Today is St. Joseph’s Day. Italians celebrate feast of St. Joseph in honor of our fathers. But, we also celebrate Joseph, the earthly father and legal guardian of his son, Jesus.
Just who was Joseph, husband to the Virgin Mary?
There are no records of Joseph ever speaking in the Bible. He’s is never quoted as saying anything. Now, not to say Joseph was not important, it was just that his exact words weren’t recorded. Why you ask? I’ll get to that in a minute.
I did some research. Joseph is mentioned briefly in the Gospels of Mathew, Luke, and very, very little in John. Joseph was said to be a righteous man and obedient to God. Just think when he found out Mary was pregnant, not by him, or any other man, he was instructed in a dream by God to not to be afraid to take Mary as his spouse. Then, after the birth of Jesus, in another dream, instructed by God to leave for Egypt, and then years later, in another dream, to return from Egypt.
We also know in the Bible that Joseph was a carpenter. It is why we also know that he passed his carpentry trade to his son, Jesus, who was also a carpenter.
But, let’s go back to question as to why nothing more is recorded on Joseph. Well, having read the Bible in its entirety, I learned that the Old Testament spoke of the coming Messiah and that our Lord is mentioned in many of those books. And then, reading through all the books of the New Testament, which is about Jesus, I’m going to conclude that Joseph even though raised his son, he was one of many supporting figures to the fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s ministry. How cool is that. It’s like being in one of the best movies ever! One that is seen and heard by millions and millions of people around the globe. The best part is that it’s a true movie and that now we serve a Risen Lord as a result of his mother and father’s upbringing, his disciples, and all those who bravely and courageously took his teachings across the world.
So, as I ponder upon St. Joseph’s Day, I’m encouraged that my life, my role in this world doesn’t have to be grand, but be someone who humbly continues to carry the torch of Jesus’s light to everyone I’m in contact with.
It’s all our story. What part to do you want to play?
Until next time…
Be well. Be safe. Be happy.
References:
Joseph: Father of Jesus on Earth (learnreligions.com)
Finding Jesus in Every Book of the Old Testament | Christ Revealed