"What must Joseph have been, how grace must have worked through him, that he should have been able to fulfill this task of the human upbringing of the Son of God. For Jesus must have resembled Joseph: in his way of working, in the features of his character, in his way of speaking. Jesus' realism, his eye for detail, the way he sat at table and broke bread, his preference for using everyday situations to give doctrine--all this reflects his childhood and the influence of Joseph.
"It is not possible to ignore this sublime mystery: Jesus, who is man, who speaks with the accent of a particular district of Israel, who resembles a carpenter called Joseph, is the Son of God."
Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 1974.
I have mentioned before that Joseph had not been a part of my devotional life prior to becoming Catholic. Even today I am just beginning to learn about this great saint, a saint second only to Mary.
The hiddenness of Joseph, which is his most obvious trait I suppose, is also what attracts me to devotion to him. It is to the Mary shrines that I am first drawn once inside a church, and yet Joseph is the patron of the church. The Joseph shrines support and complement the beautiful statues of Mary with their lit candles emitting a warm light. It is Joseph who nurtures the existence of the church, in the way of so many who labor behind the scenes to make something happen for which others will have the more visible responsibility. Candles burn at the St Joseph statues also, but at least in our eucharistic chapel at All Saints, they never seem to outshine the Mary statue for pride of place.
Remaining behind the scenes is an under- appreciated role in our culture, it often seems to me. I certainly have had to learn its value.
I can still vividly recall an incident from childhood when my small- town seventh grade class performed a play that I had written and directed. Our class teacher at the end of the performance announced that the play had been written and directed by "the Seventh Grade", so as not to leave anyone out! I was mortified. But it was a good lesson and I am much more content to remain anonymous than I once was.
Perhaps Joseph doesn't teach us that anonymity is always a good; certainly Catholics should expect to be given credit where credit is due. Yet, receiving credit is never the chief goal of any activity that is truly God centered. Paul , in particular , has a habit of reminding us to give the glory due to God.
Joseph labored for his family, quietly, silently in terms of any public record available, and with a devotion to God that must have been deep and abiding. He made it possible for Jesus and Mary to live a reasonably secure existence, with food on the table and a roof over their heads. As Josemaria Escriva reminds us, he must have taught Jesus to be unafraid of conflict, to be direct and without pretense.
This way of being a father is a wonderful role for today's fathers, and a reminder that what counts in fatherhood is not dependent on one's economic success, beyond earning what is necessary for the family, or likewise dependent on other public achievements.
For all of us who labor in a variety of ways, small and insignificant or burdened with responsibility, St. Joseph pray for us! As we reflect on our life and it's meaning, guide us to contentment with what God has planned for us, and show us that every action we perform in God's name gives dignity and meaning to our efforts.
"It is not possible to ignore this sublime mystery: Jesus, who is man, who speaks with the accent of a particular district of Israel, who resembles a carpenter called Joseph, is the Son of God."
Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, 1974.
I have mentioned before that Joseph had not been a part of my devotional life prior to becoming Catholic. Even today I am just beginning to learn about this great saint, a saint second only to Mary.
The hiddenness of Joseph, which is his most obvious trait I suppose, is also what attracts me to devotion to him. It is to the Mary shrines that I am first drawn once inside a church, and yet Joseph is the patron of the church. The Joseph shrines support and complement the beautiful statues of Mary with their lit candles emitting a warm light. It is Joseph who nurtures the existence of the church, in the way of so many who labor behind the scenes to make something happen for which others will have the more visible responsibility. Candles burn at the St Joseph statues also, but at least in our eucharistic chapel at All Saints, they never seem to outshine the Mary statue for pride of place.
Remaining behind the scenes is an under- appreciated role in our culture, it often seems to me. I certainly have had to learn its value.
I can still vividly recall an incident from childhood when my small- town seventh grade class performed a play that I had written and directed. Our class teacher at the end of the performance announced that the play had been written and directed by "the Seventh Grade", so as not to leave anyone out! I was mortified. But it was a good lesson and I am much more content to remain anonymous than I once was.
Perhaps Joseph doesn't teach us that anonymity is always a good; certainly Catholics should expect to be given credit where credit is due. Yet, receiving credit is never the chief goal of any activity that is truly God centered. Paul , in particular , has a habit of reminding us to give the glory due to God.
Joseph labored for his family, quietly, silently in terms of any public record available, and with a devotion to God that must have been deep and abiding. He made it possible for Jesus and Mary to live a reasonably secure existence, with food on the table and a roof over their heads. As Josemaria Escriva reminds us, he must have taught Jesus to be unafraid of conflict, to be direct and without pretense.
This way of being a father is a wonderful role for today's fathers, and a reminder that what counts in fatherhood is not dependent on one's economic success, beyond earning what is necessary for the family, or likewise dependent on other public achievements.
For all of us who labor in a variety of ways, small and insignificant or burdened with responsibility, St. Joseph pray for us! As we reflect on our life and it's meaning, guide us to contentment with what God has planned for us, and show us that every action we perform in God's name gives dignity and meaning to our efforts.
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