I never needed Saint Joseph until the day I became a father!

In him, I find the model par excellence of fatherhood. At the same time, he is also the preeminent model of what it means to be a husband. This confirmation of having Saint Joseph at the center of my spiritual life was confirmed when I received him as my Benedictine Oblate patron.

Saint Joseph has center stage in the heart of Jesus, life, and the Church. He is beloved across the globe, with places like Austria, Belgium, Bohemia, Canada, Mexico, Peru, and South Vietnam hailing him as their patron. Workers, carpenters, and fathers also see in Joseph a model of Christian discipleship.

Saint Joseph reached holy fame when he was declared patron of the Universal Church in 1870 by Pope Pius IX and Guardian of the Redeemer in 1989 by Saint Pope John Paul II.

What is the most meaningful thing we can learn from Joseph today? Silence. It is the fruit of the spiritual life.

Here’s the deal. Whenever we face a difficult situation, we can feel like God is absent. We must remember God is working in the silence, God is speaking in the quiet. Joseph reminds us of this, for in his silence and stillness, in his dream, God is acting.

Abbot Marion Nguyen of Saint Martin Abbey comments on the action of Joseph as a just man:

He adheres to reality without forcing it. He acts without inflicting harm. He waits without withdrawing. In doing so, he creates space for God to speak … Joseph’s righteousness does not merely protect the Incarnation; it makes it possible. By patiently remaining faithful to truth—partial, costly, and unresolved—Joseph allows God to become flesh in history. And the Gospel quietly suggests the power of committed adherence to truth: to live like Joseph is to allow God to become incarnate in us.

Joseph had a disposition of silence not rooted in pride or self-centredness, but in service to the will of God.

A Dreamer and a Doer

Joseph was a dreamer and a doer. God communicated his will and guided Joseph, the head of the holy family, through his dreams.

Four dreams were significant in the life of this silent saint. Joseph was told not to be afraid to marry the Blessed Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20-21); the angel instructed Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect them from Herod (Matthew 2:13-14); Joseph was told that it was safe to return to Israel for the Lord’s enemies were dead (Matthew 2:20); and the angel told Joseph to settle in Nazareth (Matthew 2:22).

His dreams modeled faith-in-action. His obedience to God did not remove him from the world; it drew him deeply into it as a man who worked and provided for his family. In his life, he rose with Mary and the child. Never alone, rose from slumber to do God’s will. How intimate this scene must have been, gazing into this intimate portrait of this silent man who cared for the Blessed Virgin and the Son of God.

Joseph was always listening in the silence. Perhaps that is why there was no recorded word of him in scripture. His silence fostered immense trust in God’s plan. Pope Benedict XVI said,

Throughout all of history, Joseph is the man who gives God the greatest display of trust, evn in the face of such astonishing views.

The first instruction in the Rule of Saint Benedict is to listen to God’s will. To listen with ears of the heart is at the root of following the Master and trusting Him. Joseph teaches this with precision and love.

Here’s what Pope Francis taught us about Saint Joseph:

His dreams also made him a doer TODAY! He is given many titles in the life of the Church. One title that is immensely meaningful to me is “Terror or Demons.” Not one word is uttered from his mouth, yet evil fears him! He tramples over the devil as Defender of Christ and His Church. All I have to do his model Joseph’s silence and I will not face my difficulties alone.

I love this image of Saint Joseph and the child. His commanding right hand conveys his silence, his mouth closed. The infant Jesus takes the spear from Joseph’s lily, a sign of Joseph’s purity, and punctures the neck of the dragon. Christ is the one fighting our battles with Joseph as our companion.

Pope Francis spoke of how Saint Joseph fulfilled his vocation:

Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

May we all have the heart of Joseph as we continue the journey toward Christmas. He will be our protector and guide as Christ breaks into our history!