By the grace of God
I have been chosen
To be the husband of a woman
The descendant of King David
The mother of the Messiah (they will say)
Mary my betrothed
A young impeccable virgin
Beautiful
Modest
Spotless
Pure
Well-versed in the traditions of her faith
Aspiring to virtue
Attentive
Caring
But bound by a vow from the depths of her loving heart
A vow I vowed not to violate
I will provide and protect her
The mother of God's Son (they will say)
Shield her from the disgrace of carrying a child
For she now carries a child, how could this be?
Let it be widely known
The child is mine
- Gary Edward Geraci
Joseph has just learned that his future wife is with child and there is no way that it can be his! He's fearful, turning the scenario over and over in his mind "But while he thought on these things...." (Matthew 1:20) ...perhaps even thinking about the local men in town that knew Mary; hurting over these painful, imaginings of betrayal, maybe now even thinking the situation would have been easier to resolve, at least in his own conscience "if I had been that man." Then suddenly, an angel appears, explaining everything, and its in the seconds immediately following this remarkably shocking visitation that I try to capture the thoughts here of the still confused, still blaming, still erroneously concluding, Joseph; but also starting to ponder the situation from his newly enlightened perspective: strong, fatherly, and full of manliness and virtue. And the rest is history. The poem is written in the first person and as a blazon to Mary with limited punctuation to further the environment of confusion that must have engulfed Joseph during this demanding trial. Happy Father's Day St. Joseph, pray for us!
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