Who Was St. Joseph?

When we hear of St. Joseph we don’t often stop to think about who he really was. A lot of the time our mind instantly rushes to think of the Nativity at Christmas or a statue we see in Church. But this year in the Church is a special one. It isn’t often that we have the feast of Saint Joseph in the month of Saint Joseph in the year of Saint Joseph, but in 2021, this is the case! Pope Francis has declared this year the Year of Saint Joseph, the month of March is dedicated to him, and March 19th is his feast day. This is a perfect year to discover who St. Joseph, the man, really was.

We don’t have a single word recorded of Saint Joseph’s, but the Bible provides a glimpse into his life. He was a carpenter in Galilee who was engaged to Mary, and at the command of God, received her as his wife when she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. His obedience to this command to care for Mary shows his strong faith and trust in the Lord. This care for Mary and, later on for Jesus, shows that he was a kind man who loved his family. He lived a very ordinary life with Mary and Jesus. In fact, it was so ordinary that he isn’t mentioned in the Bible after the Finding of Jesus in the Temple. However, it is traditionally believed that he died sometime between this event and the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.

St. Joseph was just like any other man. He was a father, a husband, and a worker. He had to provide for his family; he knew the struggles and trials we go through. He felt the fear of not having enough to provide for his family; he understands of all the anxieties that we face during this pandemic. But instead of despairing and giving up, he gave his work, his life, his family to God, and trusted in Him. Although we might be fearful and stressed, we can follow Saint Joseph’s example and believe that God has this.  Everything is going to be okay. Follow the extraordinary example of this ordinary man and have confidence in the Lord. When you trust completely in God, amazing things are just waiting to happen. 

For more information about St. Joseph, see:  https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-joseph-husband-of-mary
The Prayer to St. Joseph can be found here:  https://www.praywithme.com/prayer-to-st-joseph.html
Pray the Stations of the Cross with St. Joseph:  https://aleteia.org/2021/02/26/pray-the-stations-with-st-joseph/​