had no word in scripture I think it was to signify that he was na not the natural father of the word of God that interesting as if to say he's a virginal spouse so just as Joseph was not the father who begot naturally the word he also had no word in scripture so I think there's a profound spiritual meaning for that nevertheless the difficulty seems to remain but someone who is as important a figure as St Joseph in Salvation history cannot possibly be left without any information in God's revelation and so where scripture closes one door I believe it opens another and I think that door is through what the fathers of the church referred to as typology scripture itself tells us that certain persons or things are types of other persons and things for example uh St Paul tells us that Adam was a type of Christ in Romans chapter 5 right or that the crossing over the Red Sea was a type of baptism we read about in the first epistle to the Corinthians chapter 10 and so the scriptures themselves use and approve typology not only that the fathers of the church were constantly using typology that is seeing how one person or thing in the Old Testament somehow shed light upon a person who came later you'd be hard to find even one father of the church who did not use typology finally the catechism of the Catholic Church recently published also endorses a typological method of reading and interpreting sacred scripture I think that's going to be a really fruitful way of coming to understand St Joseph better and I'll explain very distinctly how that works but first the scriptural type as I'm using the word in my talk is a person or thing in scripture which can be understood as a clear likeness of some greater person or thing which comes later in scripture I'll say that one more time just so you have it kind of absorb it a person or thing in scripture which can be understood as a clear likeness of some other person or thing some greater person or thing which comes later in scripture okay that's what I mean by type right for example Joshua is a type of Jesus he leads God's people into the promised land just as Jesus leads the new people of God into heaven right so how can we know that some person or thing is a type how can we identify that couldn't someone just say well two things are alike in some way therefore they're a type and that's that well the answer is this the likeness which exists between the type and the one fulfilled in the type has to be obvious or clear there has to be a clear obvious likeness okay and you have a clear likeness when you have multiple and distinct parallels between the type and that which is in which the type is fulfilled okay a likeness is distinct when it's uncommon or unique for example when two people in scripture share the same name especially if it's an uncommon name that's a that's a distinct likeness right there's only 13 people people in all the scripture named Joseph for example so already that's pretty distinct you you're ruling out a whole bunch of other people there huh again the likeness between Jonah and Christ being three days right inomed or enclosed and then freed is a distinct likeness it's something uncommon so types have to rely upon very distinct likenesses and then you have to have multiple likenesses right one usually isn't enough two maybe if they're unique or distinct enough but if you have at least three that's a rule of thumb at least three distinct likenesses that's usually enough to say someone is a type of another person or another thing okay so there are some benefits of reading scripture in this way one benefit is this typology serves as a kind of Prophecy of future things for example when we see that Joshua whose name by the way the name Joshua is the exact same name as Jesus it's just a matter of in Hebrew you only had consonants did you know that in the Hebrew language they just had consonants so you can fill in vowels kind of based on you know sort of Customs or whatever so Joshua is the same as Yeshua which is the same as Jesus they're the same name okay and uh so you have these two people with the same name and clearly Joshua is the leader of God's people he leads them in into the promised land which is clearly a uh a type of heaven right and so right away you you see hey Jesus himself was somehow prophetically foretold through the type of Joshua in the Old Testament so that's one benefit of reading scripture in a uh typological way and the fathers of the church were constantly doing that always going back to the Old Testament see how Jesus was fulfilled he was um in the person of Joshua and the person of David they're going through all these different people who are types of Jesus and showing how each one of them had a likeness of similarity to Christ and that they were fulfilled in Christ but a second benefit of typology which I'm really going to focus on in my talk is this typology allows you to get somewhere to a theological conclusion more quickly then you might be able to get there if you did a strict theological demonstration just Gathering up the premises from scripture it's like this do you guys remember when you took your math classes in high school and of course if you had one of those books that had the the answers for the problems in the back right you go there and you'd be doing the math problem you're looking at you're like I don't know what to do then you go back and you look at the answer