ST. JOSEPH: MODEL OF A TRUE MAN OF GOD
Why
is St. Joseph a model of a true man of God? The Bible says little
about St. Joseph and does not quote him at all. Yet these biblical
accounts of St. Joseph demonstrate or imply several of his virtues;
tradition shows others.....stories written and unwritten that have
been handed down through the generations.
We
see the following in Matthew 1:18-21. When His mother
Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was
found with child through the Holy Spirit. 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 when, 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 the 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.”
St. Joseph
shows sensitivity in not exposing Mary to shame and protecting her
from scandal or even stoning. Thus he tried to quietly separate from
her. But Joseph obeys the angel without question and trusting in God,
takes Mary into his home and provides for his wife and child.
Complying
with the decree of Caesar Augustus for a census, Joseph took his
pregnant wife on a trip of
at least four days to travel the 70 miles from Nazareth
to enroll in Bethlehem the city of David because he was a descendent
of David. They had to patiently cope with the uncertainty that Mary would have to give birth on the side of the road as they continued to trust in God all the way. Thus they probably traveled slowly with frequent rest stops during a long, tiring, and bumpy ride. According to tradition, Mary rode on a donkey and Joseph
showed toughness in walking at their side. He did the same in the
flight to Egypt and annual trips to the Temple in Jerusalem for the
Passover.
Once
in Bethlehem they could not find room in any of the inns and had to
resort to the humiliation of staying in a stable. On top of that
Mary gave birth to the Christ child. Joseph courageously coped with
these difficulties, continued to trust, and made the best out of a
bad situation which was transformed into the joy of the promised
messiah’s birth.
To
save the Christ child from Herod's slaughter of the holy innocents,
Mathew 2:13-15 shows that the angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child
and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod
is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose
and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod. In
verses 19-20: When Herod had died, behold, the
angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."
He rose, took the child and his
mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that
Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream,
he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town
called Nazareth.
Clearly,
St. Joseph has the role of protector from the brutal Herod and on the
long and arduous journey of a couple weeks to travel 262 miles to an
unknown land, Egypt. According to tradition, a Coptic church in
Cairo Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church,
also known as Abu Serga
claims to be the site of the home of the Holy Family. Again, Joseph
places his trust in the provident God and obeys. Again Joseph bends
his will to the will of God, his plans to God's plans. On their
return, St. Joseph is prudent in not returning via Judea for fear
that Herod's son, Archelaus now king of Judea and even more violent
than his father, would put the Holy Family in danger again. Thus
Pope Leo XIII entrusted the Church to the protection of St. Joseph.
Being a quiet man and dependent upon God demonstrated his humility.
In
the presentation in the Temple and going there every year for the
Passover, St. Joseph is faithful to Jewish law. They presented and
consecrated Mary's first first born son to the Lord while sacrificing
two young pigeons (Luke 2:22-24).
When
the 12 year old Christ child was lost in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52),
Joseph and Mary had “great anxiety”. Surely thoughts of failure
in their mission entered their minds, but Joseph must have had the
faith that God was in control and would work it out.
St.
Joseph was a carpenter and according to custom trained his son in his
trade. Holy pictures show a small carpenter shop for furniture
making. But some scholars say that they were construction carpenters
that did heavy work. Therefore St. Joseph and son were strong and
tough, epitomizing the dignity of work as creating with God. Clearly,
St. Joseph served Mary and Jesus by being the breadwinner and by
providing for the Holy Family..
St.
Joseph, being a pious man, certainly led his family in prayer and
taught his son how to pray and observe the mosaic law. He
probably took the Holy Family to the synagogue every Saturday. In his Gospel St. Luke
(2:41) explicitly states in his Gospel: “Each year his parents went to Jerusalem
for the Feast of the Passover”. Each time the angel communicated
God's will that the Holy Family should flee to Egypt and again when
to return, it was to Joseph. Clearly St. Joseph was the spiritual
and material leader of the Holy Family. His quiet way indicated that
he loved his family without being controlling.
According
to tradition, Mary's parents, Joaquin and Ann asked God for a sign as
to which man would be best for their daughter. Within a group of men
St. Joseph's staff suddenly sprouted a Lilly, a symbol of purity.
St. Joseph was ever chaste and
able to control his passions, thus protecting Mary's virginity.
So
we can see that St. Joseph was holy, a model husband, father, and a true
man. St.
Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us.
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