Today is the Feast Day of St. Joseph. According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Joseph was chosen by God to be the protector of Jesus and of Mary the mother of Jesus. According to scripture, Joseph heard from God through dreams, visions and angels. We are not privy to any of his words of response. We only know that he was a man of obedience and action. If something needed to be done, God could count on Joseph.
At all the right times, Joseph took Mary and Jesus out of harm's way. He took them to Egypt to escape the sword of King Herod, who was slaying all infants under age two in Bethlehem. When Herod died, Joseph brought Jesus and Mary out of Egypt to return to their home in Nazareth where Jesus grew up. We are not told the time or circumstances of Joseph's death.
Here in part is what Lesser Feasts and Fasts has to say about Joseph:
"In the face of circumstances that distressed even a man of such tenderness and obedience to God as Joseph, he accepted the vocation of protecting Mary and being a father to Jesus . . .
"Joseph was a pious Jew, a descendant of David, and a carpenter by trade. As Joseph the Carpenter, he is considered the patron saint of the working man, one who not only worked with his hands, but taught his trade to Jesus. The little that is told of him is a testimony to the trust in God which values simple everyday duties, and gives an example of a loving husband and father."
Do you want to be like Silent Saint Joe? Just do the right thing at the right time.
Pastor Linda+
The Rev. Linda McCloud
Founding Pastor
The Episcopal Church of Our Savior at Honey Creek
www.oursaviorhoneycreek.org
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