On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Church commemorates the man to whom “God entrusted his most precious treasures.”
For the next 44 days, between the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 and the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, we will be offering a set of daily reflections on the man Jesus Christ chose as his guardian, foster father, and mentor.
For days 2-34, we will reflect on the 35 names and titles of St. Joseph in the Litany of St. Joseph. The nine days following will include a novena to St. Joseph and will will take us up to the eve of the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1.
On this first day, let us consider: what is to be made of the fact that Jesus Christ selected St. Joseph as the man to whom he would apprentice himself for most of his life on earth?
Famously, little is said of St. Joseph in the scriptures, and even less (that is, nothing) is recorded of St. Joseph’s words. But we know we know he honored and loved Mary. And we know he obeyed God without hesitation. And we know he worked quietly and humbly. And we can fairly presume that our Lord woke every morning and, grabbing their lunches, accompanied Joesph to work, watched Joseph, learned from Joseph, respected Joseph, and asked Joseph for things he needed as a son, apprentice, and worker.
There are very few details we know about St. Joseph, but in apprenticing himself to Joseph, perhaps our Lord was pointing us to Joseph as an example of how we should begin to follow him.
It is as if he were saying that, to join him on his path to the cross and to our redemption, we ought to begin with only a few simple things:
- Love and honor the Mother of God.
- Obey God readily.
- Work diligently and humbly.
St. John Paul II reminds us that every step Christ took on earth was a path to the cross. And for thirty years, it led through the workshop in Nazareth. Let us begin our work where our Lord began his: at the side of St. Joseph.
Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph. Let’s get to work.