Joseph, Mary and Jesus were the first Christian family, and would set a pattern for all to follow. What would God be looking for in the man he chose to head his family?

Saint Joseph was the ideal choice. He is a man of action: his words are not reported, but his deeds reveal his character. Mary and Jesus could love him not only as head of the family, but for his sheer goodness and excellence as a man. Joseph is a just and upright man, as we note in the Gospel. He is a man of God. He does not quibble or complain. He possesses that wisdom which appreciates God’s mysterious plan, even when it is humanly hard to swallow. Joseph has that sense-that most uncommon common sense-the sense of God’s providence. His obedience, his attachment to God is so manly and so genuine that Mary and the Child cannot help trusting Joseph. In fact, the only trustworthy man is the man who trust God.

With what silent eloquence Joseph speaks to us! He is a working man of the humblest class, and God chooses him to head the greatest family on earth. But this does not change his social and economic position, nor does he want it to. Jesus is to be known as the carpenter’s son who followed Joseph’s example of hard work, of incorruptible honesty, of perfect obedience to God’s will. Through Jesus Joseph the workman exerted a powerful influence on the whole Church. This is why popular devotion dedicated the entire month of March to his honor and his feast is a holyday of obligation in some parts of the world. Let us take some special time this month to ask Saint Joseph to intercede for our families and for fathers that they may show good example to their children by striving to do what God wills in even the little matters of life.

Please remember that the ‘Way of the Cross Devotions’ are on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm with the talk by Fr. Michael Brunovsky, O.S.B. on ‘The Resurrection of Christ and the Mystery of the Empty Tomb which is a part of our Lenten Speakers’ Series