The Feast of St. Joseph - March 19, 2024
As a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph, I want to sing the praises of this humble carpenter whom we name the Patron and Protector of our Community.
Joseph was a humble man who rose every morning to work under the same sun that warms our lives. Almost nothing is written about Joseph the carpenter of Nazareth. However, anyone who is familiar with what we call ‘negative art’ can appreciate our Joseph by painting a picture of who surrounds him.
The Creator fashioned a woman in His own image to be Second-born of the Father and to have the dignity of the spouse and Mother of God and Queen of Heaven. In the womb of her mother Anne, the flesh of Mary gathered around her soul that continues to love and show mercy as long as she exists. She is second after the Son of the Father, Jesus, who is First-born of the Father. Imagine the beauty of this woman who is created to bear the Son of the Father and who is the delight of the Holy Trinity.
Joseph is the man chosen to provide the love and protection of a husband for this woman chosen to be the Mother of God.
Scripture tells us that Joseph was a just man, an upright man, a righteous man. Mary would no longer be an orphan in the Temple nor would she be fearful of entrusting her virginity to Joseph. She also trusted that God would reveal to Joseph all about the miracle growing within her and of the need for the protection of her reputation. Joseph knew Mary for what she was when it was time for him to know. For Mary, Joseph was the head of the family, and he was her protector and chaste guardian of her virginity. Together they would anticipate hearing the voice of the Son of God calling them ‘father and Mother.’
Joseph’s arms were to become the cradle for the Redeemer. When danger was imminent, it was Joseph, in tune with God’s design for the child Jesus and his mother, who fled with them to safety. It was Joseph’s task to open the Son of God to knowing that he, Jesus was FROM the Father and that he was FOR the salvation of humankind—that he was the longed-for Messiah. And didn’t Jesus say as a twelve-year-old boy that he had to be in his Father’s house? (Luke 2:43-49)
You would think that Joseph would be rewarded with the blessing of never having sorrow in his life. In such a proximity to Mary, and to Jesus, tiredness, worries, troubles would likely challenge but not overwhelm him and never would hinder prayer; it would be a priority. Prayer is said to blunt the weapons of Satan and Joseph is called ‘the terror of demons.’
We are privileged to have St. Joseph as Patron and Protector for our Community of women religious. And as we decline in numbers and our active ministries decrease, we call on Joseph to intercede for us and to console the poor, give hope to the sick, and to accompany the dying on their final journey. St. Joseph, pray for us.
- Sister Elaine Cole, csj