Today we reflect on the line that says…, Joseph… was a righteousness man! Righteousness is defined as “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin” That definitely describes what we know about Joseph. There are several theories about who Joseph was… Some think he was a young man, others think old. Some suggest he was he rich, others believe he was poor. Some claim he had other children, but catholics mostly contend he did not. But his righteousness is never debated.
Joseph is only mentioned a couple times in the bible, and he never says a word that is recorded anywhere in the bible, but still, we know so much about him. How is this so? Some of it has come from divine revelation of mystics and visionaries, over the centuries, but mostly we extrapolate a lot of who he is, from his actions, and through his closeness to Jesus and mary. What we can say for sure, was that Joseph was a model for all men, he was a strong leader, fierce protector and loving provider of his family, and humbly accomplished his duties without complaint.
As a leader, he followed all of the jewish divine and moral laws, but also respectfully adhered to the local customs as well. He models for us how to properly respect civil authority, while at the same time remaining faithful in devotion to God and His laws
It is understood, by most scholars, that Mary was, and always intended to be a consecrated virgin, not to have any children. Joseph married her knowing that their marriage would not be a physically intimate one. This means that he was a deeply spiritual, and pious man. It not only means that he deeply loved Mary, but also that he was willing to sacrifice for her. It means that he was a man of extreme personal self control.
But also, He was a man that recognized the authority of the temple and its laws, despite the corrupt pharisees that were in charge of it. When Herod called a census, the Jews knew this to be wrong and deeply offensive, because was it was completely against jewish law. But Joseph still obeyed, because the pharisees commanded it, and because they were in charge of the temple at that time.
After the birth of Jesus, he lead his family to the temple to complete the ritual cleansing laws, and paid the proper temple sacrifice, in order to fulfill the law. Even though Jesus was God and Mary was the immaculate virgin, He still led his Family to fulfill all of the obligations of the pious jews. Further, we know that He brought his family to Jerusalem, every year for the passover feast…, as was the traditional jewish custom. For these reasons, he is considered the patron saint and protector of the universal church.
Lastly, We know that he was a good man, and loved Mary completely, and raised Jesus as his own son, and we know that he died before Jesus started his public ministry, because he was not at the wedding in Cana. So that tells us that he died before that event, and likely with Mary and Jesus by his bedside, praying for him. And this is why he is called the Patron saint of a good death.
As a Protector of Jesus and Mary, he models for us what a man must do to maintain a safe home for his family, and to move forward after you make a mistake.
At the annunciation, we know that he was told that mary was pregnant, and he decided to divorce her quietly. This meant that he did in fact deeply love her, and wanted to protect her from scandal and scorn. Imagine how hard that would have been for him to find out that his virginal wife was pregnant, and not by him. But Gabriel was sent to him to bolster his courage, and to tell him that this turn of events was Gods intention. And because of Joseph’s great faith we know that he never faltered again. He loved mary completely protected them both, and raised Jesus as his own son.
When Jesus was born and Herod wanted to killed Him, Joseph took his family and fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s slaughter of the infants. This meant abandoning their home, his vocation, and everything that they knew and owned. But the protection of his family was far more important than anything else. These and others, are the reasons that Joseph is called the Patron saint and protector of the unborn, and because of his steadfast devotion to, and protection of his home, he is also called the terror of demons.
As a Provider for his family, he models for us the benefits of hard work, and the satisfaction of doing your work well. He was a master carpenter, and seemingly had a thriving business. Using his vocation he provided a life and a home for Jesus and mary, and he ultimately taught his trade to Jesus. This is why he is considered the Patron saint of a the family, fathers, craftsmen, and the catholic home.
He was indeed a righteous man, and we must all endeavor to strive to be more like him…, humbly and joyfully leading, protecting, and providing for our families.
