Saint Joseph’s self-denial of all the physical benefits of that age – is what makes him strong… Not weak…
I have been reflecting on Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph – in traditional artwork – is often depicted as an older man. There is no youth and vitality in the historic depictions of Saint Joseph.
Now, there are many differing opinions about the true age of Saint Joseph. Some Saints and scholars have thought of him as an older man – possibly widowed and with children from his first marriage. In this line of thought such thinking is that an older man would have been in a position to care for the Blessed Virgin as a father – or even a grandfather – might have been able to. This removes the sexual dynamic in the relationship between the Blessed Virgin and the Saint and means that in our reflections of the Holy Family we can consider the spirituality of their relationship without considering any of the practical day to day inconveniences of a celibate marriage. This could also explain why Saint Joseph died before Christ’s crucifixion – that he died of old age.
But perhaps there is more to the story than this. Some Saints, like Saint Josemaria, had other ideas. You see, Saint Josemaria argued that an older man would have been unable to care for the Holy Family and move them from one part of the world to another as they escaped the Herod and the Romans. He argues that Saint Joseph needed his strength and vitality to perform the duties that he was tasked with, which included migration and long distances of travel, where he was required to look after his young Holy Family despite threats on the road of criminals and wild animals. He needed his strong staff in his hand to fight off such predators. He needed his strength to repel the threats.
And I have been thinking about this today. You see, there is no virtue in weakness. If a person practices celibacy because they are unable to maintain a sexual relationship there is no virtue in that practice. Instead there is only weakness – the INABILITY to be sexual. And this means that if Saint Joseph lived a celibate life with the Blessed Virgin because he was too old and weak to engage in sexual relations with her, then there is no virtue in that life – only weakness. However, if Saint Joseph was a young and virile man, who deeply loved the Blessed Virgin and then decided to practice celibacy with her and not engage in sexual relations with her, then there is virtue there. Having the ability to do something and denying yourself that ability is a virtue and a sign of strength.
And I have been thinking about that today as I have been thinking about Saint Joseph. For in my mind, he is a young and virile man, who was strong and capable of the vocation allotted to him by God. And this – and his self-denial of all the physical benefits of that age – is what makes him strong… Not weak…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.