Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When his parents saw [the 12-year-old Jesus who had stayed behind in the Temple], they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

There is not much recorded of Joseph in the Scriptures. What we do have, however, is precious. The alternate gospel reading calls him a just man. He was willing to marry Mary despite her totally unexpected pregnancy. The above quotation shows him filled with anxiety for the one he had accepted as his son. It goes on to say that Jesus returned to Nazareth with him and obeyed him.

I especially like the idea that Joseph was filled with anxiety over Jesus’s safety. It reveals the depth of his humanity and his love for Jesus (and Mary). Joseph was willing to accept the role in life that God had asked of him, and he did so wholeheartedly. He was a true husband, a loving father, and ever willing to play a key role in salvation history.

Considering that about ten years earlier, Matthew tells us that King Herod wanted Jesus dead, and Joseph took Jesus and Mary to Egypt. We can imagine what went through St. Joseph’s mind while Jesus was missing. Did he fear that Jesus was dead? Did he fear that he had failed God by not watching over Jesus more closely? We shall never know.

Today, as we reflect upon Saint Joseph’s life, ask the Holy Spirit to bless us with his holy virtues. There are many. We can see love, a man who is just and caring, obedient to God, humble, and protective. Can we try to improve in any of these areas this Lent?

Let Us Pray:

O Jesus, allow me to celebrate this feast and grow in a deeper appreciation of your earthly father. May I imitate his goodness in my own life.