主題：大聖若瑟的真福芳表
四部講述耶穌基督生平事蹟的福音之中，祇有兩部記載了祂的誕生，就是瑪竇和路加。兩位聖史寫作的對象和目的不同，所以在取材和鋪排上，亦大異其趣。瑪竇寫給猶太信徒，為了證明耶穌基督是猶太人等候已久的默西亞。所以在講述耶穌基督降生的事蹟時，瑪竇注重祂如何應驗了先知的預言，例如由童貞女所孕育、在白冷出生、避難到埃及等等。此外，瑪竇的故事，可以說是以男性為中心。瑪竇的聖誕故事，主要是環繞著若瑟、大黑落德、經師和賢士等等。雖然在這麼多的男性之中，若瑟是最沒有社會地位的一個，但若瑟卻具體地展現了瑪竇福音後來所宣講的「真福八端」的面貎！
讓我們一起默想，瑪竇福音所描述的大聖若瑟，如何展現出「真福」的精神。
大聖若瑟不單公義和慈悲，他還很溫良，沒有堅持自己的主意，沒有強加自己的主意在瑪利亞身上。倘若他按自己的主意行事，解除了婚約，日後各行各路，兩不相干，已經是很難得的義人所為了。可是，當他在夢中獲得啟示之後，大聖若瑟溫良地承擔起守護聖母瑪利亞和聖子耶穌基督的任務！當年加音拒絕成為弟弟的守護者，出於忿努而殺了亞伯爾（創4:9）。今天，一如瑪利亞解除了厄娃無信的詛咒，一如耶穌基督解除了亞當不服從的詛咒，大聖若瑟承擔了聖家的守護者任務，以溫良解除了加音忿怒的詛咒！大聖若瑟的確是一個「溫良的人」（瑪5:5）。最後，為了守護聖家，被大黑落德迫害，避難到埃及，大聖若瑟獲得了「為義而受迫害」的真福（5:10）！
各位兄弟姊妹，感謝天主樹立了大聖若瑟，作為真福的榜樣。讓我們學習他溫良的態度、飢渴慕義的精神、憐憫人的大愛和為義而受迫害的勇氣，努力地操練自己，在生活中找到降生的基督，與祂相遇，分享祂的生命。
首先，瑪竇說若瑟是義人（瑪1:19a）。這是甚麼意思呢？
因為瑪竇福音的讀者，主要是有猶太教背景的信徒。所以這「義人」的觀念，可以指猶太教所定義的「義人」，即遵守梅瑟法律的人和按梅瑟法律的指示去生活的人！綜合路加福音的記載，瑪利亞許配了給若瑟之後，便前往南部的猶大省，到年老懷孕的表姐依撒伯爾家中住了三個月。回來後，「她因聖神有孕的事已顯示出來」（1:18）！處理未婚懷孕的個案，梅瑟在【申命紀】22章，寫下了很清楚的法律。若瑟是個「義人」，理應按照申命紀22章行事，一點也不含糊困難！那麼，為甚麼瑪竇卻說，若瑟「是義人，不願公開羞辱她，有意暗暗地休退她。」（1:19）呢？
大聖若瑟領會到天主的公義和慈悲，是如何相輔相成地造就人，使人成聖！他並沒有斷章取義，祇按【申命紀】22章的條文，伸張正義，揭發並懲罰瑪利亞未婚懷孕。大聖若瑟體會到天主的慈悲，憐憫瑪利亞的境況。所以他考慮可否「暗暗地休退她」，讓她可以自由嫁娶，嫁給令她懷孕的男人，成人之美！所以大聖若瑟在公義方面的層次，比一般經師和法學士，更勝一籌。按福音的尺度，大聖若瑟堪稱是一個「飢渴慕義」，尋求他人的拯救和解放，他滿全了真福的要求（5:6）。他憐憫了瑪利亞的困難，不但沒有怪責她不守婦道，更想辦法幫助她脫離困境，讓她獲得幸福。大聖若瑟可算是真福中的「憐憫人的人」了（5:7）。
天主保祐！
圖片鳴謝：http://osjusa.org/st-joseph/art/head-of-the-holy-family-tryptych/
The Fourth Advent Sunday, Year A
Theme: The Beatific Exemplar of St. Joseph
Among the four canonical gospels, only Matthew and Luke narrate the nativity of Jesus Christ. The two Evangelists write with different purposes for different target audiences. Therefore their materials and arrangements are very different. Matthew writes for disciples with a Jewish background. He wants to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the Messiah whom the Jews have been expecting. Therefore, when he narrates the nativity story, Matthew emphasizes how Jesus' birth fulfils the prophecies. For example, He was born of a virgin, born at Bethlehem and called back from Egypt etc. Moreover, Matthew's narrative is male-centred. His nativity narrative centres on Joseph, Herod the Great, magi, chief priests and scribes etc. Although Joseph was the lowliest among the players, he was able to manifest the Beatitudes subsequently proclaimed in the gospel of Matthew!
