Thanks to both Mary and Joseph

The mystery of Mary's motherhood is so great that it somehow leaves the mystery of Joseph's fatherhood in the shadows. We should strongly affirm this: Mary's motherhood with regard to Jesus called for Joseph's fatherhood. This fatherhood is inseparable from that motherhood and draws its source and its greatness from it.

We mean “inseparable” not as an added complement, but as an integral part of the same parental function with respect to Jesus. It was actually through Joseph's paternity that Jesus is connected with his Davidic ancestry, since the genealogical descent was transmitted through the male channel (see Mt 1:1 and 16-20).

Joseph received Mary as his wife and the mystery of the child conceived in her (Mt 1:24) with all his heart. So it was in a common act that they dedicated themselves to their task of receiving Jesus and preparing him for his mission, she as a mother, he as a father.

Jean Hémery

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