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Saint Joseph
Feastday: March 19, May 1
Patron of the Universal Church
Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father
of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for
those who made up legends about him.
We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes
ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55).
He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised
and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves
or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford
a lamb (Luke 2:24).
Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage.
Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy
but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of
Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first
tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title
used also for Jesus.
We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered
Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child
was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son
of God. He planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was
concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused
to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her
quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).
We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked
of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph
in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying,
Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took
Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his
family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all
his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young
wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the
angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).
We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety
of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to
protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of
Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple
we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety
for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated
Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say
of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)
We know Joseph respected God. He followed God's commands in handling
the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised
and Mary purified after Jesus' birth. We are told that he took his
family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could
not have been easy for a working man.
Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death,
or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died
before Jesus entered public ministry.
Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before
Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the
way we all would like to leave this earth.
Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters,
and social justice.
We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the
Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
There is much we wish we could know about Joseph -- where and when
he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died. But Scripture
has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was -- "a
righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).
In His Footsteps:
Joseph was foster father to Jesus. There are many children separated
from families and parents who need foster parents. Please consider
contacting your local Catholic Charities or Division of Family Services
about becoming a foster parent.
Prayer:
Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church
as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help protect it and guide
it as you did with your adopted son. Amen
©1996 Terry Matz. All Rights Reserved.
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