Section III
The Espousals of St. Joseph with the Blessed Virgin Mary,
That the marriage of St. Joseph with the Blessed Virgin Mary was a true and valid one is proved from the Sacred Scriptures, and by the constant tradition of the Church. The Gospel of St. Matthew says, "And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. . . . When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on those things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take with thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost And Joseph, rising up from sleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife." (Matt. i. 16-24).
In the above passage St. Joseph is twice styled the "husband" of Mary, and Mary is also twice called the "wife” of St. Joseph.
The Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, lived at Nazareth; and in the eyes of men our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ was regarded as the son of Joseph and Mary, and is so styled in the Gospel. "And his parents," says St. Luke, "went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the Pasch And seeing him they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing," (ii. 41-4 8). Again, in the next Chapter, the same Evangelist writes: "And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years, being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph" (iii. 23). "We read the same in the Gospel of St. John.”The Jews therefore murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said: Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" (vi. 42).
The earliest Fathers, such as St. Ambrose and St. Augustine, the constant Tradition of the Church in every age, confirm the same doctrine. Hence it is absolutely certain, and many learned theologians, with Suarez at their head, hold it to be of faith, that the marriage of St. Joseph with the Blessed Virgin Mary was a true and valid one.
The Blessed Virgin, when only three years of age, was presented in the Temple to God by her pious parents, SS Joachim and Anne; and there lived in silence and prayer, absorbed in holy contemplation, communing with her God. Eight years after her Presentation in the Temple, her pious parents were called to their reward, and the holy child was committed to the care and guardianship of the priests of the sanctuary. Having reached the age of fourteen, the Jewish maidens, according to the Hebrew rite, were obliged to leave the Temple; and hence the priests, who were the guardians of the Blessed Virgin in the place of her deceased father, decided on Mary's future state of life. When she attained the age of fourteen, according to the Law of Moses, an heiress was obliged to marry one of her own tribe and family, that the property and inheritance may he retained in the same family, and not pass to strange hands. "And all women," says the Law,” shall take husbands of the same tribe, that the inheritance may remain in the families (Num. xxxvi. 8). The Blessed Virgin being an heiress, conformed of course to the above Law, and the choice fell upon St. Joseph of the same house and tribe of David, her kinsman in the second degree of consanguinity or first cousin. The Bollandists tell us that the ring which St. Joseph presented to the Blessed Virgin at her marriage, is to this day preserved and venerated in Perugia.
The following narrative of the espousals of the Blessed Virgin is translated from the learned and pious Suarez: "The priests held a consultation about the future state of the Blessed Virgin .... At last, by divine inspiration and instinct, they resolved to give her in marriage to some man worthy and proper to preserve her virginity; the choice fell upon Joseph of the same family and tribe. Thus write St. Gregory of Nyssa, St, John Damascenus, and other writers."
The Blessed Virgin, long before her Espousals had made a vow of perpetual chastity, had consecrated to God the purity of her body and soul, and as she lived in the Temple it is most probable that the priests were aware of her vow, and hence by divine inspiration selected St. Joseph as the guardian and protector of the Virgin's purity. The Blessed Virgin, assured and enlightened by a clear revelation from the Almighty, that her vow of chastity would be respected, obeyed the counsels of the priests, and consented to the holy alliance with St. Joseph. This holy alliance had been celebrated on the 8th day of September that is, over six months before the Incarnation of the Eternal Word; St. Joseph is said, like his holy spouse, to have made a vow of perpetual chastity at the age of twelve years. We may here draw attention to a point, which further on we shall discuss at considerable length. This time the whole Jewish nation were alive looking out for the coming Messias. The prophecies regarding the time of the Birth of the Redeemer were fulfilled. From the holy text it was well known to the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, and to the priests, that the Saviour of the world was to be born of a virgin of the house and family of David. Taking the above into account, and considering the unique virtues of the Blessed Virgin, her perpetual vow of Chastity, her singular marriage with St. Joseph of eminent sanctity, it appears not unreasonable to believe, that from "Divine Revelation," as Suarez says, that the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, and the priests had, if not a clear, at least, a hazy knowledge that Mary was the virgin chosen by God to be the future Mother of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
A Servant of God writes thus on the Espousals of St. Joseph.
