In Praise of Saint Joseph

Joseph’s Greatness and Poverty
by Father Marie Dominique Philippe

Here we touch upon the magnanimity of Joseph in his poverty and humility. We can see now how he is a “son of David” and how he even surpasses his forefather in the royal authority conferred upon him by the Lord, Joseph accepted, in love, the real poverty which was demanded of him with regard to Mary’s fruitfulness. He did not murmur within his heart; he did not lay claim to the legitimate right of husband over wife, for he had agreed right from the moment of their first meeting to have no human rights over Mary because she was God’s alone, body and soul. He had agreed to have only such authority over her as the Father would give him. He truly marries her in the most complete poverty. This poverty, lived first of all in the intentions of his heart, is now lived effectively in the full realism of his human sensitivity. He accepts that God has brought about His masterpiece within Mary, without including him, her spouse. He accepts that Mary alone will be the source of life for the formation of the body of the Son of the Most High become man, and he is even glad, because Mary is thus fully glorified and takes precedence over him: she is first.

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Saint Joseph
by Thomas Howard

Obscurity. No klieg lights, ever. No accolades. No testimonial dinners, or talk shows, or excitement. Ever. Sheer, unrelieved obscurity. Joseph and his household were very, very low in the social and economic pecking order. They were not the Beautiful People, nor did they have a rich and famous lifestyle. Obscurity. Silence. Routine. Sameness. Day in and day out. Year after year. Nobody knows when Joseph died, of course: Mary may have been widowed early on. But for whatever his allotted span of time was, Joseph exists for us all, it seems to me, as the very icon of the faithful servant of God. Obscurity, yes, but obscurity is not a category in the precincts of heaven. Fidelity is. This is hard for us mortals to live with, sometimes. So much else seems so attractive. Surely just a bit of celebrity would spice things up, or a dash of wealth, or influence, or some exciting connections, or some great success that would set us apart- even a little bit apart- from the trampling herd. Well-- there is the icon of Saint Joseph for us to contemplate, and in front of which we may want to pour out some prayers from the depths of our being. What, I may ask, is the particular obscurity the angel of God has assigned to me as the specific realm in which I may win through to sainthood? If I keep Saint Joseph in my vision, I will have a most encouraging model.