The Just Man: The Feast of Saint Joseph

By Maria Jacinta.

HAPPY FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH TO EVERYONE!!!

I hope many graces came from the novena posted about a week ago. I encourage you all to continue praying to St. Joseph. He is an amazing saint! Let’s take some time to reflect on the qualities of St. Joseph, along with events in his life and see how we can apply them to our own life:

• His immediate yes to the angel:

We read in the first chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel:  “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”

What courage it takes to answer God immediately, no questions asked! I am not saying we should make rash decisions, as careful discernment is required at times. But when we are sure that God is calling us to do something, we should not delay fulfilling what He wills.

• His humility:

Think about the HUGE responsibility that St. Joseph had as the spouse of Our Lady and foster father of God Himself! It takes true humility to accept such a role. It can be easy to play what I call the “false humility card” in thinking that we are not good enough to do something. Sometimes, though, God calls us to certain tasks that we think are beyond our power to accomplish. It’s true in that we are not capable of doing anything without God, but thinking we are not worthy does not make for a valid excuse in saying no. As St. Teresa of Avila says, “Humility is truth.” We know our weaknesses and strengths and should not be afraid to use these strengths! After all, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

• His decision to divorce Our Lady quietly:

After finding out that Mary was pregnant, St. Joseph “unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1: 19)

This decision here proves that he really was a just man. He was obedient to the Law and knew very well that any woman caught in adultery was to be stoned to death. On the other hand, he may have seen something special in Mary that made him wonder how she could ever commit a sin. He knew her goodness and purity and truly loved her, so he did what was best for her. Something we can take from this is to love others for WHO THEY ARE. The more we understand human dignity, the easier this becomes.

Similar to Our Lady, St. Joseph was close to Jesus and so knows him very well. We can go to St. Joseph to better learn how to imitate Christ. St. Joseph, pray for us!!!