Saint Joseph the Worker

This is the statue of Saint Joseph the Worker that is housed in the Shrine.  If you are looking from the nave of the church into the sanctuary, it is to the right of the sanctuary.   Just to the left of his statue is a statue of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The Shrine has many stained glass windows, and murals, that depict events in the life of Saint Joseph, and I am sure I will share some of those with you as time goes on. (Of course, if you are in the Lowell area, I encourage you to come to the Shrine and see for yourself.)
The amazing thing about Saint Joseph, for me, is that he is revered, such a key figure in salvation history, and a Saint, despite not a single spoken word of his in recorded in Scripture, not one..zero, zilch, nada.   Tell me a quote of Saint Joseph, tell me something he said.  You cannot.  Scripture speaks of him, but he himself never says a word.
I think there is meaning to this for us, especially when we consider him under the title Saint Joseph the Worker.  I think more of us need to imitate him as a quiet worker.  We should do our work humbly, quietly, not seeking attention.  The world wants us to seek attention, seek power, seek recognition.  To a degree, that is healthy.  It is healthy to receive attention, recognition, and yes, even some degree of power.   However, we really shouldn't be seeking it. 
Is that why the Church is in the condition it is today?  Have too many of her members been living their lives seeking recognition, attention, and power?  Do we speak too much and listen little?  Do we seek the glory of man, and miss the angels around us, speaking to us?   We need to look to Joseph as a model how it should be done. He lived his days out in quiet, he did not want attention, he rarely spoke.  Yet, God willed him to be the earthly father of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. There is a group called the Men of Saint Joseph in a parish I know of, and probably such a group exists in more parishes, too.  Men, indeed, need to look to Saint Joseph as a model.   Women should emulate a lot of these qualities too, but I think men struggle more than women to do so. 
If you can, look at the statue more closely.  (Yes, I am not the best picture taker, sorry. You can probably find a better picture online.)   Despite my amateur photo taking abilities,  you should be able to see the following, at least I do.  I see a strong rugged man.   With his sleeves rolled up, carrying a saw, and what appears to be a tool kit, and a vibrant looking face, he is a man's man.  He is a hard working man who takes pride in his work. 
This should send a message to all men out there, especially those who work hard, and take pride in their work.  It is OK to be a man of God. It is OK to be humble.  It is OK to shut up once in awhile, and listen to the Lord.
Saint Joseph worked hard, prayed hard, and I would imagine, the times he did play with Our Blessed Lord as an infant, child, teenager, and young adult, he probably played hard, too.   I am sure Our Lord and him had fun together.  Being a man of God does not mean you will not have any fun in life.  Being men and women of God will help us enjoy the good of this world the way we should enjoy the good, as gifts from God. It will help us get through the tough times.  Read the Bible selections about Joseph, they will not take you long at all.  He only appears in two of the four Gospels, and not for long in each.  You will get an idea what I am talking about.
I am sure as time goes on in this blog, I will speak more about Saint Joseph.  Saint Joseph, I am sure, though, would tell me to speak less and listen more.  Listen to the quiet voice of the Lord, be humble, live your life in an unassuming way, which will allow you to more easily follow the promptings of the Lord.  You will do great things in this life, if you do this, as Joseph did, and while you may not receive earthy recognition, fame, or fortune, you will receive heavenly treasures, which you will begin to experience in this life, even as fullness of them awaits only in the next.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.