Yes, he was a simple carpenter from Nazareth. He was a man in love with a young woman, Mary of Nazareth, and together they dreamed of building a life.
What might those dreams have been? Perhaps that his small carpenter’s shop would provide for their needs, while Mary’s hope, in time, would be to bring forth children who would continue the ancestral line of David. Like many young couples, they likely imagined an ordinary life—quiet, faithful, and rooted in their community.
Little did they know that everything would change. Mary was already with child.
One can only imagine what went through Joseph’s mind when he learned of Mary’s pregnancy. In their culture, a woman found to be pregnant outside of marriage faced the harshest consequences—stoning to death. The situation must have filled Joseph with anguish. Was he confused? Did he question Mary’s faithfulness? Such questions would be natural under ordinary circumstances. Yet these were anything but ordinary circumstances.
Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Joseph was deeply troubled:
“Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)
Joseph was a man of honour. Even in his turmoil, he sought a way to protect Mary.
image: Josh Applegate / Unsplash
Then Matthew recounts what happened next:
“Just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife…’” (Matthew 1:20)
Mary’s unconditional “fiat”—her yes to God—opened the way for Joseph to trust as well. Listening to the message carried in his dream, he followed where God was leading. Together they set out on a journey that would be filled with uncertainty and trust.
Later, amid the political turmoil of King Herod’s reign, Joseph again listened to the guidance of dreams. Warned of danger, he protected his family and fled. When it became unsafe to return to Bethlehem because Herod’s son Archelaus ruled Judea, Joseph was once again guided in a dream. He turned toward Galilee and settled in the small town of Nazareth.
Joseph was a man who trusted God’s quiet guidance.
Today, we see the spirit of Joseph alive in those who welcome the stranger, the unwanted, the unrecognized, and the displaced. In their compassion and courage, they reflect the inclusive spirit of Jesus—a spirit that refuses to treat anyone as a stranger.
We give thanks for Joseph, patron of the universal Church, and for the thousands of Sisters of St. Joseph who claim him as their patron. Like Joseph, they continue to listen for God’s voice in the dreams and uncertainties of our time, courageously moving into the unknown territories of today.
-Sister Kathleen Lichti, CSJ