you're like okay I know what the answer is and then you can kind of figure out how to do the problem if you if you already know the answer in advance right at least I know where the right answer is well typology is like a cheap a cheat sheet for scripture it points to some some conclusion you're like hey I think this is going to be somewhere in scripture now I know what I'm looking for I can find the argument kind of working backwards does that make sense so typology has a really amazing benefit in Reading scripture that way it just gets you there faster okay so let's now start talking about some types of St Joseph in scripture among the Old Testament types of St Joseph the clearest and most informative is Jose jph the patriarch who's uh founded the end of the book of Genesis now if I were to ask you this question who's the main person in the Book of Genesis right if you know a little bit about scripture you've been reading the scripture who's the main person or figure talked about in the Book of Genesis I think most people would say something like Abraham right he's a big guy in in um the Book of Genesis or maybe like Adam or Noah or something like that very few people I think would say Joseph is the main figure in the Book of Genesis but do you know that the Book of Genesis devotes 13 entire chapters to the person of Joseph by far more than anyone else in Genesis it's almost a third of the book is dedicated to Joseph the patriarch so that's informative isn't it that the guy who's a principal type of St Joseph is the main figure talked about in the book of Genesis so let's look at some of the parallels between them the clear and distinct ones one they share the same name Joseph Joseph that's an uncommon name 13 people in scripture are named Joseph two of them are right here here's The Clincher their father has the same name too it's Joseph son of Jacob Joseph son of Jacob in both cases their father is named Jacob that is unique only Joseph the patriarch and Joseph the husband of Mary are Joseph son of Jacob so right away you see an absolutely unique likeness there that tells you hey this person is the type of that person but wait there's more as they say in those afternoon TV commercials God speaks to both through dreams it's how he speaks to both of them four they are both forced to go into Egypt both of them five both refus to have relationship with their Master's spouse that happened to Joseph the patriarch also Joseph the husband of Mary and finally six both are made ruler and King of the King's house and possessions Joseph the patriarch was made ruler in all of Egypt St Joseph was made head of the Holy Family the greatest possessions that God had to offer his own son Jesus and of course his mother Mary so so we see there six distinct likenesses there's actually a seventh if you're really careful both are made to be like a father to the king so here's the the passage in Genesis 458 it says that Joseph was like a father to Pharaoh is that interesting Pharaoh must have been very young at the time that Joseph was um in in Egypt and so Pharaoh considered Joseph to be a father figure to him so also St Joseph was a father to the king to Jesus so those are seven distinct likenesses they are practically the equivalent of identical twins in scripture St Joseph Joseph the patriarch right with so many distinct likenesses it's clear that Joseph the patriarch is a type of St Joseph and Pope Leo the 13th says as much in his encyclical on Devotion to St St Joseph here's what he said you well understand venerable Brethren that these considerations are confirmed by the opinion held by a large number of fathers to which the sacred liturgy gives its sanction that the Joseph of ancient times the son of the patriarch Jacob was the type of St Joseph and the former by his glory prefigured the greatness of the future guardian of the Holy Family and in truth beyond the fact that the same name appointed significance of which has never been denied was given to each you well know the points of likeness that exist between them so there we have magisterial approval of the fact that Joseph the patriarch is a type of St Joseph now there are other types um Abraham Isaac and Jacob are all types of St Joseph I could go through that but for the sake of sparing time to keep this talk more compact I won't but I do want to bring up one more intriguing type of St Joseph and that is a Prophet Elijah consider the following likenesses one both were forc forced to flee towards Egypt by a ruler of Israel two both live chastely in the same home with a woman whose son would later be raised from the dead that is the absolute Clincher you know that about Elijah the prophet right that when the big uh drought came and the famine that ensued right that Elijah went and he stayed with a widow and her son and he lived there chastely with her and her son died and Elijah then raised him from the dead right so you have both of them living chastely in the same home with a woman whose son would later be raised from the dead both of them fled in time of famine both were told by an Angel not to fear and both were spiritual fathers though neither was a biological father okay Elijah is referred to by Elicia the prophet as my father so you have four distinct likenesses there between them right so I think Elijah 2 can be called a a type of St Joseph now here's where the rubber hits the road I'm going to try and show