Saint Joseph: The Gift of Self
My introduction to Saint Joseph came in the form of statue of Saint Joseph “the Worker” in my home parish in Tennessee. The nearly life-sized carved wood statue depicted a man in a beige knee-length tunic holding a hammer and chisel. It seemed remarkably plain when compared to its companion statue: an image of the Immaculate Conception, with Mary was clothed in soft blues, standing upon the ubiquitous serpent and star-clad sphere.
That statue conveyed a simplicity and kind of stoicism that made Saint Joseph a less-than-appealing figure in the Catholicism of my youth. He was the silent figure watching over the right side of the church with an unblinking gaze, resolutely looking forward.
Over the years, however, I have come to appreciate the silence of that statue more and more. Because, as we consider the Joseph of the gospels, we do, in fact, find a silent figure who, like that statue, never swerved, never waivered as he looked toward the horizon of God’s unfolding plan.
What makes Saint Joseph unique among the saints is precisely that silence. God didn’t ask Joseph to take up the mantle of an apostle or prophet and, if our reading of the gospels is correct, he had died before Jesus even began his public ministry. Like Joseph, few of us will be called great things in our lives and will live out our faith in simple, unassuming ways. And yet, this is where Joseph becomes a true model for us, because, in fulfilling his vocation, what mattered was not simply what Joseph did.
What was more important was who Joseph was: a person of trust who made himself available, open to what God asked of him. He lived his life as a gift.
“Oh really pray to God, Who can do all things.
All for You, Oh God!
Full of confidence, call upon St. Joseph often, that he may obtain the great grace for you.”
- Feast of St. Joseph, 19 March, 1905
Text from the Spiritual Diary of Blessed Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan; Image: Saint Joseph with Saints Peter and Paul in the Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
In his apostolic letter Patris Corde, Pope Francis offered these words:
“Joseph found happiness not in mere self-sacrifice but in self-gift. In him, we never see frustration but only trust. His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust… Every true vocation is born of the gift of oneself, which is the fruit of mature sacrifice. The priesthood and consecrated life likewise require this kind of maturity. Whatever our vocation, whether to marriage, celibacy or virginity, our gift of self will not come to fulfilment if it stops at sacrifice; were that the case, instead of becoming a sign of the beauty and joy of love, the gift of self would risk being an expression of unhappiness, sadness and frustration” (no. 7).
To offer oneself as a gift and to allow one’s life to become space where God can be at work is an act of self-sacrifice. But if we only think in terms of sacrifice, we risk focusing on our own efforts and we make ourselves the protagonist. By focusing on self-gift, however, we become free to simply be with and for God and others. We allow God to become the active agent, using us—our gifts, talents, passions, and faith—when and how God wills. This is the great lesson of Saint Joseph for us today.
In a world in which the winner is the one who can shout the loudest or who is able to crush the hopes and aspirations of their enemy, forcing them into submission, this silent saint offers us another path. And, whether he is depicted as the simple carpenter of Nazareth or as the glorified patriarch presenting Christ the world (as in the image above), we can always recognize that Joseph never lived for himself or for his own fulfillment. His entire person was oriented toward a reality greater than himself: the establishment of the Reign of God in the life and mission of his adopted Son.
As we celebrate Saint Joseph—”Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary” and “Patron of the Universal Church”—ask this silent saint to help you offer yourself, without reservation and without counting the cost, as a gift and blessing for others.
Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome. My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.
-A prayer to Saint Joseph recited daily by Pope Francis for more than 40 years, taken from a 18th century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary (see Patris Corde, footnote 10)
