At the final apparition in Fatima on October 13, 1917, after the children saw Our Lady open her hands and reflect them on the sun. they saw three visions, corresponding fo the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the Rosary. The first was of St. Joseph holding the Child Jesus, along with  Our Lady. Both St. Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the sign of the Cross with their hands.

Thus is summarized Catholic teaching on St. Joseph, the greatest saint after the Blessed Virgin Mary. For he was the most closely associated with the mystery of the Incarnation and also on account of his mission as Head of the Holy Family, and Protector of the Mother of God. We call him the Foster Father of Christ to indicate that he was not a biological father. However, more rightly  is he called the Virgin Father of Christ. For he truly performed all the roles of a father, and his fatherhood is a reflection in a creature of the fatherhood of God. He is called in Scripture “just” (Mt 1:19), that is perfect in every virtue. It is he who was given the mission to name the divine Child (Mt 1:21), who would take legal responsibility for him, to whom the angel appeared to take the Child and His mother to flee from Israel (Mt 2:13) and again to return (2:20).

What characterizes a father? Responsibility, that is to share in God’s authority to maintain the order of His plan.  Just as we recognize the authority of God our heavenly Father, who takes responsibility for us by His grace, so likewise do we recognize in St. Joseph the authority to prepare Christ, the Divine Victim, for his ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. He did this by the practice of silence, modesty, humility, obedience, poverty and detachment from earthly posessions, and a loving care for his family.  We find the harmony of these virtues in the misunderstanding of the loss of the Divine Child in the temple. For when Our Lord answered his mother saying: “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business?” (Lk 2:49), He remained subject to them (v.51). It seems like a contradiction, but really indicates that He meant by his father, both His heavenly Father, and St. Joseph. He would be obedient to both and thus prepare the ulimate sacrifice that would be the redemption of the world.

Let us, then, look to St. Joseph, as a perfect model for men, whether they are fathers of family or hope to be, or whether they be spiritual fathers, as priests. Just like the head of the Holy Family, they have a role of leadership. The difficulty about leadership is taking responsibility. Like St. Joseph, a father has to take responsibility for the physical well being of his family, providing a home, clothing and nourishment. But even more challenging is the providing for the emotional well being of all, which he shows by his care of the details of daily life, by his constant affection, by his patience with the faults of various family members, by his willingness to suffer contradictions without complaining. He must embrace the cross himself, to prepare each of the family members for their own crosses. This is true responsibility -  to lead by example.

In addition, a father is the spiritual head of his family. He must see that they are instructed in the things of God, that they keep the commandments, receive the sacraments worthily, pay their debts and perform all their duties for the love of God. However, unlike St. Joseph, he must always remember that his children are stained by original sin. Although washed clean in the waters of baptism, they will always retain the wounds that incline to sin. It is his duty, then, to admonish, correct, rebuke if necessary, so as to maintain the order of the divine plan. He  must, likewise, see to it that his daughters are respected and respectful, and especially that they are modest in language as in dress, and that they always retain the beauty of sanctifying grace in their souls. Likewise, he must see to it that his sons respect women, honour them, and treat them with the dignity that is due to them, as handmaids of God, future wives and mothers. He must constantly invoke the Virgin Father of Christ that they be pure and upright, never seeking to use women for pleasure. Likewise, he must insist that they abstain from the horrifying images, movies everywhere found on the internet, which corrupt and destroy the imagination.

St. Joseph, Pillar of families, pray for us.

--FATHER PETER SCOTT