The Silence of Saint Joseph 

   Not a single word of St. Joseph’s is recorded in scripture.  He is rarely even mentioned by name.  I fear that he is often the forgotten saint; the one everyone knows about, but that no one really knows.

   The Blessed Virgin Mary was chosen to be the mother of our Lord.  She deserves all the love, respect, and admiration she is due.  But I think we sometimes forget that Joseph was also chosen by God to father our savior in this life.  He was the one who would name Him, a father’s right in Jewish life at that time.  He was the one who would watch over, protect, and cherish both Mary and Jesus.

   He lived his life fulfilling the role that God had given Him.  He loved, cared for, and guarded Mary and Jesus.  At the word of an angel, he took them into exile in Egypt to protect them from Herod, only returning when the angel told him it was safe.  Even then they settled far from their former home in fear of Herod’s successor.

   He was the one responsible for educating Jesus, teaching Him the law and a trade.  There is nothing to indicate that he ever mentioned to anyone who Jesus truly was, he simply raised Him as his son.  He knew that the secrecy was part of his role and carried it out faithfully.  So well, in fact, that even Jesus’ friends and neighbors did not know who He truly was.  When Jesus returned home and spoke in the synagogue they were amazed saying, “Is he not the carpenter’s son?” (Matt 13:55).

   We don’t know when Joseph died, but we can be confident that he died in the loving arms of our Blessed Mother and our Savior.  We can also be assured that his reward is heaven is great.  He had lovingly and faithfully fulfilled his mission.

   He lived a life of silence, of near invisibility, yet he raised our Savior from infancy to manhood.  Not a word of his is recorded but his silence and his actions speak volumes about his love, his faith, and his trust in God. 

Joseph was chosen as Your earthly Father.

You entrusted Yourself to his loving care.

Help us to love You as Joseph did.

To trust in You completely. 

Amen