The Gospel According to St. Luke:
18 Now the generation of Christ was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. 19 Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: 23 Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife. 25 And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.The Gospel according to St. Matthew:
13 And after they [the Magi] were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.14 Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: 15 That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child. 21 Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee. 23 And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene. (Douay)
We all know that St Joseph was a good man. He was willing to take Mary as his wife even knowing she was pregnant by someone else. Gabriel, the archangel messenger who announced the Incarnation of God in Mary’s womb, reassured Joseph when he had his natural doubts.
But, Joseph’s kindness, too, is evident in these brief Bible passages. Even though he considered divorcing her, it was easy for the angel to convince Joseph of her innocence and purity. Trusting in that angelic message, he kindly agreed to receive her. Afterwards, he steadfastly cared for Mary as her pregnancy grew. When Augustus decreed a tax and declared that each person must register in the town of their birth, Joseph reluctantly took Mary on a long and dangerous trip to Bethlehem, even though she was very near term and about to give birth. It must have been difficult for him to see her discomfort on the trip and be so little able to do much about it.
After the miraculous Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Joseph was told to take Mary and the Babe to Egypt to escape Herod’s soldiers. The flight into Egypt was at least as nerve-wracking and uncomfortable as the trip to Bethlehem had been, but this time, it was also perilous, as they were as good as hunted. At any point Herod’s soldiers could have stopped the little family and murdered the Child in front of their eyes. It is not much of a stretch to imagine the angels remaining with the family for the entire time of their life in Egypt.
As soon as Joseph heard from the angel that Herod was dead, and it was safe to return, he took his little family on another long journey. It is hard to imagine an earthly household at any point in history that was happier, more peaceful, and more loving that the little home in Nazareth behind the carpenter’s shop.
For us today, being like the heroic Joseph will mean trying to fill some very large shoes. Joseph is the patron of workers, fathers, husbands, and also symbolizes marital fidelity, chastity, and trust in God, especially trust for a peaceful death.
































