Go To Joseph

Ite Ad Joseph, Go to Joseph, a saying popular in prayer and song among devotees of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus.  We go to Joseph, yes, for special favors, such as the selling or finding of a house, and especially for the grace of a happy death, but even more importantly, we go to Joseph because he is so much like us...a worker who had to find work in a radius beyond Nazareth, and earlier, as an outsider living in Egypt.  We know from St. Luke that he was not wealthy, for he could not provide a lamb when Jesus was presented in the Temple, but only two turtle doves. Yet, he seems to have provided a home for Jesus and Mary and was able to travel with them to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve.
Despite the few verses in the Gospels describing Joseph, what we do have provides the picture of a man of faith, obedience, integrity, fortitude, patience, fidelity and holiness.  Something to which we all can aspire.
Bro. Rene