Saint Joseph: A Model of Trust
This upcoming Wednesday is our parish patronal feast day of Saint Joseph.
Though known for his role as the Foster Father of Jesus, we of course know very little about who Saint Joseph actually was. He speaks no words in the Bible; we are told he is a just man, and he presumably dies at some point before Jesus begins His public ministry.
Even though there is little said about who Joseph is, in his brief appearances in the Gospels, we still have so much to learn about him. In particular, what he really shows us is that with a little bit of trust, we can be reminded that things will be OK.
Fear. How it can sometimes be overwhelming. We ruminate; we wonder what is going to happen to the world; to my family; to my health; with so many things going on. I know I certainly fall prey to that at times. And sometimes we try to control it. But then we find we can’t quite control the future. But we also need not worry and brood excessively over it.
This is where I think Joseph has so much to teach us.
A righteous man we are told, a man who has an understandable plan to quietly divorce Mary and get on with his life when he learns she is expecting a child. But a man who trusts time and time again, on multiple levels, and because of it changes the world.
First, we look to him and see his incredible trust in God. Not only is the message from the angel in the Gospel for Saint Joseph’s Day (Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a) that his fiancée is with child, but this child will be born a Savior. A lesser man would have run for the hills, but Joseph without hesitation does what the angel tells him. He takes Mary into his home. He leads the family into Egypt to flee Herod. And then he leads them back on the difficult journey to Nazareth. Through it all, it’s about trusting in God. How about you and me? It sounds easy but when we sit in silence and listen to God sometimes He will really challenge us and move us out of our comfort zones. It might be a difficult journey but ultimately God will always see us through our trials.
Second, who are the Josephs in our life we can seek out? Joseph tenderly loved Mary and Jesus and kept them safe doing so much for them. Sometimes we might feel like asking for help is a sign of being vulnerable. But through reaching out to others, and telling them what is truly on our hearts and what may be weighing us down or causing us anxiety, these Josephs can help us too on our journey to heaven.
Lastly we go forward with God and with others also knowing God can use us to do such great things. Because of Joseph, the Holy Family was kept safe and protected. Joseph never sought out glory for himself; we do not hear him say a word. Yet his actions did so much. In our lives, we can take a page from him knowing that we too can do great things, but it’s not for our glory, as I noted last week when talking about the temptation Jesus faced to jump from the Temple and have angels catch Him. Joseph was a simple carpenter, yet God used him for something incredible. May we never forget we are here for a reason, and God put us here to go and make a difference in the world. Never forget you do that through your vocation; through helping the kids with homework or helping them to read; through listening and being a good friend; through volunteering; through sharing your faith. Joseph helped bring Jesus to the world, and so do we when we use the tools that God has given us.
Perhaps a time or two Joseph found himself wondering what have I got myself into, or when will we be able to leave Egypt, or what of this sword that Simeon spoke of that was to pierce my wife’s heart? But he did not let the anxiety overwhelm him; he moved forward, he did his job, and in doing that he did great things. Things that aren’t recorded, but things that made a profound impact for Mary, Jesus and all of us. May we too never forget what a difference we make when we live out our vocation and love one another, doing the simple things God asks us to do with great love.
It was about 24 years ago in front of a statue of the Sacred Heart at the Cathedral, I prayed quietly before a vocations discernment dinner with the archbishop. The following August after nearly bailing out, I entered the seminary. Six years later I was ordained and had my first blessings in front of the same statue. Now nearly 18 years into my priesthood, like all of us I have ups and downs; I get nervous sometimes about the future; I worry about things in the parish; I worry about our world or sometimes someone on staff or even how Mass or a homily goes, I think about my own health or the health of loved ones, and of course my dog. The mind can race in thinking about the future and the “what if” game. This is where I need to just let go a bit. A confessor recently recommended lighting a candle and placing it in front of a crucifix as I pray, and I have the old crucifix that was on my grandfather’s cabinet, one he had when he was a young man. Doing this reminds me that I am not alone. I can’t see the finish line, but I do know that God and many great people are guiding me every step of the way. And my hope is that eventually, please God, when I get there, I’ll have helped people who also helped me on the journey too. Unlike Joseph, I’m not a saint though I’m trying to become one. But he can help you and me to do just that, so may we seek him out and trust in his intercession and follow his example, knowing that with a little bit of trust, God will truly take us on an incredible adventure that leads to what eye has not seen and ear has not heard.
As a reminder, we’ll have two special Masses on Saint Joseph’s Day. Our School Mass will be at 8:30, and then at 5 p.m. there will be an additional Mass, after which all are welcome to enjoy soup, chili and cupcakes that will be served.
Saint Joseph, Pray for Us!
God bless, ~Fr. Paul
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March 2025