St. Joseph, Faithful Foster Father of Christ
St. Joseph, a Man of Great Faith
St. Joseph, the foster-father of Christ, was a man of tremendous faith. In this year of St. Joseph, we can dive even more deeply into studying more about St. Joseph. We can learn a lot from him about trust, obedience, service, and love.
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St. Joseph trusted God.
When St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary were betrothed, Mary “was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18) Joseph planned to divorce her quietly so she would not face the consequences of the law that a woman faced when found to be with child out of wedlock.
Before he could divorce her, though, “the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream and said to him: “Joseph, son of David, have no fear about taking Mary as your wife. It is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child. She is to have a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”” (Matthew 1: 20-21)
In the morning Joseph did exactly what the angel instructed him to do. He did not wait a week or ask God to reconsider. St. Joseph trusted in God, in God’s word, and in God’s promises. He followed God with trust not knowing what the future would hold.
How can I trust more in God’s promises?
St. Joseph was obedient to God.
Joseph was obedient to God. Not only was he obedient to God, but he was obedient all of the time: when things seemed difficult (like when Mary was found with child before they were married), when it was the middle of the night (when the Holy Family fled to Egypt) and when things perhaps did not make sense (Jesus missing when they were on their way home from Jerusalem).
Not only was St. Joseph obedient to God, but he showed right away obedience. For example, when “the angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph with the command: “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. . . . Joseph got up and took the child and his mother and left that night for Egypt.” (parts of Matthew 1:13 and 14)
St. Joseph took his family and fled to Egypt right away. He did not tell the angel that it was the middle of the night, that he was tired and would leave in the morning. He did not ask a bunch of questions or ask for clarification. He got up, gathered his family, and left. He obeyed right away, just as he did when he took Mary as his wife the morning after the angel of the Lord told him to do so. St. Joseph obeyed God without delay.
St. Joseph’s obedience to God is a great example to us. He did not ask for proofs or clarification; he did not delay to do what God told him to do. He trusted in God’s instructions and obeyed Him. His desire to follow God and obey Him, I think, comes from a deep faith and trust in God.
How can I be more obedient to God in my life?
If you want to learn more about St. Joseph, I cannot recommend this book enough: Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC.
St. Joseph served God.
In his life, St. Joseph served God by doing what God asked him to do. He protected and cared for his family, the family God gave to him to love and care for. St. Joseph. In serving Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph served God, too. His love for and devotion to his family were due to his love for them and his love for God.
How can I serve God through serving my family with love?
St. Joseph loved God.
St. Joseph showed his love for God in how he obeyed God and in how he took care of Jesus and Mary. He obeyed God’s instructions right away more than once to care for Jesus and Mary. He did not grumble or complain, but loved God and obeyed Him.
When Jesus was missing in Jerusalem, St. Joseph and Mary searched for three days for Him. They did not give up. They knew their responsibility to God and to the Christ child and they searched until they found Him. Then, they brought Him back home with them. They were not going to do anything against what God had asked them to do.
How can I show God my love for Him?
St. Joseph, Faithful Foster Father of Christ
St. Joseph is a wonderful example to us of one who has tremendous faith. None of his words are recorded in the Bible, but his instructions from God and his actions are recorded. We can learn a lot from St. Joseph about completely trusting in God, obeying God, serving God and others, and love for God and others in action.
As we study more about St. Joseph, may we can learn more about ourselves as well and learn how to better live out our faith.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Resources for you about St. Joseph
Monthly themes for the year of St. Joseph
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