St. Joseph: A Model of Fatherhood

Today the Church celebrates St. Joseph, a figure who appears only in the Gospels according to Luke, Matthew, and a few verses in John (1:45 [Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”]; 6:42 [They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”]).  Mark does not mention Joseph at all.

 

Joseph is often forgotten, being in the background.  Nevertheless, Joseph must have played a key role in Jesus’ life.  He was there when Jesus was born.  Joseph raised Jesus and cared for him.  Joseph would have taught Jesus his trade as a τεκτων (meaning a skilled worker).  Joseph, Mary and Jesus shared all of their meals together.  Joseph raised Jesus in the Jewish faith and traditions.  Joseph would have taken Jesus to the Temple and to the weekly worship in their local synagogue.  No doubt Jesus was there when Joseph breathed his last.  The Scriptures do not relate any of these events with the exception of the birth; nevertheless, we know that Joseph was there, in the background, being Jesus’ earthly father.  As James Kiefer writes: “When Jesus spoke of God as being like a loving Father, He was using a word that he had first learned as a child to apply to Joseph. Joseph stands as a testimony to the value of simple everyday human things, and especially that human thing called ‘fatherhood.’”

Those of us who have the privilege and responsibility of fatherhood should take notice of Joseph.

 

Let us pray: O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Wednesday, 19 March at 6 PM, the Lenten Series, Nick @ Night, continues at Grace.  The speaker will be the Rev. Wendy Wilkinson.  She came to the priesthood after decades as a professional orchestral trumpeter from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She received a graduate degree in Religious Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio before attending Virginia Theological Seminary. Both she and her husband graduated from VTS in 2004. After graduation, the Rev. Wendy was the Director of the Spirituality Center at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Orleans, Cape Cod. When her husband, Mark, was called to be Rector at St Aidan’s in Virginia Beach, she found her ministry as the Episcopal Chaplain to Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. In January of 2013, she began her ministry as the Priest-in-Charge at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach. She continues to use her musical gifts and visit the Virginia Beach General Hospital with her therapy dog, Kuma. The Rev. Wendy and her husband, Mark, have two grown sons, Jeffrey who resides in Columbus, Ohio and James, who lives in Nagoya, Japan.

 

Thursday, 20 March at 11 AM, the Seaside Seniors meet in Sutton Hall at St. Augustine’s for lunch and fellowship.  The theme is St. Patrick’s Day.

 

Jared Jackson will be made an Eagle Scout on Saturday, 22 March 2014 at 3 PM at Wortham Auditorium in Rosenberg Library.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially, Pat, Karen, Patricia, Evelyn and Lee.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550