Justin Appel

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today is the feast of St. Joseph. Joseph is a central figure in the story of Christ’s birth, but he is a quiet character, a bit of a supporting actor in the drama of the Incarnation.

In the western Catholic tradition, Joseph finds his significance in the context of the Holy Family. Just as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus could be thought to provide a model for the Christian Family, so Joseph serves as a model male figure in the familial structure.

Pope Pius IX gave Joseph the title “Patron of the Universal Church” in 1870, and encouraged Catholics to pray to Joseph as a patron of churches.

In the Byzantine East, St. Joseph is given the name “Holy Righteous” and “the Betrothed” and his significance derives from his relationship to the Mother of God (Theotokos) and to Jesus.

The related Troparion places Joseph as the one—along with the likes of David, the shepherds, and the magi—who observes and confirms the miraculous fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the “Virgin great with child.”

Both perspectives suggest St. Joseph is an example of one who serves his family admirably: he is a man who obeys God even when to do so is scandalous, one who is meek, one who cares for his family, making hard decisions (such as fleeing to Egypt), one who allows himself to be subsumed in the service of God’s call—even when that means taking a less direct role in the Incarnation than Mary does.

Today, we can ask for St. Joseph’s intercessions and pray that we would imitate his good example.

To mark the occasion, I’ll share a recording of Hieronymus Praetorius’ lovely Christmas motet, Joseph lieber, Joseph mein. The English text can be found here.

Yours in Christ,

—Justin