St Joseph of Nazareth, 19 March

“Did they tell you stories about the saints of old?
Stories about their faith?
They say stories like that make a boy grow bold
Stories like that make a man walk straight”
- Rich Mullins

The story of Joseph is not heard often enough. Here is a man overshadowed by his wife and his children, and neglected throughout most of Church history. Yet Joseph speaks with fresh relevance to all of us, and especially to twenty-first century boys and men…

Ironically, Joseph never actually speaks at all. Not one word of his is recorded in the gospels. He simply hears and thinks and acts.

In a world of sound-bites and marketing and mass-communication, words rule.

But how often is there a disconnect between our words and our actions?

Joseph shows us the difficult path of action. St Matthew calls him ‘a righteous man’. We might say he was a man trying to do the right thing. And in weighing up the right thing, Joseph considers the demands of his conscience and of his society, as well as the needs of those he loves. He was a caring man, unwilling to expose Mary to public disgrace, but we can tell that he agonised over this decision for his sake and for her’s.

Because Joseph was a faithful man. He tried to keep his commitments. He only had to hear God’s difficult call and he obeyed without question. He received God’s last-minute instructions and responded, even when it meant risking death and becoming a refugee!

And in all of this, Joseph is a model of strength and generosity. His model of fatherhood has never been more relevant than in our times of broken and re-combined families.

What about us? Are we men and women of righteousness and faith? What thoughtful and caring action can we carry out today, inspired by the example of St Joseph?

Lectionary readings for today:
2 Samuel 7.4–16
Psalm 89.26–36
Romans 4.13–18
Matthew 1.18–end

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