Devotion for today: feast of St. Joseph, man of faith

It greatly behooves Christians, while honoring the Virgin Mother of God, constantly to invoke with deep piety and confidence her most chaste spouse, Saint Joseph. We have a well grounded conviction that such is the special desire of the Blessed Virgin herself.  Pope Leo XII
Scripture for meditation: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
Scripture for reflection: 2 Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
 Brothers and sisters: It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, I have made you father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
These are excerpts taken from the article: St. Joseph hailed as model for upcoming 'Year of Faith'
By Benjamin Mann Philadelphia, Pa., Oct 26, 2011 (CNA).
The author of a landmark work on Saint Joseph says Christ's foster father offers believers a model for building trust in God during the newly-announced “Year of Faith.” “This was a man of faith, like Abraham. He was being asked to believe the impossible,” said Father Joseph Chorpenning, an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales who compiled two decades of research and lectures in his book “Joseph of Nazareth Through the Centuries”.  “We need to bring these figures down to earth for people,” Fr. Chorpenning told CNA on Oct. 18, two days after Pope Benedict announced the 2012-2013 “Year of Faith” that will begin Oct. 11, 2012. “It's challenging, but that's what needs to happen. When you look at Joseph, you have to look at him as a man of faith.” Fr. Chorpenning holds up the chaste husband of the Virgin Mary – who was asked to believe that his fiancée’s unexplained pregnancy was not a catastrophe, but part of history's greatest miracle – as a figure of inspiration “in a world that's losing faith, at every level of society.”  The lectionary readings for St. Joseph's feast day in March draw a comparison between Joseph and the Old Testament patriarch Abraham, sometimes called the “father of faith.” While Abraham waited decades for the unlikely birth of his son Isaac, Joseph made the leap of faith necessary to become the earthly father of God's son. Fr. Chorpenning said St. Joseph not only displays the virtue of faith, but also illustrates what Bl. John Paul II meant when he spoke of the “civilization of love.” “Joseph, in a sense, becomes the model of the 'civilization of love' – understood as a society which is not about having more, but about being more.” His life, the priest said, represents an alternative to the “'me-centered' kind of narcissism” that has made society break down on many levels, from individual families to financial markets. Fr. Chorpenning, who published a 1996 book on “The Holy Family as Prototype of the Civilization of Love,” says St. Joseph points the way to a life based on devotion to God, dedication to one's family, and work that serves the common good. Joseph's life, he said, shows a “transcending of the self” in which the father of the Holy Family becomes defined by his relation to its other two members, while also making their life possible. The result is a life that is “not about the individual, but about the community of persons” – as both the Church, and society itself, are meant to be.  Joseph's example also stands in opposition to a culture of irresponsibility and prolonged adolescence. “This is what a responsible man looks like,” said Fr. Chorpenning, summing up the love and loyalty that generations of believers have found in the head of the Holy Family.
Prayer: For the Intercession of Saint Joseph
O Joseph, virgin-father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray every day for us to the same Jesus, the Son of God, that we, being defended by the power of His grace and striving dutifully in life, may be crowned by Him at the hour of death, Amen.
My thoughts: “That is what a responsible man looks like.” Fr. Chorpenning’s comment on St. Joseph holds up for all mankind the model of a truly Christian life. He tells us that Joseph’s life points the way to a life of “devotion to God, dedication to one’s family, and work that serves the common good.” When we look around us today, how many St. Joseph’s can we find? We seem to be surrounded by people who don’t want children because it will cause them to sacrifice time and enjoyment. We see people willing to abort their babies instead of taking responsibility for the child and bringing him into their homes. What about the extensive game playing and viewing of pornography, much less the casual attitude toward sex which abounds in our population?  We have people who won't get married, yet live “the good life” together free of responsibility. What has this led to? Psychiatrists tell us we have an epidemic today of the “Peter Pan Man”...people who never want to grow up. How will the Church, society in general, and mankind prosper if we don’t all take responsibility for our own growth and maturity. It is time to turn to St. Joseph for help.
Our prayer to God: Today, let us ask ourselves if we are living up to the standard of St. Joseph, a man willing to put himself aside, to trust in God, and to do the right thing. He gave Mary a home, he gave Jesus an earthly father, and he gave us a standard to live by. St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, help us all to grow up.