The Priest
I had previously written about the Jerusalem Temple, its Holies, and the Holy of Holies. The same image that I put together at that time is being reposted here.
Then I said that there were three things preserved as sacred in the Holies. One: The seven-branched lampstand called the Menorah, made of gold. I had made it clear that the lamp was in fact a symbolic representation of the first encounter of Moses with God. While Moses was tending the sheep, he saw a bush on fire. Moses was amazed that the bush did not burn up even after some time. So Moses decided to go closer and check it out for himself what was going on. So when he approached the burning bush, God spoke to him from the bush and revealed Himself to him. In short, the external appearance of God to Moses was in the form of a burning bush that burned still unconsumed. The seven-branched lampstand was a visual representation of that burning bush.
The second object kept in the holies was the showbread of the presence of the Lord brought from the 12 tribes. Their representative character and ever newness are to be noted.
The third object in the Holies was the golden altar of incense and the fragrant incense smoke that constantly rose from it. I had also written that the altar of fragrant incense smoke was a symbol of the prayers and sacrifices that were constantly offered and rose before the presence of God, and therefore was a sign of the priesthood itself.
Today, however, I have another thought related to it. March 19 is the memorial day of St. Joseph. The three stand/altars mentioned above that were revered in the Holies of the temple in Jerusalem: the golden lampstand, which visually represented the burning but unconsumed bush; the golden altar of the showbread that came from the twelve tribes; and the golden altar of incense, a symbol of the priesthood. It seems that these three can also be seen as having some symbolic reference to the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Love, Humility, and Obedience are what the trio of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph bring to us. The first words that Mary says about herself are: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." She repeats the same again later. Humility is her basic element.
She is the burning but unconsumed bush. Even while God burned within her, the humility that made her on the outside, by sweeping the yard, washing dishes, cooking food, and heating water to serve Elizabeth during her pregnancy; the one who remained a virgin even after becoming a mother - the burning bush but still unconsumed: Mary!
Bethlehem means the 'house of bread'. He was the manna that God showered on the earth from heaven. Jesus said about himself, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven." The function of bread is to be broken and be eaten. The bread that he broke and served at the Last Supper, saying, 'Take and eat: This is myself!'
Tradition also has a story that the staff of Joseph had blossomed like that of Aaron's. The Bible testifies that he was vigilant even in his sleep, listening to the voice of God. Compliance or submission: is the original meaning of Obedience. As an old movie song in Malayalam sings, "burning my eyes like a flame from going out; and keeping my heart ever alive like burning incense," even when he was sleeping outwardly, he ever kept his flame on and his inner being burning like incense. It was he whom God called and entrusted with the responsibility to carry the ark of His covenant. He traveled far, carrying the ark of the covenant, which contained the holy manna that God had poured down from heaven. Joseph was the golden Altar of incense that burned as a priestly service in the presence of the golden lampstand - the Menorah and the golden Altar of showbread in the temple of God. Yes, he was the first eternal priest who got anointed from the tribe of Judah!
