Last Word

Love That Transformed His Soul

By Father Thomas More Barba, O.P., Ba ’09 ’10

Marvel superheroes regularly appear in my homilies. Tony stark’s self-sacrifice, Loki’s gradual redemption and Steve Rogers courageously facing death by the armies of Thanos are attractive cinematic examples of heroic virtue. As Catholics, these illustrations allow us to identify confluences between our faith and secular society and call to mind our relationship with the saints. Similar to a child wielding a trash can lid, pretending to be Captain America, we are meant to be transformed by and practice virtue. While some saints are known for dramatic, public acts of holiness, St. Joseph quietly but powerfully invites us to heroic virtue.

Although none of St. Joseph’s words are recorded in Scripture and his appearance is brief, his actions exemplify authentic righteousness. He is described as a “righteous man”(Matthew 1:19). A righteous man is zealous for the truth. We may imagine external, dramatic displays of zeal, but Joseph reminds us that any authentic visible manifestation of a zeal for truth is contingent upon allowing one’s own soul to be shaped by truth: Before seeking to shape others, a man must himself be shaped.

He was “unwilling to expose her [Mary] to shame”(Matthew 1:19). Joseph knew something was wrong: mary should not have been pregnant. As her future husband, acting upon feelings of shame and betrayal, publicly expressing vengeance, would have been justified. Yet he refused to do so. He was ruled by truth, by love that transformed his soul. In a way, he anticipated his heavenly son’s behavior toward the woman caught in adultery (John 8:111). The law permitted such dispensations of justice, but Christ and His foster father show us that authentic, heroic masculinity does not give vent to emotions of hurt and anger. A virtuous man does not shame another person.

“Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. … When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him”(Matthew 1:20, 24). Joseph was not obstinate in his resolution to quietly divorce Mary. He listened. His mind and heart were open to being changed. Being truly virtuous, the truth lived in Joseph, but not in a way that all of its applications were immutably predetermined. Joseph’s strength and wisdom allowed him to discern when to be resolute — and when to change course. If we believe a virtuous man steadfastly resists all influences, we have mistaken St. Joseph for Captain Ahab.

This year of St. Joseph invites us to reflect on heroic virtue, especially as men. Being zealous for the truth, being truly virtuous, requires a discerning mind and heart. Allowing anyone or anything indiscriminately into our souls is just as foolish as being so resolute that we allow nothing and no one to change our mind. To be virtuous, to act with virtue and holiness, we who discern must ourselves be formed. May St. Joseph intercede for us!

Angelus (2018, oil on canvas, 22.5″ x 27″, private collection).

Annemarie Johnson, BA ’18, studied in the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts painting program at UD and will be attending the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts for further study in fall 2021. This oil painting of the UD Mall and Braniff Memorial Tower was part of her undergraduate senior exhibit three years ago.