In this second in the series of walking with the saints in Advent, I offer Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus as inspiration for us. “Faithful Joseph” as he is often called is so obedient to the will of God. As an “older” man he is asked to take Mary as his wife and he is immediately caught up in the mystery of the Incarnation – God made flesh. Fearing scandal for Mary because he is not the natural father of the baby to be born, Joseph plans to “divorce her quietly.” But God, through an angel, encourages Joseph to get up and follow God’s plan. He does so without fear. Later on, when the impending danger from Herod’s henchmen becomes a reality for the Holy Family, another angel comes to Joseph in a dream and tells him to take the child and mother to Egypt. Once again, Joseph complies and sets out on a dangerous path – because it is God’s plan.
Joseph is referred to as a “righteous one.” In Scripture, the “righteous” are the ones who do the will of God, often taking perceived risks to cooperate with God’s plans. Along with Mary, Joseph says yes to God without fear, without worry, and without clinging to any personal agenda. The ability to say “yes” to God comes only from having a relationship with God that is built on love and trust. Perhaps our Advent can be a time for us to reflect on our own relationship with God and our trust in God’s loving plan for us.
Saint Joseph is also the patron of all fathers. His presence in the life of the child Jesus is mentioned only briefly in Scripture, but our Catholic tradition presents Joseph as a caring parent who guided, disciplined, and loved his child. Maybe this Advent we should commend all fathers in our lives to the care of Joseph who can aid them in the joys and challenges of parenting.
Many saints and the holy people we know say, “Go to Joseph” because this righteous man can teach us much about living lives of faith, and his intercession is powerful when our faith grows weak. May our Advent be inspired by Joseph who allowed God to bring him to exactly where he needed to be!
Advent blessings,
Welcome to the Saint Aloysius! Our parish was founded in 1896 to serve the Catholic families that were settling in the greater New Canaan area.