"Let us pause to express our joy on witnessing the fortunate destiny of the most happy of mortals—St. Joseph. Whence comes to thee, 0 man of God, so eminent a benediction, that among all the children of Adam, it can be said of thee alone that God has been so entirely thine, that He was taken for thy son? The eternal Father gives thee His daughter, the Son gives thee charge of His Mother, the Holy Ghost confides to thee His spouse, and places thee in His stead; and the Holy Trinity gives thee His elect, His only one, for thy lawful spouse. Great Saint, dost thou then comprehend all thy dignity? dost thou fathom all thy greatness? Dost thou know that she whom thou hast received as thy spouse is Queen and Mistress of heaven and earth. Behold, 0 man of God, the precious treasure thou hast, and know that if thou dost not render the Angels and Seraphim envious, thy happiness, and the awful mystery of thy Espousals, excite their wondering admiration. For such joys and favours receive congratulations in the name of the whole human race. Be mindful of our poverty and wretchedness, and of me miserable worm of the earth, for I desire to he thy faithful servant, and to be enriched and favoured by thy powerful protection" (Venerable Mary of Jesus Agreda, Cite Mystique de Dieu).
SECTION IV.
The age of St. Joseph at his Espousals with the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The age of our holy Patriarch, at the time of his holy Espousal with Mary Immaculate, is disputed among the early Fathers, as well as among modern critics. St. Epiphanius, with many others of his time, hold that St. Joseph at the time of his marriage was an octogenarian. "A man of over eighty took the Virgin, selected by Divine Providence to guard her."
This opinion is generally rejected, and its origin is ascribed to apocryphal books, as well as to the fancy of painters, who in ancient times, to gain more veneration for our Saints, depicted St. Joseph as a venerable old Patriarch, with a long white flowing beard. The celebrated Gerson writes: "St. Joseph is sometimes painted as an old man on account of his chastity of mind and body, as the wise man says, a spotless life is old age; or he was painted an old man in the origin of the Church, when Mary's perpetual virginity had not as now become deeply rooted in the hearts of the faithful." (Serm. de Nat. B.V.M.)
In the physical, as well as in the moral and supernatural order, the Infinite Wisdom of God suits the means to the end. The high and noble destiny of St. Joseph was to be the guardian of the Blessed Virgin; to be her help and companion in the long and fatiguing journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, before the Birth of our Blessed Saviour; to be the support of Mary and the Divine Infant in the flight into Egypt; and more still, for years in Egypt a strange land, without a friend, as well as at home in Nazareth, to maintain by the labour of his hands the Mother and the Child. Such being the heavenly appointed mission of St. Joseph, we may well conclude that his age and strength were suited to the duties of his mission, thus verifying the prophesy of Isaias, "A young man shall dwell with a virgin."
A man of eighty years could not well take care of, or support himself, much less discharge the above important and onerous duties. In one word we may say, that it is the received opinion, and this opinion is founded upon reason and authority, that St. Joseph at the time of his Espousals, if not in the prime of life, as some hold, was at least young, strong, and robust.
The learned Father Suarez thus concludes: "Joseph was not, as St. Epiphanius has said, of an advanced age when he married the Blessed Virgin, for four reasons, which are— 1st, because it was proper that there should be in that marriage the relative proportion of age usually observed; 2nd, because it was also seeming that Joseph should be of an age suited for progeny, otherwise he would not save intact the name and honour of the Blessed Virgin; 3rd, because Joseph needed to be a robust man to undertake his journey into Egypt, and to support the family by the labour of his hands; 4th, because the Holy Scriptures, in a manner declare his manly age, since, in the first Chapter of St. Luke, we read that the Blessed Virgin was espoused to a man, not an old man. Hence, Isaias speaking of the coming of Christ, says: "A young man shall dwell with a virgin," a prophesy applied by Lyra and the ordinary gloss to this mystery. It seems certain, then, that Joseph was not eighty years of age, and it is most probable that he was not old. Whether he was thirty or forty we cannot precisely say, nor can we affirm whether he was young, or in the prime of life, as historians do not tell us."
