Mass Homily. Fr. Raymond. - Joseph being the recipient of all the other angelic communications regarding her child

Pope Francis's Inaugural Mass
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21840910                                   
Before our community Mass, some of the brethren were able to view the BBC television of the Piaza San Petro and panel comentary of the historic event.
At Nunraw, we were snowed under and it was a minim attendance from the congragation for the Mass of Saint Joseph. As usual the lambing time brings the snow.
Fr. Raymond had the Homily - memorable words on Saint Joseph.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Fr. Raymond  ....
To: Donald ...
Sent: Tuesday, 19 March 2013, 13:34
Subject: 

ST JOSEPH 2013

St Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to Zachary at the hour of incense and foretold the birth of his son John, the Baptist.

He also tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds to tell them about the birth of the Messiah.

In Matthew the angel appears to Joseph in a dream to tell him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.

We may presume that it was also an angel who appeared to the Magi in a dream warning them not to return to Herod.

Then again an angel appeared to Joseph to warn him to take the Mother and Child and flee to Egypt .

Finally an angel appears to Joseph again in a dream and tells him to return to the Land of Israel because Herod is now dead.

So the pattern of the Gospel story is always that the angels are said to appear except, however, at the Annunciation where a different turn of phrase is used; in this case, the angel Gabriel is said to ”come in ” to speak to Mary..

Equally significant is that, at the Annunciation, the departure of Angel Gabriel is described, not as a “disappearing” but as leaving; we read that “the Angel left her”.

St Thomas Aquinas, if  I remember rightly, (or was it John of the Cross?) says that the description of Gabriel at the Annunciation as “coming in” and “leaving” is to indicate a visible tangible form of presence as would befit the messenger of the “real visible, tangible Incarnation” of the Word of God.  Intriguing as all this may be, how does it lead us to the person of Joseph.  After all it is Joseph who is the main focus of our attention today?

It leads us to Joseph because it is so striking that all the appearances of the angel to Joseph follow on after the “departure” of the Angel from Mary.  Once the Annunciation to Mary is accomplished, a chapter in the Infancy story closes.  There is a great finality about that closing phrase of the Annunciation scene: “The Angel left her.”  Yes the Angel left her indeed.  He left her, no more to return to her, at least as far as the Gospel Story is told us.  Surely there must be a great significance in this unique description of the manner of the Angels coming and going at the annunciation and in this strange, apparent, passing over of Mary and dealing with Joseph from then on, even though the Angelic Messengers still have such a frequent role to play in the rest of the infancy story?

We might analyse this significance as being a demonstration to Mary, and to us all, that privileged as she was, and blessed among all women down the centuries to come, as she was, the child she bore was not for herself alone.  She received him on trust; on trust for us all.  The gift was for the whole human family. She and her husband Joseph were just the representatives of that family. And so it was brought home to her, through Joseph being the recipient of all the other angelic communications regarding her child, that she was being caught up into a mystery, a plan, a purpose of God, which was much bigger than she alone was in herself.  She had a role to play, and a great role, but it was now to be through Joseph, and through the role God was now handing him to play, she humbly realised that she was only part of a much greater picture.  In short, it is through this role of Joseph, once the angel had left Mary, that we see ourselves, each and every one of us being brought into the picture.

So the mystery of the Incarnation began in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and, of course, she never really lost her hold of him, but already, even while she still carried him within her, he was being snatched away from her control and possessed by those to whom he truly belonged and for whom he had come.  Thus he began his universal mission, as it were, through passing, into Joseph’s jurisdiction, even while still in Mary’s womb And thus, symbolically, he goes out already to the whole family of God, whoever they are and wherever they are.  Joseph is the catalyst of the Word made Flesh for the World.

And Mary, humbly in the background from then on, kept all these things in her heart.