St. Joseph: The Man Who First Set Eyes on the Face of God.

"If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph; if anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph; if exasperation or hatred seizes you, think of the love of Joseph, who was the first man to set eyes on the human face of God in the person of the Infant conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.  Let us praise and thank Christ for having drawn so close to us, and for giving us Joseph as an example and model of love."  -- Pope Benedict XVI

Outside of the Virgin Mary, whose blood intermingled with God's Royal Blood for 40-weeks or so, there is no greater saint in the annals of humanity than St. Joseph, who lived in the presence of Jesus Christ for almost 30 years.  

No saint no matter how holy, miraculous or devout can ever claim to be closer to God than the humble carpenter from Nazareth; not even the Apostles.  

For the past month, I have been reading Consecration to St. Joseph, the Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Fr. Donald Calloway, an ex-California surfer and bad boy, who lived a tumultuous and nefarious life before converting to Catholicism and becoming a priest!   

The book is a wealth of lesser known information and reflections based on the writings, thoughts and devotions of numerous saints through the centuries, who shed light and perspective on the life of the greatest but possibly the most obscure of all the saints in Christianity.  

Consider how great St. Joseph is that he was there even before the Annunciation to Mary.  He was there throughout her pregnancy.  He was there when the God-child was born.  And, although scripture doesn't mention it, there is no doubt, he was there to hold, comfort and put Jesus to sleep at times.  And to watch him sleep peacefully in his bed.  If I think about my own experiences as a husband and father, it's not difficult to imagine all the fatherly memories that Joseph shared with Jesus.

Moreover, as the spiritual leader of the household, as customary in Jewish tradition, Joseph was responsible for teaching Jesus how to pray and how read and understand the Hebrew Scriptures.  He imparted life lessons and set an example of hard work, humility and virtue.  He provided for and safeguarded Jesus and the Blessed Mother.  As a husband and father, that was his primary role; his purpose. 

While some scholars say Jesus probably looked a lot like Mary, since His humanity derived from her, like any son who looks up to his dad, the Lord probably acted and behaved a lot like Joseph.  He may have had the same mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, the same sense of humor and interests.  I know from my own experience, my son loves baseball because I love baseball.  And, I love baseball because my father loves baseball.  The same can be said for the love of God.  

There is little that is known about the foster father of Jesus.  What is written about him in the Bible pales in comparison with his importance and impact in Christ's life.  

He was the man that God chose to raise, care and protect His Son!  He was the "righteous man" that God entrusted to provide a home for the woman who would bear His only son and serve as the new ark of the covenant.  

Speaking of protector and provider, many portrayals of St. Joseph in art depict him as an elderly man.  This is because many theologians through the centuries have tried to reason why Joseph was able to control his passions and remain chaste while married to a beautiful woman.  

They extrapolate that he must have been an elderly widower with grown children, the siblings of Jesus  mentioned in the Gospels.  I must admit, I fell into this line of thinking.  But, upon further reflection, I realized that it wouldn't make much sense.

Not only does it take away from Joseph's virtues, but, as Fr. Calloway and many others point out, in the Old Testament, the ark of the covenant was the most sacred of all religious symbols for the Israelites.  It was where the tablets that Moses received, manna and Aaron's staff were kept.  It was meticulously guarded and revered.  It couldn't be defiled in any way and even touching it to stop it from falling was enough to strike down a Levite priest.        

Joseph was a devout Jew.  He understood what the ark represented, which carried what Israelites believed to be the presence of God.  It wouldn't have been that difficult for him to discern that Mary was the new ark, since she carried within her the living God.  If defiling the sacred chest of the covenant was tantamount to defiling God, how much more would defiling the Mother of the Son of God be?     

In any case, while the Church has never made an official pronouncement on the age of St. Joseph, as Calloway poignantly points out, why would God put his only son and his mother in the care of an old man?  

Would an elderly man be able to walk the eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem (about Miami to West Palm Beach) and onto Egypt, about forty miles from Bethlehem but more like sixty miles to a city where he could work and find shelter (the distance from Miami to about Ft. Pierce)?  

As Mother Angelica, the founder of EWTN, once answered when asked if she thought St. Joseph was young or old, "All I know, sweetie, is old men don't walk to Egypt!" 

Would a man of advanced age be capable of ensuring the safety of his wife and newborn child in a strange land and culture, without knowing the language, and having to survive in whatever way he could for several years (as many as seven) until he was told it was alright to return home?  Then he would have to trek back the 120-140 miles it took from where they lived back to Nazareth.        

These were rugged terrains; walking in the intense heat through mountains and deserts.  There were no rest stops or roadside eateries.  The mugging on the road to Jericho could have happened anywhere on their journey and there was no 911 or even good Samaritan around to help.  It was up to Joseph. (By the way, the gold, myrrh and frankincense the magi gave them probably held the Holy Family over to start their life in exile for a little while but quickly dwindled.  Their survival was dependent on the sweat from Joseph's brow)

More likely, Joseph was a young, strong, virile and rugged man who, as a craftsman, was good with his hands and used to hard labor.

Joseph is said to have died before Jesus started his public ministry, which is why he never appears at the foot of the cross to comfort his wife.  He is called the Patron of the Dying and of a Happy Death.  Only a man who, according to tradition, is said to have died in the arms of the Blessed Mother while staring at the Human Face of God can ever die so joyfully...      

St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us... Ite Ad Joseph! (Go to Joseph!)