‘At death life is changed, not ended’ (cf. the Roman Missal: Preface for Christian Death) Even though the Gospels mention nothing about his death, the traditional image we have is of St. Joseph dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Being in the presence not only of his loved ones but also the One […]
‘To Love and to Serve’ (motto of the Mill Hill Missionaries) The Jewish ideal was to be someone who was ‘righteous’, someone who actively obeyed God’s word, who did God’s will. Joseph acted instantly when he knew God’s will. His was a life of loving service—serving family, serving his neighbours, serving those for whom he […]
Mary said, ‘See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you’ (Luke 2:48) Joseph was a descendant of the Royal Family of David. Yet he lived in relative obscurity and was a ‘nobody’ in the world’s eyes. He faced challenging family problems: Mary’s unexpected pregnancy, which meant he would not be the […]
‘Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?’ (Matthew 13:55) According to the gospels, Joseph journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then fled to Egypt to escape persecution, before eventually settling back in Nazareth. Wherever he travelled, he needed to earn his keep, with little spare income. He worked as a craftsman, making and selling tools and various goods […]
‘Where did that man (Jesus) get all this wisdom?’ (Matthew 13:54) So many of Jesus’ parables and sayings relate to God as ‘my Father in Heaven…’ The relationship was so close that he even addressed God as ‘Abba,’ literally, ‘Daddy’! Jesus modelled the image of his heavenly Father—God—on the experience of his earthly father, Joseph. […]
‘Joseph got up and took the child and his mother and left that night for Egypt’ (Matthew 2:14) The Gospel tells us that Joseph took Mary and the child to a foreign country. Even now, before any word was preached or any person baptised, the Word of God was alive, present and active amongst the […]
‘An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph’ (Matthew 1:20) It is sometimes said that St. Joseph slept his way through the New Testament. All the major decisions he took were the result of listening to his dreams. This implies a profound trust in the message contained in that voice deep within […]
‘If you listen to me, you will know what is right and fair’ (Proverbs 2:9) Joseph was a man who listened. Constant noise prevents us from listening and hearing our friends, family and God. Joseph knew how to be silent to allow God’s Word to come through to him. No spoken word is recorded of […]
‘Joseph was a just man who always did what was right’ (Mt. 1:19) What a predicament Joseph was in when he discovered Mary was pregnant. Joseph did not know who was the father of the child. He only knew that the child was not his. We can imagine how devastated he was when he discovered […]
