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Gospel: Matthew 13: 54-58
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
“Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter’s son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?”
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.”
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate the life of a man whom we know almost nothing about, Saint Joseph the Worker.
Joseph was an ordinary carpenter from Nazareth until he became the foster father of Jesus. In spite of his important role in salvation history, giving Jesus the line of David, Joseph never speaks a word in the Gospels, disappearing from the scriptures when Jesus is twelve.
God spoke to Joseph, but only in dreams, first encouraging him to not be afraid to take Mary into his home. Later, another angel appeared, warning him to leave the very same home with Mary and the Christ-child in tow, because King Herod wanted Jesus dead.
So, the Holy Family took what little they had and walked the same road that cuts through Gaza today, from Bethlehem to Egypt. After an indefinite period of time in exile, they returned home – to a simple life.
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Simple because Joseph never went to college. He never wrote a book. He never owned shares in the stock market. He never held public office. He never made the news. He never held a position of power. He did nothing memorable in the world’s eyes.
He was from a small town; uneducated; a carpenter; a foster father; a refugee.
A nobody.
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But 2,000 years have come and gone, and we still honor his life. Out of the billions of people who’ve lived and died, Joseph is one of the few our world still remembers fondly.
Maybe that’s because we all see something of ourselves in him.
He worked hard. He loved deeply. He was a faithful husband. A devout father. And, most importantly, obedient to the tasks that God entrusted to him, even when only directed in a dream.
Joseph shows us what really matters in the end.
Fidelity. Humility. Taking responsibility for the tasks that God has given us to do. If we can emulate his example, then we, too, shall be blessed in the eyes of God.
Saint Joseph the silent, obedient worker, pray for us!
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Image credits: (1) Church Pop (2) Saint Joseph the Worker, CDP (3) Tonini Church Supply