The marriage between the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Patriarch Saint Joseph serves as a profound model for married couples and an inspiring example of fruitfulness for consecrated life.
Editorial Staff (01/25/2025 11:06, Gaudium Press)
There has been a growing call to reintroduce the celebration of the Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph into the liturgical calendar. This feast, celebrated on January 23 until 1961, holds significant theological and spiritual value.
Italian philosopher Luisella Scrosati advocates for this reintroduction in her article in La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, entitled Lo Sposalizio di Maria e Giuseppe, una festa da reintrodurre (The Betrothal of Mary and Joseph: A Feast to Be Reintroduced). She asserts that restoring this celebration would convey “an exceptionally relevant message in times of a marriage crisis” and elevate the appreciation of “consecrated life.”
Scrosati highlights the work of Jean Charlier de Gerson (1369–1420), a theologian and former chancellor of the University of Paris, who was deeply devoted to Saint Joseph. Gerson invested considerable effort in advancing the theological understanding of Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, and in promoting devotion to him. For example, he argued for Saint Joseph’s sanctification in the womb, drawing an analogy with Saint John the Baptist.
Gerson’s vision included the establishment of a liturgical feast honouring the betrothal of Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He supported this with theological writings, a public exhortation, and a poem of approximately 3,000 Latin hexameters, along with extensive notes exploring Christ’s life in relation to Saint Joseph. His work introduced the concept of the Holy Family as an “earthly trinity” into Catholic devotion.
Drawing on Pauline theology (Eph 5:25–32), which presents marriage as a sign of Christ’s mystical union with the Church, Scrosati emphasizes the archetypal nature of Mary and Joseph’s marriage. Gerson considered their union unique in its ability to signify the union between God and the Church, not only because of the moral holiness of Mary and Joseph but also because of their extraordinary sanctity, granted from the moment of their conception.
Scrosati builds on Gerson’s ideas by referencing John Paul II’s Redemptoris Custos (n. 7), which highlights the unique role of Joseph and Mary at the threshold of the New Testament. While Adam and Eve introduced sin into the world, Joseph and Mary marked the beginning of holiness. Their virginal and holy union served as the foundation for Christ’s mission to sanctify the family, described as the “sanctuary of human love and the cradle of life.”
A Renewal in a Spousal Couple
Scrosati further connects this idea to the theological concept of “recapitulation” from Saint Irenaeus of Lyon. In this view, the redemption of humanity is seen as a renewal of the old order. Just as Jesus Christ is the new Adam and the Blessed Virgin Mary is the new Eve, the marriage of Mary and Joseph completes this parallel as a new, holy couple. This relationship not only inaugurates the new creation but also reflects a virginal union, elevated above the natural order.
Archetype of Consecrated Celibacy
The marriage of Mary and Joseph exemplifies the union of Christ and the Church, serving as an archetype for both marriage and consecrated celibacy. Their chaste yet fruitful union reflects a mutual self-giving that safeguards their integrity in service to God. This union symbolizes the spiritual fecundity of consecrated celibacy and virginity while preserving the sanctity of marriage.
In a time of widespread crises in both marriage and consecrated life, Scrosati concludes that reintroducing this feast into the liturgical calendar would be a profound grace for the Universal Church.
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
