Reflections on St. Joseph: foster father, man of hope

In his Apostolic Letter titled Patris Corde (With A Father’s Heart), Pope Francis describes St. Joseph as a tender and loving father, an obedient and accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows. In the letter issued last December, marking the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis proclaimed a year of St. Joseph (Dec. 8, 2020- Dec. 8, 2021).

Jesus, the Son of God had a father, Joseph who as a foster father was present to Jesus from the beginning of his life. Joseph, the chaste spouse of Mary, loved, parented, protected, and guided Jesus from birth. To know Joseph can give us inspiration and hope. Joseph inspires us to have faith in God when the going gets tough; he went through some tough times and through his faith and trust in God, the result was peaceful.

Joseph can give us hope because he was confident in his role as a husband, a foster father. He is a role model of faithfulness, trust, hope, and courage. How many of us look for those qualities in others? When we can trust someone, we feel more confident. We are assured they have the courage and confidence in making the right decisions that are for the good of all.

We can see this in St. Joseph. We call him a saint because of these virtues and his heroic life. What makes someone a saint? To be clear, the Catholic Church doesn’t make someone a saint. The Church recognizes the holiness and heroic faithfulness of certain individuals and honors some with the title of “Saint.”Their cooperation with God’s grace makes them a saint.

St. Joseph, though essential to God’s plan of salvation, is relatively unnoticed in the Gospels. He is not quoted as saying one word. Although he knew God called him to fulfill an important role in the lives of Jesus and Mary, he did so without expecting favors or recognition.

He was given the awesome responsibility of providing for life’s necessities for

Mary and Jesus. Next to God, St. Joseph’s priority was his family. He used every means at his disposal to provide security and necessities for those in his care. This he did through faithfulness, humility and obedience, and he received no extraordinary reward during his lifetime except the joy and peace related to his faithfulness. His reward, like that of all the faithful — is everlasting happiness in heaven.

St. Joseph was a man of hope! Hope can be described as an unshakable trust and assurance that the promises of God will be fulfilled. A key to living a life of hope is trusting in God’s plan for us. Most of us would like to have at our disposal all the resources necessary for any crisis that might come our way; it is not possible.

No one can prevent every tragedy, illness or death that will be part of our life experience, but every one of us can be filled with hope when enduring trials if we are intimately connected to God in prayer and in His grace.

We see in St. Joseph what every man and woman can do. St. Joseph can be a paternal figure for us — he teaches us to trust in God’s plan for us while remaining in hope. When children see their parent(s) praying and talking about God, it gives them a great sense of security.

Pope Francis is convinced that Joseph teaches us to set aside all anger and disappointment and to embrace the way things are — even when they do not turn out as we wish — not with mere resignation but with hope and courage. Pope Francis is sure God used Joseph to achieve His purpose, and he is convinced God can use us, too.

Be inspired and learn more about this incredible man — Joseph!