Getting to Know St. Joseph

(Plain Text Version)

Unlike many other Biblical figures, we have no record of the words of St. Joseph.  We know that he was a descendent of King David, we know about some of his travels, and we know that he received visions to guide him in handling some serious issues.
He is described as a “just man” (Matthew 1:19), a phrase not often used in the Bible.
We know that he faithfully kept the greatest secret ever: that the one who seemed to be his son was actually the Son of God.
To learn more about St. Joseph, we need to scan the Bible for other insights.  

The First Joseph
The life of Joseph, son of Jacob is one of the more amazing Biblical records.  He was sold into slavery by his brothers, but he became Pharaoh’s top assistant and saved thousands of people from starvation.  He was in a perfect position to take revenge on his brothers, but he forgave them.  (Genesis, ch. 37-50)
It seems to me that he was named Joseph because he has a lot in common with St. Joseph.  Both were very wise, diligent workers, dedicated to the interests of their masters.  They were able to endure severe hardships.  Both of them were guided by visions from God.  Another thing they have in common: they both made unplanned trips to Egypt!
So, the better we study the first Joseph, the better we get to know the second Joseph.

Not “Fitting In”
Joseph, a descendant of David, was a stranger in Bethlehem, which is the City of David.  No doubt he had relatives in Bethlehem, but did not stay with them.
Joseph lived in Nazareth before and after the Flight to Egypt.  It seems that they were disliked by many of their neighbors.  The more good you do, the more some people will hate you.  When Jesus came to his home town and announced that he was the Messiah, they tried to kill him.

Looking In the Parables
The Parables were stories told by Jesus to illustrate spiritual truths.  Many of these stories seem to come from personal experience, such as waiting in the marketplace hoping to be hired for a day.  Although Joseph was a carpenter, there must have been times when he was looking for any kind of work.

Praying to St. Joseph
Whatever we need, we ought to ask God the Father through Jesus Christ.  God is pleased when we ask the Blessed Mother and the saints to join our prayers.  It is always good to turn to St. Joseph, because of his closeness to Christ.
When we pray to the saints, we actually bring them into our circle of friends.  So, this is a great opportunity to get to know the man chosen to raise the Son of God.