The title above comes from a book by theologian, Leonardo Boff, on the life of St. Joseph. What we know of Joseph from the Bible, the traditions, the doctrine of the magisterium and theologians, the liturgy and popular piety, presents him as someone who lived the virtues of love, faith and hope. Although not much is said about him, what is said is of utmost importance for us, the believers and followers of his beloved Child—Jesus of Nazareth.
In the Church, up until the 800s, little mention was made of St. Joseph. As he did not leave any words—he had only dreams—the early Church did not have any particular devotions to him. Only in 1870 was he proclaimed patron of the universal Church. Pope John XXIII was a great devotee of the saint and entrusted the Second Vatican Council to him. He did more: he introduced “Saint Joseph, husband of Mary” into the canon of the Mass.
But it must be recognised that the Holy See was the last to acknowledge the devotion to St. Joseph. Ordinary people have always had a great devotion to him, sought his patronage by choosing his name, José, for people, schools, streets, etc. In fact St. Joseph is more of a patron of our domestic Church, whom we believe stands by us in our need.
Joseph was a man of faith. With complete trust in the God who provides, does he surrender! “God’s will be done in me and not mine”—that’s all that mattered to Joseph. Every man and every woman who does the will of God is a person of faith, because he obeys God’s voice and not his own; and he does it with absolute trust in God himself.
Joseph also teaches us today that he is a man of absolute hope. This is particularly evident when he sets out with Mary on the journey to Egypt. Before, he showed his trust in God in his efforts to find a place where Mary could give birth. Had he been a man without hope, the reaction and behaviour would have been very different. Joseph persevered until he found a place.
All his hopes have always been placed in God and his behaviours and responses are classroom lessons for these difficult times and for the future. In the midst of complicated situations, let us keep in mind that dark and difficult moments are temporary and that God never abandons us even when we fail to experience closeness to him.
Joseph is all love. From love, he welcomed Mary, was at her side, took care of the family—all done in silence. The life of Joseph is a constant reminder for the followers of Jesus that our life is not only about prayer and pastoral action, but also about believing, hoping and loving.
The great poet, Paul Claudel, had a special admiration for the silence of St. Joseph. In a 1934 letter to a friend he wrote: “Silence is the father of the Word. There in Nazareth there are only three very poor people who simply love each other. They are those who are going to change the face of the Earth”
