St. Joseph, Father Guardian of the Infant Jesus
Joseph was a religious Jew, who belonged to the House of David and a carpenter by trade. As a carpenter by trade, he is considered the patron saint of the working man, one who worked with his hands, but taught his trade to Jesus. The little that is told of him is a testimony to the trust in God which values simple everyday duties and is an example of a loving husband and father. He is honored in Christian Tradition for the nurturing care and protection he provided for the infant Jesus and his mother in taking them to Egypt to escape Herod’s slaughter of the innocents, and in raising him as a man at Nazareth, The Gospels picture Joseph as a man of deep devotion, open to mystical experiences, and as a man of compassion who accepted God’s call to him to nurture Jesus as he grew in love and grace. Today Joseph is venerated as the Patron Saint of the working man.
Prayer
O God, who from the family of your servant David, raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. AMEN.
Scripture: Matthew1: 18-20
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”.
Reflection
Through foreign and unknown places, Joseph obediently followed God’s command to take Mary as his wife and trusted God’s promises that they would be okay.
Has God ever spoken to you? What kind of messages have you received and what did you do with them? At the age of 12, I believed I received a message from God to become a priest, and I told my family that I intended to follow that command.