St. Joseph statue in St. Ignatius

In the modern world, it is an all too common phenomenon for Catholics to over-emphasize social activism, while forgetting what must always lie at its root.  Such service to others, undoubtedly, is a good and admirable thing by its very nature, but it becomes infinitely more valuable when performed in a spirit of love for God.  As St. Paul says, “if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3).  When good works are not performed from a motive of divine love, but rather only for self-seeking, worldly desires, they lose a great deal of value and eternal merit.

St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Christ, serves for modern Catholics, no matter what their vocation, as a shining example of charity and simplicity.  Everything he did was all for Jesus and Mary; he was closer to the two of them than anyone who ever lived.  He never was solicitous about his own well being, never sought after sensible consolations or physical pleasure, and never desired anything but to perfectly serve his sinless spouse and the divine Son whom the Lord had entrusted to him.  And it was for this reason that, as St. Alphonsus Liguori says, “it was his happy lot to expire in the arms of Jesus and Mary, who attended upon him in that last moment”.  He died as happy a death as anyone could ever ask for, and this is why St. Joseph is the patron saint of dying well.

St. Joseph’s life is a powerful model for what any Catholic today should strive to be.  No matter what one’s vocation, be they a student or a professor, a priest or a layman, each person is called first and foremost to know, love and serve God in this world, and to be happy with Him in the next.  In any state of life, it is possible to love Christ both in all things and above all things, and to be wholly abandoned to His divine providence in every moment of one’s life.  Whatever one’s state of life, he can both imitate St. Joseph’s unfailing fidelity to his duties of state, and his love of Christ and His mother above all else.

There is perhaps no greater example than this saint of how to live entirely for the greater glory of God.  In the life of any Catholic, if it is well ordered, charity will occupy the central place, and be “the queen of all virtues”, as it is man’s friendship with God, without which all other virtues lose nearly all their significance.  When man possesses true charity to its fullest extent, he desires nothing but Christ Himself, and performs no good work or act of service but for His sake.  Charity also manifests itself unfailingly through a sincere devotion to Mary; as Christ loves her and wills to work by her intercession, no man who truly loves Christ will fail to have recourse to her frequently.

Thus, St. Joseph is truly an example of charity whom all Catholics ought to follow, regardless of their state of life.  No matter what one’s vocation, all are ordained to the same ultimate end, that of union with God in the beatific vision.  For this reason, all people should meditate often on St. Joseph’s example and rely frequently on his intercession, that they may draw closer to Christ in this life, and be united with Him for all eternity in the next.

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