Uncovering the Treasure of St Joseph

In this “Year of St Joseph” which began on Dec 8, 2020 and goes through Dec 8, 2021, the Catholic Church is calling us to enter more deeply into the life of St Joseph. In his new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis gives seven attributes of the fatherhood of Saint Joseph, all of which are beautifully tied to the mission of all fathers. If you haven’t thought much of St Joseph, reading this letter would be a great start to getting to know him better. What seems to be a very quiet saint, whom we often consider we have little to learn from, is actually a rich treasure for us to uncover.

Since we don’t hear much of St. Joseph in Sacred Scripture it leads some to believe he was a passive husband and father. Many think he was really not important, so we just chalk him up to being the earthly father of Jesus who really didn’t do much. This is definitely not the case with St Joseph. As we take a deeper look at this man and highlight some of what we do know about him, we will be able to shed light on his courageous, yet humble way. It is worth our study and meditation, especially in this “Year of St Joseph”, to learn more about him who has over time been named the Patron of the Catholic Church, Patron of Workers, and Guardian of the Redeemer.

It is so easy for us to dismiss St Joseph as the kind guy who took Mary and Jesus into his home and provided for them, but the reality of this gesture is far deeper than that. In order to know St Joseph’s heart we must consider how he responds to situations. When we see him fully accept Mary and Jesus into his family, even though he doesn’t quite understand the full plan, it reveals to us his total trust in God. St Joseph had more faith in God than in his own abilities. His relationship with God was so close that he desired to do God’s Will, even above his own. His obedience to God came first. Then after he chooses to obey, he then seeks the help of the Lord that he knows will be needed for the road ahead. How often do we want to try to plan out all the details before we choose God and His Will for our lives? Yet St Joseph shows us another way, which is the way of total surrender to God.

As father and head of the Holy Family, we are told little about the nature of St Joseph from Sacred Scripture. What we do know is that he was in service to his family, as every father is called to be. St Joseph thus paved the way for the mission of Mary, as Mother of the Church, and Jesus, as Savior of the world, to come to fruition. St Joseph’s fatherhood extended further onward in time and outward upon the world then we will ever fully know in this lifetime. What began and was lived out on a daily basis in their family influenced not only the lives of each member of the Holy Family, but it also rippled out from there upon others outside of the family and to future generations. This being true, the responsibility of St Joseph, and all fathers for that matter, is to provide a safe and loving home for his wife and children. For Mary and Jesus this was paramount as they depended on St Joseph in order to pave the for the redemption of the world.

One thing we can definitively see from reading the passages about St Jospeh in the gospels is that he was a man of righteous action. In every documented instance where the Lord spoke to Joseph, which was by way of an angel, he was promptly and fully obedient to his Father in Heaven. This reveals to us the full trust that St Joseph had in God. St Joseph looked nowhere else than to God when needing to find solutions for his family. He consistently sought out the Will of God in his life so that he may do well to lead his family in the way of the Lord. His righteous action also shows us that he was open to whatever solution the Lord provided, no matter how foolish it may have seemed at the time. St Joseph essentially saved and preserved the lives of Mary and Jesus when he accepting them into his home and becoming the head of the Holy Family.

This was no weak or passive man who lived in such a way. On the contrary what this shows us is just how courageous St Joseph really was. He not only courageously led and protected his family, which provided for their physical needs, but he also courageously followed his Heavenly Father, which provided for the family’s spiritual needs. As head of the household, St Joseph lived freely in the shadow of the Heavenly Father. By being devoted to God and following Him in all things, St Joseph paved the way for his wife and child to live in that same freedom of the shadow of the Father. As a leader to his family, he also humbly recognized that God was in control. St Joseph knew that when he aligned his will to the Will of the Father, that God would provide for his family. To partner with the Heavenly Father in such a way reveals to the family the vulnerability that we all have in relation to God. It is the call of all fathers to witness this to their family.

I invite you to take time this year to learn more about St Joseph, to find a good book on him and/or meditate upon the passages in Sacred Scripture that we do have of him. It has been my experience when meditating upon St Joseph that he is a treasure that is waiting for us to uncover. His humble way, yet courageous spirit is a model for all of us. Even though St Joseph is not remembered for any great worldly accomplishment, he reveals to us the incredible power that the role of the hidden life of the father has upon the family. The value of this saint lies in what he accomplished on a daily basis through his courageous leadership, his consistent efforts for the family, his incredible faith, and his humble service to his Father in Heaven.

* Image of St Joseph, Terror of Demons by Baritus Catholic

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