A statue of a “Hawaiian” St. Joseph carrying the baby Jesus stands in the sanctuary of St. Joseph Mission Church in Kaupo, Maui, during the church’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2012. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)
St. Joseph, the one man present at the Incarnation, provides a model of obedience, strength and faithfulness as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ
“Light of Patriarchs.”
“Spouse of the Mother of God.”
“Diligent protector of Christ.”
The Litany of St. Joseph paints a vivid picture of the man chosen by God to walk alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus in the unfolding of the Incarnation.
St. Joseph may not have many mentions in the Bible, but his quiet, honorable example in caring for the Holy Family has been revered for two millennia.
Pope Pius IX declared him the patron saint and protector of the church in 1870. St. John Paul II wrote an apostolic exhortation, “Redemptoris custos” (“Guardian of the Redeemer”) on St. Joseph in 1989. St. John XXIII and Pope Francis both inserted St. Joseph’s name into the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass.
Catholics around the world have claimed Joseph’s intercession powerful for a wide range of needs, from finding employment or a spouse, to ensuring that loved ones die peacefully in the presence of Jesus and Mary.
What is it about the “earthly father” of the Son of God that has made him such a beloved saint? As Catholics prepare for Advent, exploring St. Joseph’s role in the plan of salvation —his response to God’s call — can serve as a valuable model of the many facets of faith.
Who was St. Joseph?
The Holy Family — Joseph, Mary and Jesus — are depicted in a painting titled “The Presentation in the Temple” by Canadian artist Michael D. O’Brien. (CNS photo/courtesy of Michael D. O’Brien)
There are no direct quotes of St. Joseph recorded in the Bible. Most of what is known of him is found in a few Gospel anecdotes.
Joseph was described as a carpenter whose lineage could be traced to the tribe of King David. He had been betrothed to Mary when the angel Gabriel visited her to announce that she would give birth to the Son of God, conceived through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph initially decided to divorce Mary quietly to avoid the public shame and punishment associated in those days with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. An angel then visited him in a dream to explain the situation and to tell him “not to be afraid” to take Mary as his wife.
Joseph then brought a pregnant Mary to Bethlehem — also known as “the city of David” — to be enrolled in a census just before Jesus was to be born. There were no vacancies at local inns for the transient couple and the long-awaited Incarnation took place in an animal’s stable with Joseph alone as protector and witness.
Following the birth of Christ, Scripture records an angel again visiting Joseph, this time to tell him to flee with his family to Egypt. King Herod was upset with the news of the birth of the Messiah and called for the massacre of all infant boys in Bethlehem. Joseph left the area just in time to save Jesus and Mary from Herod’s wrath.
It is said that the Holy Family remained exiled in Egypt for several years before an angel told Joseph to return to Israel and settle in the city of Nazareth.
Joseph is also present in the episode of “Finding of Jesus in the Temple.” When Jesus was 12 years old, he was left behind in Jerusalem after the Jewish festival of Passover. Mary and Joseph had departed the city separately and journeyed an entire day before discovering their son was missing. The couple searched anxiously for three more days before finding Jesus deep in discussion with the teachers in the temple.
Scripture does not provide details of Jesus’ life between age 12 and when he began his public ministry in his early 30s. But popular tradition has it that Joseph taught the boy his family trade of carpentry, and that both earthly parents raised the Son of God with much love and devotion to God’s will.
It is not known exactly when Joseph died, although many biblical scholars have provided theories that his death came before Jesus’ public ministry. Tradition holds that Joseph became the patron of “happy deaths” because he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary.
‘Joseph, most obedient’
Father Arnold Ortiz, pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea, was for many years a member of the Oblates of St. Joseph religious order.
He said St. Joseph can serve as a powerful example for Catholics during Advent, even with just a few stories of his life available for contemplation.
“Whenever I think about St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, I always think of the phrase, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’” he told the Hawaii Catholic Herald by email. “You will find no words of Joseph recorded in the scripture, only ‘snapshots.’”
