How might we begin a “description” of St. Joseph? Righteous. Obedient. Pure. Humble. Silent (contemplative). Husband. Protector and guardian of Jesus and Mary. We praise and thank God for all of these (and more) wonderful qualities of St. Joseph, but we also remember today that he experienced the same difficulties in life we do – yet he lived an exemplary life. St. Joseph was a man blessed with unwavering faith and utmost trust in God’s providence and care.
For St. Joseph, doing God’s will was paramount. He never questioned what God told him and carried out God’s promptings without hesitation or delay – his response was immediate and he would carry out the task at hand the way God wanted it done. For example, after the angel appeared to him in a dream, assuring him that Mary’s child was conceived through the Holy Spirit, St. Joseph took Mary into his home as his wife. Also, after the visit of the magi, upon receiving the angel’s warning, St. Joseph wasted no time, immediately getting up and taking his family and fleeing to Egypt in the middle of the night to escape King Herod’s murderous wrath. Later, after Herod’s death, the angel again instructed St. Joseph that it was time to return to the land of Israel, and while he probably intended to return to Bethlehem in Judea, he chose rather to go to Nazareth in Galilee upon being warned by the angel that Herod’s son ruled Judea in his place. The pattern of St. Joseph’s life seems clear: when God told him to get up and go, he unhesitatingly got up and went.
St. Joseph was a man of action, obeying God’s will for him in the ordinary duties of daily life. He faithfully and tenderly loved, protected, and provided for the Child Jesus and for Mary. He kept the Sabbath and went to the Temple in Jerusalem for the Passover. He did the ordinary things of everyday life with love. By following his example today, we can find considerable peace of mind in knowing we are faithfully doing the ordinary, little things that God wants us to do. We praise and thank God for such an opportunity.
Let us pray. “Lord God, help us embrace St. Joseph as a model for our own trust in you today. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
