Worthy of imitation

 

A few months ago, Pope Francis declared this year (from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021 [the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception]) – the Year of St. Joseph.  This coincides with the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.  Every March 19th, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, dedicated to the life and faith of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Pope Francis also published an apostolic letter about St. Joseph, “Patris Corde,” which means “With a Father’s Loving Heart.”  In it, he names St. Joseph’s many admirable qualities, worthy of imitation in the coming year and the future.

While we don’t know many details of St. Joseph’s life, we do know that he was a skilled craftsman, a carpenter by trade.  We honor this particular aspect of his life with a Feast Day on May 1^st that is appropriately named “the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.”   

We also know that he was a righteous man, a just man.  He took his calling of husband very seriously, and along with Mary, taught the child Jesus about God, goodness, compassion, fidelity to tradition and generosity to those in need. 

Joseph underwent many struggles as the husband of Mary and the father of Jesus.  His happiness at the prospect of taking Mary into his home as his wife was shattered when he discovered that Mary was pregnant.  He wasn’t the father.  He must have spent many sleepless nights wrestling with the best way to deal with what he thought was Mary’s infidelity.  We can probably image how he must have felt: betrayed, devastated, uncertain of his future and broken-hearted.  He was a man of faith, a man of justice, a man who knew the law and who wanted to live according to God’s Law.  But Joseph was also a man of God, formed by his deep faith in the living legacy of the Hebrew scriptures and traditions.  His faith helped him accept the God who broke into our human story time and time again, to bring freedom and grace, dignity and hope, a new beginning and a new creation. 

He believed in a living God, who speaks to us in loving ways, even as God gives us the strength to endure many hardships.  God spoke to Joseph and said to take Mary into his home.  He heard and he obeyed.  He did the right thing; he was a righteous man. 

Joseph wasn’t only Mary’s loving husband, but he was also Jesus’ loving parent.  Along with Mary, Joseph taught Jesus well.  Under their care, Jesus grew “steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men.” (Luke 2:51). 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph didn’t live during the best of times.  They lived in an occupied country that was ruled by a cruel Roman empire and by a puppet Jewish king, Herod.  Furthermore, their religious leaders were divided and fighting each other.  At any given time, these authorities could disrupt the lives of the people of Israel.  Joseph, head of the family, saw his role as keeping Mary and Jesus safe and secure in the midst of the chaos and confusion that was part of everyday life. 

We honor and celebrate the life of St. Joseph this day because he’s such a good example for us in the world we live in today.  More than ever, we live in a world that lacks a moral compass, where good and evil aren’t recognized as social conditions, and leaders are no longer respectful and committed to the common good.  We celebrate St. Joseph’s fidelity to the traditions of his ancestors.  We celebrate his openness to God’s voice in his life.  We celebrate his love for his wife, Mary.  We celebrate his parenting of his son, Jesus.  We celebrate his sense of justice and his integrity.  

St. Joseph, husband of Mary and father of Jesus, pray for us!