St. Joseph was not divine like Jesus. He wasn’t immaculately conceived like the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was the head, the guardian, and the provider of the Holy Family and became the legal father of the Savior of the World and the spouse of the Mother of God. But Saint Joseph did not draw his greatness from these incredible privileges.
Saint Joseph’s greatness is primarily due to his moral righteousness and obedience to the will of God, which he consistently demonstrated in his life choices. In the Scripture, he is recognized as a “righteous man†and as a man who “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.â€
Saint Joseph obeyed the voice of God in the four dreams recorded in Scripture. In his first dream, he received instructions not to be afraid to take Mary into his home as his wife. In that dream, the angel informed him that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary would conceive and bear a son and to be named Jesus. (Matthew 1:20–21).
In his second dream, Saint Joseph received instructions to rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until he was further instructed. Herod wanted to find and destroy the child. (Matthew 2:13).
In his third dream, Saint Joseph received instructions to rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life were dead already. (Matthew 2:20).
In his fourth dream, Joseph received a warning not to proceed to Judea but go instead to Galilee. (Matthew 2:22).
Reading these dreams in succession, we see Saint Joseph’s attentiveness to the voice of God. We can see that his dreams were clear communications from God, and they required a willing recipient. Saint Joseph was open to the voice of God and listened in faith as that willing recipient.
Saint Joseph also responded with complete submission and total determination. The instructions he received were not insignificant. His obedience required that he and his family travel great distances, reside in strange lands, and do so all in faith.
It’s also clear that Saint Joseph took his vocation seriously. Pope Saint John Paul II called him the “Guardian of the Redeemer.†Over and over, he showed his unwavering commitment to his role as the guardian of his legal Son, Jesus, and his wife, Mary. His life was spent providing for them, protecting them, and offering them a father’s heart.
I ponder the unique vocation of Saint Joseph, especially the early years of his marriage and the raising of Jesus. I consider his fatherly commitment to care for, provide for, and protect his Son and seek to imitate Saint Joseph’s virtues by preserving the presence of Christ within my own heart. With the help of Saint Joseph, I shall strive to follow his example so that the hidden presence of the Lord in my life will grow and come to full maturation.
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