The life of St. Joseph is a testament to living with God, as was described in Living Life with Blinders On, Julius Mosley’s book about God and His righteousness.
During his trip to the Philippines in 2015, the Catholic Pope Francis had this to say when asked why Joseph was one of his favorite saints: “I have a great love for St. Joseph because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table, I have an image of Saint Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church!”
This speaks of the influence and achievements of Joseph, who was the earthly father of Christ, the husband of the Virgin Mary, and a humble carpenter from Nazareth.
Every Christian has the responsibility to be a good partner and an even better parent. In times of trouble and omen, Christians should know how to lead their fellows and be good shepherds and caretakers of the community.
The Lessons of A Humble Carpenter
Although faithful believers must follow their own path toward God, it is nonetheless important to learn from others; and, as such, St. Joseph is one whom all Christians must learn from, not only because he tended to Mary and the young Jesus Christ but because of his obedience to God, humility despite his status, selflessness in place of ambition, courage to live according to the Lord and the eternal and abundant love he gave to both Mary and Jesus.
Even simple possession of a fraction of Joseph’s character can bring a believer infinitesimally close to God. Here is what one can learn from St. Joseph, the Worker:
- One should always be the precedent. Joseph was a man of action, not of words; this is why none of them survived in writing. Although it is important to tell others what is right and what is wrong, it is more important to act as an example for them to follow. That was Joseph. From what we know of his life, he was not someone who hesitated. He accepted Mary; then, he led her to Bethlehem when Herod came with his atrocious demands; and he accepted Christ when he was born of a virgin birth. This was a man who lived life fully according to God.
- One should always strive to lead. Following the previous lesson, being the precedent means being the standard by which others emulate. In Joseph, believers can see the prototypical Christian–one who is a mindful and loving spouse as he took Mary away to Bethlehem and strove to make her stay as comfortable as possible; one who lives with God always above every other consideration when he accepted the command to take Mary as his wife and become a father to the Son of God; one who serves the community by being an honest carpenter; and one who is a dedicated teacher by providing for Christ and teaching him all he knew.
- One should always be humble and obedient. Despite being the adopted father of Christ and the husband of the Virgin Mary, Joseph never once used these connections to blow his own trumpet or oppress his neighbors. A weak man would have succumbed and acted all high and mighty, but Joseph did not. He kept silent and continued on as he was, a simple carpenter, obediently following the designs of the Lord and never getting pompous. Although great glory and wealth lay before him, Joseph was always a follower, a father, a husband, and a worker. Never anything more and never anything less.
- One should always be selfless in action. Perhaps this is the main reason why there are scant stories about Joseph. Every narrative that features Joseph in the Bible is always in connection to Christ and Mary. There is no section in the Bible that is dedicated only to Joseph, despite his role in the life of Christ and his ministry. Throughout his life and until his death, Joseph always remembered that everything that had happened to him was because of God’s grace, and he never went beyond the line.
For more lessons on living an honest and God-centered life, Julius Mosley’s book about God and His righteousness, Living Life with Blinders On, is available in all major online bookstores.
