The Righteous

Brief Audio Reflection on Matthew 1:18-25. The Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A.

For someone who never says a recorded word, he made a powerful statement. Joseph, the betrothed of Mary…  Joseph, the protector of Jesus… Joseph, the bread-winner of the Holy Family comes to us in scripture as Joseph the silent. But while he never says a single word, there is a single word said of him that speaks volumes. Matthew’s gospel tells us Joseph is “righteous.”

So what does it mean, if anything, to be righteous today? It means what it always has… to be right with God. And how do we know when we are right with God? We know when he tells us every day. We know when we don’t need a burning bush or an apparition to sense his presence. We know when our life is an ongoing conversation with God. We know when “What Would Jesus Do?” is not a bumper sticker but a reflexive template for our lives. But we’ll only really know when Jesus welcomes us home with a loving: Well done, good and faithful servant. Only then we’ll know that we are with Joseph in the ranks of the righteous.