Feast of St Joseph

Edith Stein was born into an Orthodox Jewish family, but later she would renounce her faith and become an atheist. While still an atheist, Stein wrote about having received a decisive impetus (push) towards conversion from two encounters. One of these was in a church, where Edith Stein had gone simply out of artistic interest. There she sees an elderly woman who had come in with her shopping baskets in the middle of a busy day to spend a moment of deep trust and adoration with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Don Bosco had as his mother and first teacher Margaret Occhiena: a simple uneducated peasant woman, with no theological training, but with a wise heart and an obedience based on faith.

Saint Teresa of Lisieux used to say that as a child she understood little of what the priest was saying, but it was enough for her to look at the face of her father Louis to understand everything.

None of these lay people – Anna Reinach a friend of Edith, the unknown woman with the shopping bags, mamma Margaret or papà Louis Martin – ever thought in their lifetime of being holy, nor were they aware of the influence they were having on the people around them through their ordinary way of acting and living.

The presence of these simple and determined people, of these "next-door saints" – as Pope Francis describes them (Gaudete et Exsultate, 7) – reminds us that what is important in life is to be holy, not to be declared saints one day.

Today’s feast of St Joseph just tells us that: What is important in life is to be holy, not to be canonised saints one day. It helps to reflect on the fact that the canonised saints, first of all reached the simple holiness of the people of God: they all share the same glory in a deep and unshakable communion.

If we browse through the pages of the gospels, we can easily the miss the supreme but silent role of St Joseph whom we celebrate today. We could easily miss the simplicity and the holiness of St Joseph—but that which is at the turning point of our history of salvation. There are no recorded words of his in the gospel. But we see Joseph as a person who was faithful and fully active, prompt and obedient to God’s words.

The Bible pays St Joseph the highest compliment one could ever get: he was a just man, a righteous man. This is what we want to hear from our Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with the things entrusted to you. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

Joseph had his plans, his life-plans. But God intervenes and even interrupts them by giving him a different plan, a different life-mission. Yet, mind you, God does not destroy his plans, only subordinates Joseph’s plans to His. And we see very clearly that Joseph is able to participate in the divine plan with full freedom, joy and obedience.

Joseph was thinking of divorce, he was anxious and afraid. He is embarrassed about Mary, who is with child. He has his doubts, confusion, anxiety, and problems. But, as any wise and mature person would do, he reserves his judgment, he does not condemn Mary or the situation. He does not blame God either. And, more importantly, he is open to God. The angel tells him not to be afraid; the angel tells of the divine intervention. On hearing that, he never doubts. When the revelation happens, he has no questions to God, but obediently and promptly accepts Mary. The gospel says, “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife.” Joseph’s is a silent, quiet life, but prompt in obedience and action. He accepts God’s difficult plan, obeys God, does what God commands and goes backstage quietly, unnoticed. That’s Joseph for us.

St Joseph goes into the background, not to be seen and not to be heard. Neither the Bible nor the tradition would give us sufficient material to understand his further life. But that’s the plan of God for him: humbly and joyfully received by Joseph.

Not unlike the Joseph of the Old Testament, this Joseph too is active and alert, though silent. He, like the Old Testament visionary, is also a dreamer. He is alive to the situation, aware of the problems and difficulties if he takes Mary to his home. But all his uncertainties find meaning in the annunciation. The vision of the angel does not solve any problem, but puts his heart to rest. According to the angel, the child already conceived in Mary is not because of any human person, but this has happened through God’s intervention. Joseph believes. And then there is no more indecisiveness or doubt, only action. St Joseph was a silent servant of God; a man of action.

Ite Ad Joseph. “Go to Joseph.” These were the words of Pharaoh to the people of Egypt during the years of famine (Gen 41:55). These are the words that can be fully applied to St Joseph of the New Testament too. By declaring St Joseph, the husband of Mary, the universal patron of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church tells us to go to St Joseph in our times of need as well. We can draw much spiritual fruit from considering the first Joseph, the son of Israel, as a type of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Psalm 105, speaking of the ancient Joseph’s life, can be truly and fully applied to Joseph of the New Testament, who we celebrate today:

When the Lord summoned famine against the land,

       and broke every staff of bread,

he had sent a man ahead of them,

       Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

His feet were hurt with fetters,

       his neck was put in a collar of iron;

until what he had said came to pass,

       the word of the Lord kept testing him.

The king sent and released him;

       the ruler of the peoples set him free.

He made him lord of his house,

       and ruler of all his possessions,

to instruct his officials at his pleasure,

       and to teach his elders wisdom. (Ps 105:16-22) 

Joseph is a role model for us to be humble servants of God in our given situation. Joseph teaches us to be righteous, and non-judgmental in times of great crisis. Joseph reminds us to leave the judgement to God and never treat others badly based on our limited understanding.

St Joseph reminds us of the simple holiness but of a holiness of great faith in our families and our communities. These people will never be canonised perhaps. In fact, the history of the Church is strongly marked by the many women and the many men, who with their faith, with their love and with their lives have been like beacons that have illuminated and continue to illuminate so many generations throughout time, especially our present time. This is the holiness of our own mother or grandmother or of others who are so close to us; it is the holiness of a marriage which is a beautiful path of growth in love; it is the holiness of fathers who develop, grow to maturity, and give themselves generously to their children, often with unexpected sacrifices. It is the simple holiness of men and women who bear their illness patiently and with a spirit of faith, in union with the suffering Jesus. It is the holiness of elderly religious, with a life given and who never lose their smile or their hope. These are the simple saints, the good people whom we meet in our lives, and who will never be canonised. They are ordinary people without any signs of heroism, but in their everyday goodness we see the truth of the faith.

St Joseph, moreover, teaches us the value of silence and of interior life. He is the master of interior life. He even teaches us how to suffer and suffer silently. The life of St Joseph was poured out in complete service and sacrifice for the Blessed Virgin and for Jesus. We need to go to him, sit at his feet and learn. St Joseph teaches us to dream, but not just dream. He shows the way to be in tune with the Father’s will, and put it into practice without delay or hesitation. Doubts and confusions may come, fear and anxiety may come, but St Joseph teaches us to encounter the Lord in all our difficulties and eventually put the plan of God into action: promptly and joyfully. That’s why we need to approach, and go to him and learn.

Let us entrust our life, our vocations and our dreams, and our works and our mission to the protection of this saint. Let us imitate the faithful love of St Joseph. Let us go to him, and learn from him. Let us ask him: O St Joseph, master of the interior life, teach us to be close to Jesus and to Mary, teach us to dream and to put into action the will of God, and above all teach us the value of silence and interiority, and to suffer and even suffer silently.

May God bless His Church through the instrumentality and prayers of St Joseph!