When he noticed the Blessed Virgin in maternity, oblivious that within her was the Divine Infant, St. Joseph undoubtedly experienced great perplexity. […]
In the throes of his turmoil, as he penetrated Mary’s gaze, he continued to see it as God’s gaze upon him, more crystalline than pristine waters, brighter than the most radiant sun. Yet he also noticed the clear signs of pregnancy. […]
Concerning this point, Dr. Plinio emphasizes: “It is absurd to maintain the contrary. For St. Joseph, it sufficed to watch her or even glance at her from behind. The way her tunic brushed the floor, or She leaned against a table to rest a little while speaking; likewise flowed streams of chastity about her with every gesture, even the movement of her eyelashes.” From moment to moment, he marvelled thus at the Saint he had married: pure and celestial. […]
Knowing her as no one else on earth, he was sure that only She could be the Mother of the Saviour, since there could not possibly be a holiness superior to hers. Then, the mysterious Virgin prophetically envisaged by Isaiah was Mary! […]
As Our Lady kept silent despite the outward evidence of her pregnancy, knowing that God wanted to test the confidence of her virginal spouse, he took this as a sign that the Almighty, whom She represented for Joseph, did not want him there. Notwithstanding, he saw a most excellent manifestation of Marian delicacy in that attitude: keeping silent was her way of insinuating that he had to grow to participate in that mystery. […]
Thus, Dr. Plinio’s affirmative description of his ordeal does not seem exaggerated: “After Our Lady, no one on earth suffered as much as St. Joseph. […] God, as it were, left him destitute, helpless, alone!” What ought he to do? How should he proceed? Hence, the dire perplexity of the virginal spouse of Mary Most Holy assumes full stature.
CLÁ DIAS, EP, João Scognamiglio.
St. Joseph: Who Really Knows Him?… São Paulo – Toronto –
Houston: VFA; Heralds of the Gospel, 2023, p.143-151
