A splendid meditation from 'The Reverend Father-in-Law,' the Reverend Father Richard Price Baskwill of Saint Alban's Church, Joppa, Maryland. This beautiful piece makes an ideal reflection for this holy season, in which Saint Joseph is not always sufficiently considered. It is an utterly true perspective on the real vocation and ministry of the Patriarch of the Universal Church and the Guardian of the Holy Family.
When I was in seminary, we few Traditionalists used to joke that Jaroslav Pelikan's 'Joseph Through The Centuries' could have been written on a 3X5 index card! The Church in every age could use more 'Josephology' and certainly more devotion to the Foster-Father of Our Blessed Lord. We should be grateful to Pope John XXIII, who added Saint Joseph's name to the list of canonised saints commemorated in the Latin Gregorian Canon in 1962, which gesture goes some way in making remedy for the absence of proper devotion to Saint Joseph in previous centuries at different times. Sancte Joseph, ora pro nobis.
Saint Matthew 2. 13-15
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
It struck me that we have not always given due attention to the crucial role that Joseph played in the drama of our salvation. Specifically, his example can serve as a model for men who are called to the ministry of marriage and fatherhood. For example, the brief descriptions given in Matthew’s Gospel of the flight to Egypt call up images of a man who is dutifully and faithfully carrying out tasks which were absolutely essential to the survival of the Holy Family, but were so natural and routine as to go unmentioned. Some things which I imagine that Joseph would have done might have been these:
Planned the route.
Arranged for food and drink to be available for Mary.
Obtained the donkey.
Planned water and forage for the donkey.
Observed the condition of the road, the donkey’s footing and Mary’s balance.
Monitored Mary and the Child’s condition and arranged for rest stops when needed.
Provided security against thieves.
Made a plan for inclement weather.
Found suitable shelter for overnight.
And, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Joseph had to clean up after the donkey – somebody had to do it!
These are all examples of paternal duty, responsibly fulfilled. They show Joseph as an example for all married men, as well as revealing the role of the most mundane tasks in our journey of faith.
May Joseph be our model as we fulfill our ministries to our families.
3 comments:
Maybe Joseph was a Franciscan before St. Francis. "Preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words." When God spoke to Joseph: Joseph did not talk - he took action.
St. Joseph is never quoted in Holy Scriptures. Maybe he was the smartest husband who ever lived. But he was a man of action. When the Lord told him to do something; he went ahead and did it without question. He was a righteous man, a good husband, a good father, and a hard worker. He provided food, shelter, and protection for his family. He was a Franciscan before St. Francis was even born. "Preach the Gospel always and if necessary use words."
Chad+
Thanks for posting this meditation. I have always tried to preach a sermon about St Joseph at some time during the Christmas season. He's probably the least mentioned of those most influential in our Lord's young life. Evidently, St Teresa of Avila was on to something when she took him as her patron: St Joseph's "treasury of merit" was rarely tapped!
MLW+
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