St. Joseph has always had a special place in my heart. I have been blessed to have my middle name and confirmation name shared with his. He's taught me quite a lot.
One of those things he's taught me is trust. I believe that St. Joseph's witness of trust is one that is often overlooked. When it's said that Joseph was going to "divorce her quietly", it seems like plenty of people interpret that and judge Joseph wrongly. But put yourself in his shoes. Here is your wife that you're betrothed to, you're married to, and within the coming months she will be invited into your home, and now she's pregnant.
What would we think? Mary had an affair. Surely that's what WE would assume. But when the angel appeared to Joseph, he had the truth spoken to him and he trusted what was told to him. That's quite a large leap of faith. He's being quite vulnerable when he accepts and trusts the Will of God.
Joseph has taught me to trust. To trust and say yes.
That's just the beginning. He is a beautiful witness of father.
Pope Benedict XVI has spoken some beautiful words about Joseph, so I will let him speak.
"His humble and sincere love for his betrothed and his decision to join his life to Mary’s attracted and introduced him, “a just man”, to a special intimacy with God. Indeed, with Mary and later, especially, with Jesus, he began a new way of relating to God, accepting him in his life, entering his project of salvation and doing his will. After trustfully complying with the Angel’s instructions “Do not fear to take Mary your wife” — he took Mary to him and shared his life with her; he truly gave the whole of himself to Mary and to Jesus and this led him to perfect his response to the vocation he had received."
To Christ through Mary,
Tyler
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