to you through typology a truth about St Joseph that is not well known by Catholics but which I am convinced one day will be defined by the church and that truth is that St Joseph was bodily assumed into heaven I wonder if how many people in the church just to show a hands how many people in the church thought that that was something that the church may have taught any anybody in the church like literally there like two or three people okay so it's a little bit surprising okay a little bit surprising first of all just so you know I'm not just being some kind of wild innovator and just making things up I want you to know that there are many doctors of the church who held this position Bernardine of Sienna St Francis the sales and then more recently in in our own times uh Pope St John the 23rd said very clearly we may piously believe that St Joseph was bodily assumed into heaven okay so granted that it's kind of there in scripture or or in Tradition anyway the real question is is it in scripture can I really find this in scripture now the key passage in my opinion is a p passage that seems at first to say nothing about St Joseph's bodily Ascension into heaven okay it's a passage where Jesus Is Lost and Found in the temple now Jesus's parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was 12 years old they went up according to custom and when the Feast was ended as they were returning the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem his parents did not know it but supping him to be in the company they went a Day's Journey and they sought him among their kins folk and acquaintances and when they did not find him they returned to Jerusalem seeking him after 3 days they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions and all who heard him were amazed at the UN his understanding and his answered when they saw him they were astonished and his mother said to him son why did you act towards us in this way behold your father and I have been seeking you sorrowfully and he said to them why is it that you were seeking me did you not know that it was necessary that I be in my father's house and they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them and his mother kept all the sayings in her heart at first glance this passage seems to indicate nothing regarding St Joseph a bodily assumption anything like that but as so often happens in sacred scripture there is so much more there than meets the ey on the surface let's start by asking some questions about the text why do you think Joseph and Mary didn't understand what Jesus said Jesus said it was necessary that I be in my father's house right now I think maybe some people would say they didn't know that God was Jesus's father they were just surprised about that frankly that's crazy how could Mary not know that God was Jesus's father I mean she obviously had an angel come to her tell her that's what's going to be the case Joseph almost divorces her because of the fact that he knew he wasn't the father right an angel comes to him and tells him God's the father okay so this is not a possible reading and Anyone who reads it that way just doesn't have faith okay that's just not a possible reading okay let's ask oursel the question why couldn't Mary and Joseph who were obviously spiritually mature persons they were way more spiritually mature than any of us right why didn't they understand the saying that he spoke to them well look at what he said exactly he didn't say did you not know that I would be in my father's house he said did you not know that it was necessary that I be in my father's house doesn't it sound strange to you How could a free act be necessary now we're in the position of someone who doesn't understand I don't understand right why did Jesus say It was necessary as opposed to I just happen to be there well does Jesus ever speak this way in other scripture passages where he says something which is clearly freely chosen by him is necessary and the answer is yes 13 times in sacred scripture Jesus and the gospels I to be more specific 13 times in the gospels Jesus says that something that he freely chose was necessary and in nearly every instance it's referring to the events of his passion death and Resurrection the many times he says it is necessary that the son of man be handed over to men it is NE that the scripture be fulfilled so all of these times in the gospel whenever Jesus says this free thing is necessary in every case not just the cases where he's referring to his Pascal mystery in every case it's the Fulfillment of a scriptural prophecy isn't that fascinating it's necessary so that the scripture will be fulfilled ah so why does Jesus say here it was necessary that he be in his father's house there's a prophecy here isn't there there's something prophetic going on well let's notice something else about the language that St Luke uses here it's unusual that St Luke says that Mary and Joseph did not understand the saying of Jesus doesn't say the words or what he said it's a very specific ific phrase thus saying in Greek TOA with a definite article in front which has a very precise meaning in every place in St Luke's gospel when it refers to the saying it refers to a prophecy which would later be understood by those to whom it was spoken let me give you one example I'll give two in fact just for two for one so St Peter when he's sitting outside in next to the fire after he's