Just an Average Joe?

He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.

Young Jesus, going home with Mary and Joseph.

That’s the last definite information the bible gives us about St Joseph.

And it doesn’t give us a lot of detail before that.

We’re told he was a descendant of King David.

A carpenter.

A just and righteous man.

A man chosen to serve as the earthly father of Jesus, a foster father.

A man who listened to God.

Who heard the messages to accept Mary as his wife and her child as his son.

To flee to Egypt to protect his young charge, and to return again.

A dedicated father who presented his infant son at the temple,

And heard the prophesies of Simeon and Anna.

A concerned father who searched in great anxiety for his missing pre-teen son.

That’s really all the Gospels tell us about Joseph.

We don’t really know if he was young or old when he married Mary.

We don’t really know if he was a widower with children.

But we can deduce a little more from the Gospels.

Joseph must have died before Jesus began his public ministry.

Mary and other relatives are sometimes mentioned as being present, but never Joseph.

On the cross, Jesus gave his mother into the care of the apostle John.

He wouldn’t have done that if Joseph were alive.

Joseph isn’t the only one we lose track of after the family’s return to Nazareth.

Jesus and Mary also disappear—for eighteen years.

That’s quite a gap—over half of Jesus’ life on earth.

It’s referred to as the hidden life.

Luke’s Gospel goes on to tell us simply:

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.

Certainly, a lot happened during those eighteen years of hidden life.

But the details were non-essential to the Good News story of our salvation.

Unremarkable years, except for the very fact of their existence.

By living those unremarkable eighteen years of everyday life,

Along with most of the unremarkable time in the previous twelve years,

Jesus sanctified the everyday activities of our own largely unremarkable lives.

The work, study, play, joy, pain, meals, relationships, prayer and sleep.

Joseph was one of the two key people in Jesus’ life for many of those thirty years.

Protecting, teaching, guiding, supporting, loving, caring.

And occasionally doing something remarkable.

For all of that, and especially for answering “Yes” to God’s call,

Joseph is one of our greatest saints and models.

He’s not only the patron of our little parish here on Capitol Hill,

He’s patron of the universal Roman Catholic Church.

Today, on this Feast of St Joseph, our universal Church looks to the future.

In Rome, we’re installing our new pope, Francis.

St Joseph protected his son, and guided him to growth in wisdom and stature and favor.

May he likewise protect and guide his son’s Church.

Feast of St Joseph

Lk 2:41-51                                 Read this Scripture @usccb.org