When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.
Mary may be pure
But, Joseph, are you sure?
How is one to tell?
Suppose, for instance... well...
W.H. Auden The Temptation of St Joseph
Did Joseph spend his life wondering?
It was a big ask.
But from the beginning
he showed his compassionate side
He sought to extricate himself gently
from their betrothal
rather than go for stoning
which was also an option!
But then an angel’s visit
persuaded him
to go ahead as planned
and stick with Mary
and the child she carried.
But I wonder...
When things got weird
When the boy got lost in the temple...
When he went on the road...
When the stories got back to the village
of the miracles and the curses
of the crowds who followed
and the authorities who were threatened -
Did Joseph’s doubts
all come flooding back?
When he saw the woman he loved
grieving as no mother ever should -
Did he wish he’d followed his first instinct
and got out while he could?
Joseph’s Yes
An important part
of birthing God.
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