On 19th March, as according to tradition in the Holy Land, the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth welcomed pilgrims and local Christians for the celebrations of the feast-day of St Joseph.
"Gathered today in the house of Mary, we want to fix our gaze on he who was chosen as the Custodian of the Mystery of the Son of God and his Mother," were the opening words of the Holy Mass by the Custodial Vicar Fr. Dobromir Jasztal. "His life is obscure, yet after the Mother of God, he is always the first to be named and honored". The Mystery and the meaning of the life of this Saint are enclosed in verse 24 of Chapter 1 of Matthew, in which the author of the gospel says, “Joseph did as the angel had commanded him" and Fr. Dobromir, in his introductory speech, explained how the Saint achieves freedom and full self-realization by obeying the plan of God for his life.
The liturgical feast-day is traditionally structured in four different parts. The first was the solemn entrance of the Vicar, welcomed by the Guardian of the Basilica of the Annunciation of Nazareth, Fr. Bruno Varriano. During this part, there was the vestition of the stole while the choir sang the antiphony "Salve Sancte Pater", the Franciscans’ invocation of their Seraphic Father, St Francis. The following part was that of the celebration of Holy Mass in Arabic led by the Custodial Vicar Fr. Dobromir.
The homily was pronounced by the Parish Priest of Nazareth, Fr. Amjad Sabbara. "The silence of St Joseph is not a passive silence but that of a person who trusts in God and who makes the Word of God become a life project,” said Fr. Amjad, concluding the homily with a prayer for fathers: “May they always have a silent and active attitude like that of St Joseph, so that they can guide their families towards the will of God."
"Being in Nazareth for this feast-day,” commented Fr. Bruno Varriano, guardian of the Convent of the Very Holy Annunciation, “is always a grace because he lived here as the head of the Holy family." Fr. Bruno remarked how this feast-day allows clearly understanding that the world of today needs more silent works than appearances and the figure of this Saint must be celebrated but, above all, imitated in this context of the present.
Giovanni Malaspina