denied our Lord the crows three times and then it says Peter understood the saying of Jesus that when the crows three times you will have denied me Thrice the prophecy by Jesus that was later seen its fulfillment was seen by Peter or earlier on in Luke's gospel the Shepherds they go and they find Jesus and Mary and Joseph and the manger and this it says about the Shepherds they understood the saying which the angel had spoken to them again a prophetic word of which they saw the Fulfillment you see see that now the pieces are starting to come together this whole event of the finding of the Child Jesus in the temple is a prophetic act and it is instructing Mary and Joseph about something they do not yet know that later on they would see its fulfillment consider these likenesses between the finding of the Child Jesus in the temple and our Lord's p Pascal mystery the Pascal mystery began at the time of the Passover in Jerusalem Jesus's parents were there in Jerusalem at the Passover when they lost Jesus already two likenesses Jesus was lost to his saring mother for three days when would the next time be that Jesus would be lost to a Sorrowing mother for 3 Days any guesses you don't need no your catechism very well to know the answer to that one it was in when he was in the Tomb right when she was soing for three days after his death after Jesus's resurrection what did what question did the Angels ask of the women why are you seeking him do you know what question Jesus asks Joseph and Mary why were you seeking me you see it everything's coming together now that leaves us with this last little interesting tidbit Jesus being in his father's house what is that prophetically symbolizing where was Jesus exactly between the time of his death and his resurrection we know the answer to that because we say it in the Creed every Sunday he descended to the Dead you know what St Peter says Jesus was doing there 1 Peter 3:19 he preached to the souls in prison he was teaching he was teaching those in purgatory when he descended to the dead he was doing exactly in parallel what he was doing in the temple teaching the doctors of the church about salvation you see that who happened to be in purgatory well it wasn't Purgatory exactly but in the what we would call in traditional catholic literature the hell of the just or the limbo of the just people don't like to the word hell has double meanings there so let's say the limbo of the just there's no suffering who was among those who had already preceded Jesus in death and were waiting to be freed St Joseph and you know what he would have been the holiest of all them there that's why Jesus didn't say did you not know that I had to be in the temple he didn't say that did you not know that I had to be in my father's house the boat of the Dead was his father's house sometimes it's called Abraham's bosom that was before Joseph descended to the dead Abraham was a big guy then but when Joseph came Town Joseph was the guy in charge in purgatory okay he was the most um notable the holiest among all the saints among the dead so that's why Jesus says in response to Mary your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow so why did you do this and Jesus is saying to her I have to prophetically predict that I would descend among the dead to my father's house that is where my Father Joseph would be waiting for me so that's fascinating but there's one step left in the argument and that is exactly what happened after Jesus rose from the dead well St Matthew tells us something rather remarkable he says just in passing one little verse that at the resurrection of Jesus the tombs of many were opened and they appeared in the holy city isn't that fascinating so apparently there were some people at Jesus's resurrection who rose from the dead and appeared in the holy city that would now show the last element of likeness because if Jesus Mary and Joseph were all reunited after Jesus was lost in the temple for 3 days that prophetically reveals that after Jesus's resurrection Jesus Mary and Joseph would all be reunited in my mind it is certain when Jesus rose from the dead he brought his father Joseph with him and the the two of them came to Mary and consoled her in her grief and her heart was filled with joy and this is why St Luke tells us at the very end of that interesting passage something that you wonder about Mary kept all these sayings in her heart I think that must have been a very intimate moment for Mary having sorrowed for her son for 3 Days having sorrowed for many years years for the loss of her husband Joseph to have the two of them come risen and glorious to be with her again to be reunited with her it must have been the most beautiful moment of her life and I don't think Mary wanted to share that exactly in just open terms so when St Luke was interviewing her I suspect she was a little koi she just said I kept those sayings in my heart so Luke wrote it down he wrote The Prophecy down and waited for later generations to uncover its meaning so there you have it it's amazing what you can find in scripture if you just look with faith and perseverance glory be to the father and to the son and to the Holy Spirit St Joseph pray for us in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit amen

Channel: GabiAfterHours

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Length: 32min 36sec (1956 seconds)

Published: Thu May 02 2024