Solemnity of Saint Joseph

Readings of the Day

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph – the foster father of Jesus, husband of Mary, and Patron Saint of the Universal Church. Celebrated with a special feast day in the Eastern Coptic Church since the 5^th Century, and in the Western Church on March 19^th since at least 800 A.D., Saint Joseph is patron of a myriad of countries, and arguably the most popular member of the Church’s Communion of Saints.

And yet, for all of Joseph’s ubiquity – particularly in Nativity scenes at Christmastime - few facts are known about his life. Appearing only in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Scriptures tell us more about Joseph’s genealogy than his life story. We are informed that Joseph was a carpenter, that he had spent at least some of his life as a refugee in Egypt, and that he was a “righteous” man who – in his mercy – did not want to expose his betrothed to the harsh laws of the time for her pregnancy before marriage. And yet, much else about Joseph’s life – his age in relation to Mary, whether he was originally from the town of Bethlehem or Nazareth, even how old Jesus was when Joseph died- is left to the Biblical exegetes to debate and ponder.

Despite this, through stories told about Saint Joseph in the Gospels, we learn much about the person that Saint Joseph was, as well as his deep faith in God. Unlike the dramatic encounters that Moses had with God in the burning bush, Saint Joseph’s encounters with the Almighty took place in the realm of dreams. No less than four times did an Angel of the Lord speak to Joseph in a dream: first when he had decided to quietly divorce Mary after learning of her pregnancy, then again when the Angel instructed Joseph to flee to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from Herod, next when the Angel told Joseph to return to Israel upon the death of Herod, and finally when the Angel warned Mary and Joseph not to settle to Judea, resulting in their decision to return to Nazareth instead. For Joseph, his dreams did not remain sweet thoughts. Instead he trusted what he heard in his heart and acted to protect those in his care.    

One of my favorite devotions to Saint Joseph is one that Pope Francis shares as well. It involves the image of a sleeping Saint Joseph that the Pope keeps on his desk at the Vatican. Francis has been quoted as saying that whenever he has a problem, he writes it down and places it under the image, and that he then knows that Saint Joseph is working it out in his dreams.

I think that this image has particular resonance for us today as our world begins to slowly awaken and recover from the terrible slumber of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distance and isolation that it required from us. As we emerge from the difficult year that we have all passed through, may we – like Saint Joseph – emerge from our collective slumber and move towards action to protect and provide for the vulnerable in our midst.                

Tom Dobbins Jr. is the Justice and Peace Coordinator of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, a Producer for the “JustLove” radio broadcast on Sirius/XM’s Catholic Channel, and Chair Emeritus of the Roundtable Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors. 

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