The venerable Maria of Jesus of Agreda thus describes the above event: "St Joseph was then thirty-three years of age, well-made, and possessed of an agreeable countenance, which expressed an incomparable modesty. He was, indeed, as chaste in his thoughts and deeds as in his inclinations; and having made a vow of chastity when but twelve years of age, his life was pure and holy before God and man" (Cite Mystique de Dieu).
SECTION V.
St. Joseph accompanies the Blessed Virgin in her visit to her cousin, St. Elizabeth, from Nazareth to Hebron, and from Hebron back to Nazareth.
From the Gospel narrative it is clear that the Incarnation of the Eternal Word took place, not in the Temple, but in the Holy House at Nazareth, where Mary and Joseph lived after their Espousals. "And in the sixth month," writes the Evangelist, "the Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee called Nazareth. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph; and the virgin's name was Mary" (Luke, i. 26). How soon after the Espousals did the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord take place we know not for certain, as the Gospel and ancient writers are silent. According to Venerable Maria of Jesus of Agreda, the Espousals, as we have already said, took place on the 8th of September, that is, six months and seventeen days before the Incarnation, and when the Blessed Virgin was fourteen years, six months, and seventeen days of age, and her holy spouse St. Joseph thirty-three (Cite Mystique de Dieu). As we have already said, Suarez holds that the Incarnation took place four months after the Espousals. Immediately after the Conception the Blessed Virgin left Nazareth to visit her cousin St. Elizabeth. "And Mary," continues the Evangelist, " rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth" (Luke, i. 39). The distance from Nazareth to Hebron, where St. Elizabeth lived, was about 100 miles, and the road rough, lonely, and in some parts desert; as St. Joseph was the heavenly-appointed guardian of the Blessed Virgin, nothing is more reasonable and becoming than to believe that he accompanied his holy spouse in this journey of at least six days, though the Gospel is silent on the matter. Father Suarez says: "Immediately after the Incarnation, and perhaps on the same day, as St. Luke the Evangelist hints, the Blessed Virgin, accompanied by St. Joseph, as was most fit and becoming in the opinion of all, set out for the hill country." "St. Joseph prepared provisions for the journey—some bread, fruit, and a few small fishes, which he purchased. He had also a beast of burden, which was lent him to carry his provisions, and his Spouse, the Queen of all creation " {Cite Mystique de Dieu).
We can well imagine the devout conversation, the communing with God, of these two holy souls during the journey from Nazareth to Hebron. Many ancient writers are of opinion that the Blessed Virgin, during the journey, unfolded to her chaste spouse the whole mysteries of the Incarnation which had just taken place, and of which he had a hazy knowledge at their marriage "Mary," writes the celebrated Gerson, "knew this mystery of the Incarnation hidden for ages. Joseph knew it too admonished in dreams, and, as I think, previously familiarly made aware of it by Mary."
That St. Joseph stayed in the house of Zachary during the Blessed Virgin's visit to her cousin there can be little doubt; and then accompanied and protected our Blessed Lady back on her journey to Nazareth. "And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house " (Luke, i. 56).
"Trombelli," writes a devoted client of St. Joseph, "believes that St. Joseph remained for three months at the house of Zachary; because the holy Patriarch was not so poor that he could not leave his village for a time, more especially as he must have stayed at the house of Zachary, a priest equally rich and noble, and in a kingdom where liberality and munificence were proverbial" (Vallejo, p. 104).
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