I found an English translation of the text of St. Bernard I quoted yesterday. The text is a passage of St. Bernard's homily "Super missus est", II, 14 (PL 183, 68):
"Why did he wish to leave her? Listen, now, no longer to my opinion, but to that of the Fathers. The reason why Joseph wished to leave Mary is that same for which Peter distances himself from the Lord by saying, depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinner; this is also the reason why the centurion left his home while saying: Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. And so, Joseph, considering himself unworthy and a sinner, said to himself that such a great person, whose marvelous and superior dignity he admired, could not deign to live together with him. He saw, with sacred astonishment, that she bore a special quality of the divine presence, and while not being able to understand this mystery, he wished to leave her. Peter dreaded the greatness of the power, the centurion feared the majesty of the presence; Joseph, also, being human, feared the novelty of so great a marvel, the profundity of the mystery: that is why he wished to leave her secretly. You are astonished that Joseph considers himself unworthy of the company of that holy pregnant Virgin, and you notice that St. Elizabeth could remain in her presence only by maintaining a respected fear. She indeed says: Whence is it that God should deem me worthy of this favor that the Mother of my God should come to me? There is the reason Joseph wanted to leave her."
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