Let us meditate how the St. Joseph in Matthew manifests the spirit of the Beatitudes.
In fact, Mosaic laws are not only uncompromising, but are also very considerate. For example, in Deuteronomy 24, we are able to find many compassionate regulations, such as: when a man is newly wed, he shall be exempted for one year from any military expedition; no one shall take a hand mill or its upper stone as a pledge for debt; if the debtor is poor, the debtee should return the pledged garment at sunset; when one must not reap all the harvest, but leave what remains for the resident alien, the orphan and the widow etc. These regulations show that God is not only righteous but is also very merciful. Simply put, God created us and put us on earth. If He does not deliver us from the evils of sins on earth, He is unrighteous! Therefore, the righteousness of God is not meant for punishing mankind but for their salvation, allowing them to become saints! St. Joseph knew that the righteousness and mercy of God work hand in hand to edify mankind and to sanctify humanity! He did not take the letters of Deuteronomy out of context to do justice, to expose and punish the unwed pregnant Mary. Instead, St. Joseph shows God's mercy to Mary. Thus, he decides to divorce her quietly so that she would be free to marry the man who has impregnated her. Thus, comparing with scribes and teachers of the law, the righteousness of St. Joseph was above par. By the standard of the gospel, St. Joseph "hunger and thirst for righteousness" for the salvation and liberation of others. He fulfils the demands of the Beatitudes (5:6). He shows mercy to Mary and does not blame her for being unfaithful. He even thinks up ways to help her obtain happiness. St. Joseph meets the "being merciful" requirement (5:7).
Not only is St. Joseph righteous and merciful, he is also meek. He does not insist on his ideas and imposes his will on Mary. Had he followed his decision to divorce Mary, they would have parted ways and have had no further business. He was still righteous. However, after receiving revelation in his dream, St. Joseph meekly takes up the role as the Head of the Holy Family! Cain refused to be the keeper of his brother and out of anger, killed Abel (Genesis 4:9). Today, like Mary who undoes Eve's curse of faithlessness and like Christ who breaks Adam's curse of disobedience, St. Joseph lifts the curse of Cain's anger with meekness! St. Joseph is truly a meek person (Matthew 5:5). Lastly, to protect the Holy Family from the persecution of Herod the Great, together they fled to Egypt. St. Joseph earns the blessedness of being persecuted for the sake of righteousness (5:10)!
Brethren, we thank God for setting St. Joseph up as our beatific exemplar. Let us learn from his attitude of meekness, his spirit of righteousness, his merciful love and his courage to undergo persecution. Let us strive for spiritual fitness to seek Christ incarnate in our daily life, encounter Him and partake in His life.
God bless!
First of all, Matthew describes Joseph as a righteous man (Matthew 1:19a). What does that mean?
Since the readers of Matthew were disciples with Jewish background, therefore the concept of "righteous man" can be understood in the context of Judaism. It means those who obey the Mosaic laws and lead their life accordingly! Reading the story in combination with the gospel of Luke, after Mary was betrothed to Joseph, she went south to Judah and stayed for three months in the house of Elizabeth, her cousin who was pregnant in old age. On her return, "she was found with child through the Holy Spirit" (1:18)! Moses had written down in Deuteronomy 22 unambiguous laws to handle cases of unwed pregnancies. Joseph was a righteous man. He should have no difficulty following the laws in Deuteronomy 22! Then why does Matthew say, "Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly" (1:19)?
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