Cynthia Montemayor
March 19th is the feast day of the patron of the universal church, fathers, families and married couples. Just as God the Father selected the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of his son, he also chose St. Joseph to be Mary’s chaste spouse and Jesus’ foster father. As the head of the Holy Family — the model for all families — he is also the inspiration for and the protector of all fathers St. Luke’s Gospel tells the story of Christ’s infancy from Mary’s perspective, while St. Matthew’s Gospel gives us the story from St. Joseph’s point of view.
He is introduced to us as a just man, a descendant of King David, a native of Bethlehem, a carpenter living in Nazareth and engaged to Mary. After the Annunciation, when Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he resolved to break off the engagement privately. Under the law of Moses given in the book of Deuteronomy, if Joseph had made a public charge of infidelity against Mary, she would have been stoned to death. Before Joseph could do anything, however, God granted him his own annunciation. An angel of the Lord visited Joseph in a dream, urging him to take Mary as his wife, assuring him that the child she carried had been conceived by the Holy Spirit.
St. Joseph is one of the more obscure saints, and everything we know about him comes from Scripture. On the basic level we know that he was a poor carpenter of the line of King David. We also know that he is the foster father of Jesus and the earthly spouse of Mary the Mother of God. Although we have no words spoken by Joseph recorded in Scripture, the stories of his life, upon reflection, reveal much. From Scripture we can see that Saint Joseph was a righteous man who demonstrated the virtues of compassion, courage, faith, and love of Jesus and Mary, to name a few. He shows his love and compassion in that he planned on divorcing Mary quietly when he discovered that she was pregnant. He demonstrates his faith and courage in fleeing into a strange land away from everything he knew in order to protect his wife and her Child.
The Church has dedicated a liturgical feast to Saint Joseph, celebrating his solemnity on March 19, the day he is honored as the husband of Mary and adoptive father of Jesus. The Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker is also celebrated on May 1, which highlights his dignity as a worker, offering a model of holiness in daily work. The figure of Saint Joseph, endorsed by Popes throughout history, remains a source of inspiration for Christians around the world. His example of obedience to God, protection and dedication to his family, and diligent work resonates with the Christian mission to live with faith and love. As the Popes taught, especially Saint John Paul II, Pope Francis, and Benedict XVI, Saint Joseph remains a model of fatherhood and a spiritual protector for all believers, guiding us to follow the path of Christ with humility and trust in God’s will.
PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH FOR OUR FATHERS.
St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary,
you passed your life in loving fulfilment of duty.
You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands.
Kindly protect all the fathers who trustingly come to you.
You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes.
They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor and weariness.
But amid the worries of material life your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God’s Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother.
Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone.
Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over him faithfully as you have done. Amen
-St. John XXIII
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