The picture Father Ortiz sees is of a man rooted in “humble obedience” to God. Joseph is called “a righteous man” in the Gospel of Matthew, a brief phrase Father Ortiz said reveals a lot about his character.
“That term alone says it all,” he said. “Righteous” is a word “used very sparingly in the Bible. In other words, Joseph is a holy man, virtuous and prayerful, attentive to the presence and the will of the Lord in his life.”
Joseph acted without hesitation when asked to take Mary as his wife, to flee with the Holy Family to Egypt and to do everything required of the earthly father of Jesus. All of his actions depict that he “has total confidence that the Lord directs and so it is the Lord who will provide,” Father Ortiz said.
“You’ve seen the Christmas card scene: Mary sits on the donkey with the baby (Jesus) in her arms, Joseph leads the way in what appears to be a calm and starry night,” Father Ortiz said. “For Joseph, it was anything but calm.”
“Actions speak louder than words,” he added. “This is why Joseph is chosen to be the husband of Mary and guardian of the Redeemer. St. Joseph, pray for us in this holy season. We want to be like you, trusting, obedient and loyal — yes, even righteous!”
‘Joseph, most strong’
Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Roselani Enomoto said she sees in St. Joseph “a very gentle, humble and at the same time strong character.”
He had strength of heart that allowed him to always act conscientiously, as exemplified in his decision not to shame Mary publicly when he found out she was pregnant.
Joseph had the physical endurance as well to survive long, arduous journeys through the desert. Sister Roselani said she has been to the Holy Land and personally has seen the long distance Joseph had to persevere with his young family.
“I have been through the Suez Canal, and I know how far away Egypt is from Israel, from Bethlehem,” she said. “It’s hundreds of miles. I love to think about the time that it might have taken from Nazareth to Bethlehem. That is a long, long drive even today.”
Sister Roselani envisions that, as a carpenter, Joseph was “not only physically strong, but he was very creative. He could create a home. He could build a sense of belonging, a sense of trust, a sense of stability.”
She admires the sturdy father figure Joseph was for Jesus. Sister Roselani said her own dad served a similar role of care and strength in her family. Her father’s prudence fostered in her a devotion to St. Joseph and the Holy Family that she has maintained since she was a little girl.
“I have so many wonderful feelings about St. Joseph,” Sister Roselani said. “I truly admire the man.”
‘Joseph, most faithful’
Deacon John Coughlin said St. Joseph is an inspiration to modern families during Advent. Like the Holy Family, many people today struggle with uncertainties, daily provision, tragedies and character-testing situations. Joseph, he explained, was a rock of faith and hope through tribulation.
“Many dads and moms go to bed worried every night, about finances, about job security or even the basic needs of life,” Deacon Coughlin said. “In these seemingly insurmountable moments, we can join Joseph in those lonely moments in the desert. We can ask for the same grace that he drew upon to persevere when all seemed lost.”
Deacon Coughlin likes to ponder on a scene from the movie “The Nativity,” where the Holy Family is cold, hungry and tired on their journey to Egypt. Joseph is shown sacrificing his share of the family’s rations of flatbread, giving his food instead to Mary and to the donkey carrying them through the desert.
“He foregoes his portion of the ration for the benefit of all those in his care,” the deacon said. “This man, Joseph, has been on an emotional roller coaster … yet, through it all he remains loyal, caring and compassionate. He suppresses impulse and casts off self-pity. He never surrendered to despair.”
Deacon Coughlin said that in the busyness of Advent, and through whatever problems may beset us along life’s journey, “we can rest in the fact that, as with Joseph, our fears and disappointments can be overcome by faith, hope and love.”
“In placing our trust in God, we do our part in making the Kingdom of God present in this world,” he added. “Christ present in us is a visible sign of the Incarnation — of the offering of one to another, the offering of one for another.”
“That is the essence of St. Joseph,” Deacon Coughlin said. “That is the divine essence of his Son!”
