Today is the Feast of St. Joseph. While it is a big day for the Italians (What St. Patrick's Day for the "Irish Americans"), it is a feast day that doesn't get much attention outside of that ethnic group. This is something that needs to change.
St. Joseph is a very important figure that receives very little credit in the gospels. In the two accounts that even mention him, he has not a single word attributed to him. His death or existence beyond the twelfth year of Jesus are not mentioned. He is stoic and silent. Yet, his actions speak the loudest in the infancy narratives. Here are some key examples:
1) Joseph could have divorced Mary or had her stoned, even after the angel of the Lord told him that Mary was telling the truth about the divine conception.
2) Joseph risked his life to save his family and leaving all that he knew behind in order to flee into Egypt for seven years.
3) Joseph does not get angry or show any sign of heartbreak when twelve-year old Jesus tells his parents that he was at his "Father's House" when talking about his stay at the Temple.
Joseph did not have to be the foster father to Jesus. He didn't even have to care about Jesus at all. He could have been a deadbeat dad. But he wasn't. Instead, he loved Jesus as if he was his biological son. He taught Jesus what he needed to know as he grew up. While the gospels don't say any of this, the proof can be found in the man Jesus was as he began his ministry. He was a smart, talented, carpenter, who knew his scripture and loved God with all his heart and mind, much like Joseph.
So on this feast day to Joseph, we honor the man who helped to shape the man who would be our Savior.
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