Henok Zewale

✍️ Do not be afraid to take Mary your betrothed. ✍️
July 26th in the Ethiopian Calendar/ Aug 2/2025 G.C.) is the commemoration of the passing of Saint Joseph. Let us take up the story of the saint and learn from it.

1. The History and Genealogy of Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph was a kind and righteous man from the tribe of Judah and the lineage of King David at the dawn of the New Testament. His father was named Jacob and his mother was Yohada. He lived in Bethlehem and Nazareth and was a man who learned the books of the Torah (the Law of Moses) of his time and lived according to the law. His profession was that of a woodworker (carpenter). This means he made a living by crafting yokes and plows for farming. In his youth, he had married a woman named Mary, who was the aunt of our Lady, the Holy Virgin Mary. With her, he fathered Jacob, Simon, Judas, Joses, and other daughters.

👉 2. His Relationship with Our Lady

According to the teachings of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Saint Joseph is a close relative of our Lady, the Holy Virgin Mary.

His late wife, Mary, was the sister of Saint Anne (the mother of the Virgin Mary). This means he was the husband of Our Lady's aunt.

She (the Virgin Mary) was also the great-granddaughter of his ancestor Azariah. This lineage shows his connection to Our Lady's paternal side, the family of Saint Joachim. (Matthew 1:16).

👉 3. The Mystery of His Selection as Our Lady's Betrothed

When Our Lady turned 15, she was required to leave the Temple according to Jewish tradition. As the Holy Fathers say, "Testimony by three, condemnation by three," the priest Zechariah chose him through God's selection, proven by three signs, to serve Our Lady. These were:

The Budding of His Staff: The priest Zechariah commanded the widowers to bring their staffs. When Saint Joseph, along with 1,985 other elders, presented his staff, only Saint Joseph's staff blossomed and bore the fruit of a fig tree in a single day.

A Written Sign: A miraculous text was found written on his staff that read, "O Joseph, protect Mary."

The Resting of a Dove: A white dove also descended from heaven and rested upon his head.

Through these three signs, Saint Joseph was appointed as the guardian of Our Lady. He was called "betrothed" because he was chosen for this service. Furthermore, according to the Law of Moses, a woman was not counted in the genealogy, so God wanted her to be counted through her betrothed, Joseph, so that she would not be left out.

👉 4. Why He Was Afraid to Take Our Lady

After being chosen by the angel's command to take Our Lady into his home, Saint Joseph was afraid to do so. The reasons were:

His Old Age: He wept, saying, "I am an old man and I have children; I am 83 years old."

Fear of the Law's Judgment: "According to the Law of Moses, a woman without a husband who was found to be pregnant would be stoned" (cf. Numbers 5:19).

Fleeing the Insults He Would Face: The Israelites would accuse him, asking, "From whom did she conceive?"

Although the angel told him, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your betrothed, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20), he did not fully understand the complete mystery of her virginity until he witnessed the virgin birth in Bethlehem.

👉 5. The Struggle He Showed After Taking Our Lady

After taking Our Lady into his home by the angel's command, Saint Joseph demonstrated a great struggle.
➡️ Through these things, he understood it was by the Holy Spirit ⬅️

The Birth in Bethlehem: When our Lord was born in Bethlehem, he saw the praise of the angels, the rising of the star, the adoration of the Magi, and the astonishment of the shepherds, and he fully understood the identity of the Virgin Mary.

The Wrath of Herod: When Herod's anger was kindled and he had 144,000 infants slaughtered by the sword, the angel appeared to Joseph and said, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt" (Matthew 2:13).

👉 6. Serving Our Lady Until the End

Saint Joseph labored immensely, observing the law of Moses from the Old Testament and living by the order of Christ in the New Testament.

The Path of Exile: When he fled to Egypt with Our Lady and our Lord, he shared in their hunger, thirst, and suffering. This journey of exile was full of hardship, and through it all, he protected Our Lady and her Son.

Honor in His Death: When Saint Joseph passed away at the age of 114, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself was present at his hour of rest and gave him a covenant (a divine promise).

👉 “Do not be afraid to take Mary your betrothed” 👈
- Analysis of the Message

Historical Meaning of the word "Betrothed": In that era among the Israelites, "betrothed" referred to a man and a woman who were formally engaged for marriage. Contrary to our modern customs, betrothed couples were considered husband and wife and could only be separated by a certificate of divorce.

Saint Joseph was called Our Lady's betrothed so that he would protect the Virgin. 👈

➡️ Why was he afraid? When Saint Joseph saw that Our Lady was pregnant, even though she miraculously explained to him that her conception was by the Holy Spirit, he was afraid that the Jews would stone him according to their law. Because of this, "being a just man" and not wanting to expose her, he planned to put her away secretly (Matthew 1:19). This fear arose from the conflict between his belief in Our Lady's purity and the Law of Moses.

➡️ The Angel's Command: The angel appeared to him in a dream and explained, "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20), and commanded him, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your betrothed."

Saint Joseph and Saint John: Saint Joseph performed a great spiritual struggle by protecting Our Lady's virginity and by guarding and caring for our Lord from the life-threatening danger posed by the slayer of souls (Herod).

👉 Five Things We Learn from the Elder, Saint Joseph

➡️ An Example of Humility and Obedience: Even when Saint Joseph struggled to understand the mysterious conception of Our Lady, he planned "to put her away secretly" rather than to shame her. After the angel spoke to him in a dream, he immediately obeyed and took Our Lady. We learn that when we face things we do not understand in our lives, we should humbly submit to God's will.

➡️ Waiting on God's Will: Just as the centurion showed his faith by telling the Lord, "only speak a word," Saint Joseph, after seeing the birth of the Lord in Bethlehem and understanding that the prophecies were fulfilled, believed completely. We learn that when trials and tribulations come in our lives, we should wait patiently for God's answer.

➡️ A Sense of Responsibility and Loving Service: Even though Saint Joseph was an old man, he endured hunger and thirst while fleeing through the desert with Our Lady and our Lord to save them from Herod. This shows that responsibility and love know no age or weariness.

➡️ Loving the Chosen Path: When the sign appeared on the elder Joseph's staff, he accepted the suffering in order "to protect Our Lady according to God's will." We too should learn to love the responsibilities given to us in our lives and to see the blessing within them.

➡️ The Final Goal: Our Lord has said to him [St. Joseph], "I will forgive anyone who calls upon your name, makes a memorial in your honor, or builds a sanctuary in your name." His blessings be upon us. This shows that the final destiny of a person who has lived in faith and love is eternal life and dwelling with God.

May the blessing of the elder, Saint Joseph, be upon us. Amen.

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:14-17

O God, for whom nothing is impossible, bring near what is far, reveal what is profound, and from the bad news and anxiety we are hearing, do not deprive us of rest for the body and rest for the soul.

(July 26th 2017 E.C. AUG 2/2025 G.C.