As we prepare to celebrate the feast of St. Joseph on March 19th, let us dive deeper into our love and appreciation for this great saint!
“...Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah” (Matthew 1:16).
Joseph was chosen before the beginning of the world to be the foster-father of Jesus. God chose to be born of Mary without sin and to be cared for by Joseph a man with original sin. He must have felt heavy with his limitations and shortcomings in comparison to his perfect wife and son. He must have been tempted to compare himself to them. He must have felt unworthy of his call.
But he put his faith in God, he trusted in God and he obeyed God. He humbly put himself last. He let the will of the father be done in his life. He was ready to do God’s will despite the plans he had in mind.
As St. Josemaria wrote: "Saint Joseph, our father and lord, is a teacher of the interior life. Place yourself under his patronage and you'll feel the effectiveness of his power."
Let us not forget, he had other plans once he found out that Mary was pregnant. “Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention…” (Matthew 1:19-20). He was a righteous man and knew the virtue of Mary. He did not want to bring undue shame upon her, and initially picked a path he thought best.
But God had other plans. God saw him, God chose him, and God wanted to draw him into a deeper and more profound way of life. And St. Joseph, being the righteous man that he was, heard God's call and responded.
“...behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins''. (Matthew 1:20-21)
Let us thank the Church for giving us a day to commemorate the life of St. Joseph and the virtues we can imitate from him. Let us not be afraid and ask St. Joseph to give us the virtues of faith, hope and charity. That we love those around us, especially those in our family.
We can learn a lot from this holy man. As Saint Teresa says: 'Whoever fails to find a Master to teach him how to pray, should choose this glorious Saint, and he will not go astray.'
Looking for more on St. Joseph, our father and lord? St. Joseph and His World by Mike Aquilina is a must read.
