JOSEPH - ROLE MODEL FOR TODAY'S FATHERS
by Billy Stainsby
"Through God's mysterious design, it was in the family that the Son
of God spent long years of a hidden life. It is therefore the
prototype and example for all Christian families", we read in
<Familiaris Consortio> (n. 82).
In the company of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, parents and their children
can also grow in wisdom, in favour with God (Lk. 2:52) and in love.
Human love, on which the family is founded and maintained, flourishes
like that of Joseph and Mary when it is animated by the grace of God
from above. The media images of marriage and family life today give
the impression that the family based on marriage is the tomb of love.
Through Joseph and Mary, however God who is the source of love, lived
among us and continues to live among us if we keep Him in our midst
(Mt. 18:20). And so Nazareth is like a compass in these confusing
times, gently showing what the family is meant to be in God's plan:
the cradle of life and the sanctuary of love.
Husband and father
Joseph's example of giving himself heart and soul through his life
and work to God, and through God, to Mary and Jesus, defines what
being a loving husband and father involves. At the heart of the
household of Nazareth was Mary the beloved wife of Joseph and Mother
of Jesus. Observing that God had joined them together in a real
marriage, Pope Leo XIII wrote in <Quamquam pluries>, the only
encyclical letter we have on St. Joseph: "When God gave Joseph as
husband to the virgin, he gave him a companion in life, a witness to
her maidenhood, a guardian of her honour."
Going back to Nazareth
To Joseph was entrusted the task of fostering the human growth of
Jesus, "in wisdom, age and grace". "We must recognise," writes Pope
John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation <Redemptoris Custos>
(1989), "that Joseph showed Jesus by a special gift from heaven, all
the natural love, all the affectionate solicitude that a father's
heart can know" (No. 8).
At the heart of Joseph's "fatherhood" was the total gift of himself
to Mary and her Son, using his time and talents at the service of the
Messiah growing up by his side in his home. In return, Jesus "was
obedient to them" (Lk. 2:51), respectfully returning the affection of
his "parents".
Intercessor
Intimately united on earth, Joseph still knows the way to the heart
of Jesus, to the Holy Spirit and to the Father. "Jesus is so full of
charity that He can never refuse Joseph's prayer," St. Bernard tells
us. "How can
were being lodged in heaven that souls whom it was alleged had no
business being there, had been allowed in. St. Peter kept a
check-list and he maintained that all was in order. But then St.
Joseph was accused: he had a ladder over the back wall and he was
getting his clients into heaven that way. St. Peter put the
accusation to him, saying he would have to stop it or else. "Very
well," St. Joseph said in his serene way, "I'll go. But I'm taking my
wife and Child with me!" And that was the end of that!
Silent and hidden
Two other "lessons" we learn from the spirituality of Joseph at
Nazareth are silence and work.
First, the lesson of silence.
Not one word of Joseph is recorded. Sacred scripture speaks only of
what Joseph "did": "by their fruits you shall know them." Humble,
silent fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother is the mark of
Joseph. The hiddenness of Joseph encourages us to seek holiness of
life through the ordinary events of daily life. "St. Joseph is the
model of those humble ones that Christianity raises up to great
destinies", observed fathers to imitate Joseph's domestic virtues:
industriousness, listening, patience and sacrifice, detachment from
material possessions, purity of heart and faithfulness to grace.
Room for God
At Nazareth, in this school of the Gospel, Joseph helps us to
understand the life of Jesus and the need to develop and deepen our
spiritual life. Raising the mind and heart to God through prayer and
work requires moments of stillness amidst the hustle and bustle of
family life. Noise and distraction are the hallmarks of the
marketplace and TV culture; silence and the tranquility of order are
the marks of the presence of God. Peace and quiet in ourselves and
our surroundings are necessary if we are to recreate the atmosphere
of Nazareth in our homes. Obviously laughter and the carefree
playfulness of children in the home are a great blessing. But in
order to leave 'room at the inn' for God in our homes, we need to
understand the words of the Psalmist: 'Be still and know that I am
God'. A quiet, disciplined lifestyle helps us to see the need for
simplicity, for humility of spirit, for detachment from material
things. In this way we learn to treasure what is of true value in
God's eyes.
Meaning of work
Then there is the lesson of work. Following in the footsteps of
Joseph helps us to appreciate the personal meaning of work. Nazareth,
home of the 'Carpenter's Son', restores our awareness of the nobility
of work, Pope Paul said. "Work cannot be an end in itself," he
declared, "its freedom and its excellence derive, over and above its
economic worth, from the value of those for whose sake it is
undertaken." When work is undertaken as an expression of love for our
family, it fosters personal development and maturity; it promotes
health of body and mind and deepens our capacity to love, by drawing
the family closer together. It is as if Joseph is appealing to us
through St. Paul: "I appeal to you ... to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship".
Let us sum up all this by recalling the blessing of Pope John Paul II
in his Letter to Families: "May the Holy Family, icon and model of
every human family, help each individual to walk in the spirit of
Nazareth. May it help each family unit to grow in understanding of
its particular mission in society and the Church by hearing the word
of God, by prayer and by a fraternal sharing of life. May Mary,
Mother of 'Fairest Love', and Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer,
accompany us all with constant protection. I bless every family in
the name of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
This article appeared in the May 12, 1995 issue of "The Irish
Family", P.O. Box 7, G.P.O., Mullingar. Co. Westmeath, IRELAND.
