Joseph, Mary and Jesus are shown at work in a scene illustrated by a stained-glass window at St Francis of Assisi Church in Greenlawn, New York. Photo: OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz. Joseph does not draw attention to himself. He listens, and he acts, exemplifying the disciple as one who hears “the word of God and acts on it” (Lk 8:21). Whenever we turn to Joseph, we are led, through him, to discover the God he obeyed and the mission he served.
The Litany of St Joseph invites contemplation. Its titles draw us into the mystery of the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. To encounter Joseph, name by name, is to be led deeper into the story of our salvation.
Even to dwell on two of these titles is enough to guide us into prayer with a saint who never failed to hear and respond to God’s word.
By the strength of his own virtue, Joseph guarded the virtue of his wife. There are no shortcuts to integrity; it is formed through steady habits of respect and reverence. Joseph not only revered Mary’s virginity, but his own. He is a man wholly given to the Lord.
He is first among all to confess what the centurion would later say: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof” (Mt 8:8). It was under Joseph’s roof that both the Divine Child and the Blessed Virgin dwelt. He knew this was an honour beyond him. If he was to provide a fitting home, he would need more than his own strength.
Humility
Joseph looked nowhere else for what he lacked but to the Lord. He did not overestimate himself, nor did he underestimate God. In humility, he acknowledged his limits and received what was needed. Loving his servant’s humility, the Lord provided the grace required for such a calling.
This is how the house of Joseph was built: through humility and obedience. It became a dwelling of virtue and grace. Joseph did not look around for advantage or distraction. He remained fixed on the family entrusted to him, ready to receive what God gave and do what God asked.
Joseph did not seek a kingdom, yet the Lord made his home a dwelling for the King. He called his King “son”, and the reign of God was first revealed in the reverence he showed to the Child’s mother. This reverence was rooted in his awareness of his place before God, as both servant and protector. He was meek enough to serve and bold enough to lead.
The household of Joseph created the conditions in which devotion could flourish. These conditions protected the Virgin and pleased the child she bore. They reveal the quiet greatness of Joseph, whose humility God exalts, whose simplicity he adorns, and whose steadfastness reflects something of the divine life itself.
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Yet the world does not love God. Christ is the light, yet “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19). From the beginning, Jesus was vulnerable.
In a darkened church, the small flame of a sanctuary lamp shines quietly. It must be guarded, lest it be extinguished. So too the Son of God, who, though Lord of heaven and earth, submitted himself to infancy, poverty and the uncertainty of human hearts.
His mission was not to overwhelm power with power, but to endure the consequences of its misuse. In time, he would allow himself to be extinguished, entering the darkness of the grave, only to rekindle the light for all.
In his earliest and most vulnerable years, Christ required the care of one who would serve God in faith. Joseph was that guardian, entrusted with tending the fragile flame.
Ablaze
He shielded the child Jesus from the winds of malice and protected the light that would set the world ablaze. That malice came quickly. No sooner had Herod heard of the child than jealousy stirred. Though he spoke softly to the Magi, his intent was clear. Warned in a dream, they did not return to him.
Joseph, too, was warned. When the angel spoke to him in sleep, he was ready to listen and to act. He did not hesitate. Rising at once, he took the child and his mother and fled to Egypt. The threat was real, but Joseph’s fidelity was swifter.
The unease of the Magi was a sign; the angel’s voice a call to faith. Joseph did not delay. With quiet resolve, he sheltered the Light of the World from the encroaching darkness.
This faithful guardian stood between the child and the night. Under his protection, God’s gift to the world grew. And in time, that small flame would break forth and become the light that no darkness can overcome.
Leonard J. DeLorenzo, Ph.D., works in the McGrath Institute for Church Life and teaches theology at the University of Notre Dame.