Pope Francis writes: “With a father’s heart: that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as “the son of Joseph.” Matthew and Luke, the two Evangelists who speak most of Joseph, tell us very little, yet enough for us to appreciate what sort of father he was …
“The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. … St. Paul VI pointed out that Joseph concretely expressed his fatherhood “by making his life a sacrificial service to the mystery of the incarnation and its redemptive purpose. He employed his legal authority over the Holy Family to devote himself completely to them in his life and work. He turned his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of himself, his heart and all his abilities, a love placed at the service of the Messiah who was growing to maturity in his home.”
I often marvel at the task Joseph accepted, no doubt gradually growing into understanding it: to model fatherhood for the eternal Son of God, Who has known the heavenly Father even before time began. This vocation enlarged his heart beyond all expectations as he lived day by day in intimacy with the Word made flesh.
What is your idea of a good father? How do you see these qualities in St. Joseph?
