St. Joseph; The Hidden Life

Podcast of Second Vespers of the Feastday here.

The other day I sang the praises of the Irish as we feasted St. Patrick. Today is actually a much bigger feast day – the solemn feast day of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary. Just as St. Patrick is huge to the Irish community even though he was not, himself Irish, St. Joseph is very big in the Italian community, even though he was not Italian.

It’s a bit of an inside joke, but at least here in NY, if you come into an Italian family, at some point you’re going to go through something like this: “Here is my brother Joe, and this is my cousin Joey. That’s Uncle Joseph. And here is Poppa. He’s Giuseppe!”

Today in my MIL’s kitchen I am sure there is a plate of special pastries (I can’t pronounce what they’re called or spell it) particular to the day, in honor of St. Joseph.

St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers, of the dying, of heads of households and of all working people. With our economic and job situations so dicey, these days, it’s not a bad idea to spend a part of each day talking to Joseph, letting him know what your concerns are, and asking for his prayers. He is the faithful stepfather to the Christ. He may be silent, but he’s not without connections!

I love the mystery of St. Joseph. He was subject to God, and yet – in his childhood and youth, the God-Man Christ was subject to Joseph. St. Teresa of Avila writes in her autobiography:

“…the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to [Joseph] on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, [Joseph] could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that [Joseph] asks.”

I like that. I also like this:

“The most decisive act in life is the initial surrender made to God when he calls. Unfortunately it is always possible to ignore him, or to explain away the inner sense that God is inviting a recognition. But for one unafaid to listen to this prompting, the discovery that God has a choice for one’s life is a matchless blessing. Saint Joseph is a wonderful example. . . God’s call came then in a dream, and the first words he heard – “Do not be afraid” – were addressed to Mary, also, when she was called. They are important words precisely because a surrender to God’s call is a risk, a leap forward toward a promise not fully known, requiring a courage perhaps not easily felt. [Joseph]. . .enjoyed in his hidden life in Nazareth the most privileged intimacy with God. Indeed he came to know the immense generosities of divine love in the affections of a little child for his father.”
— Fr. Donald Haggerty, writing in the Magnificat Lenten Companion for 2009

And, mysteriously, in the love of God for his created creature, reflected back and forth.

Fr. James Martin – a good friend of this blog and author of the splendid My Life With the Saints gives us seven minutes on St. Joseph, and they’re well-worth spending on this video:

The Dominican Nuns at Summit thank St. Joseph for another new postulant who has arrived to try her vocation.

Also Writing:
Happy Catholic
McNamara’s Blog