Our Gospel reading invites us to understand how Joseph was indeed “an upright man” and a model husband and foster-father of Jesus.
Finding Mary with child before they lived together, Joseph considered divorcing her secretly to protect her. An angel of the Lord assured Joseph that Mary was with child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph showed his true love for Mary, giving up his own will, and followed the angel’s message and agreed to be husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus and head of the Holy Family.
What else do we know about St. Joseph? In reality not much more, other than he was “an upright man..”
We know Joseph as a man of great obedience to God. He listened to the angel and took in Mary with child as his wife. He followed the angel’s messages to flee to Egypt to protect the child Jesus and when to return to Nazareth.
He was a humble man, quietly working at his trade as a carpenter and in watching over and protecting his wife Mary and the child Jesus.
Pope Francis tells us how he calls on the sleeping St. Joseph for help in big problems and concerns. Pope Francis writes down his concerns and places them under the figure of the sleeping St. Joseph. And, just as God gave instructions to St. Joseph in his dreams while asleep, somehow Pope Francis hopes God would guide him through the intercession of St Joseph.
The Society of Jesus calls on St. Joseph as its Patron. As companions of Jesus in a religious order after Jesus’ holy Name, the Society of Jesus entrusts its members and works to his quiet and potent intercession. May we be faithful and obedient to God like St. Joseph.