The 19th of March is the feast day of St. Joseph. Yesterday, on Mothering Sunday, we thought about Mary. Yet Joseph too has a crucial part to play in the story of Jesus. Think about him - engaged to Mary, told she was to have a child, wondering whether to out her as being unfaithful, yet still kind in a scandal, deciding to dismiss her quietly. Visited by angels, he’s first organising a trip to Bethlehem to be counted in a census and after Jesus is born, he’s told to organise another trip getting the family to safety fleeing as refugees to Egypt until it was safe to return.
We know Jesus had a good upbringing in Nazareth. While Joseph isn’t mentioned again in the biblical text he is a good earthly father and role model. We think Mary was widowed quite young as Joseph was a lot older than her.
Maybe Joseph is an example of enabling and obedience. Without his graciousness and trust, the story would have been very different. Who are those people who enable things to happen today who go the extra mile to bring about God’s purposes?
There’s also a fun thing about today. The tradition of the removal of the warming pan from your bed on the 19th March is one that has long been adhered to by maids, landladies and housekeepers. The connection to Joseph is well… a bit dubious but one apocryphal Christian tradition suggests that the Christ child moved from the family bed to his own cot in mid March of his first year, and, wait for it, the godlike warmth of Christ is linked to the comfort of a warming pan.
It was thought to keep your bed warm in late spring was a sign of decadence and would invite a demon to slip under your covers with you! I’m writing this in bed after a long day. I’ve just checked under the covers as my bed is warm! No warming pan but the heating has been on.
Let’s end today with a prayer to St. Joseph, for even though he never spoke a word in scripture, his silent example of obedient faithfulness and diligent care for the Holy Family during Jesus’ formative years has made him one of the most beloved saints of Christianity.
O Glorious St Joseph, to you, God committed the care of His only begotten Son amid the many dangers of this world.
We come to you and ask you to take under your special protection the children God has given us.
Through holy baptism, they became children of God and members of His holy Church.
We consecrate them to you today, that through this consecration they may become your foster children.
Guard them, guide their steps in life, form their hearts after the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
St Joseph, who felt the tribulation and worry of a parent when the child Jesus was lost, protect our dear children for time and eternity.
May you be their father and counsellor.
Let them, like Jesus, grow in age as well as in wisdom and grace before God and men.
Preserve them from the corruption of his world, and give us the grace one day to be united with them in Heaven forever. Amen.
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