A Man of No Words

In his Loose-Leaf Lectionary, Fr. Daniel Durken points out something about St. Joseph that startled me: “St. Joseph is not just a man of few words. He is a man of no words. Neither Matthew nor Luke records a single spoken word of Joseph in their infancy narratives.” It is remarkable that a man who left behind no words has been the source of so much reflection on the characteristics of compassion, courage, faith, trust, obedience, and integrity. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

When God’s word lives in us, as it did in St. Joseph, it is not necessary for us to speak; as Thomas Keating said, “Silence is God’s first language,” and it can be ours, too. Our connection with God likely has more of an impact when it is expressed through what we do rather than what we say.

One of the characteristics of St. Joseph that often seems to be overlooked is his kindness. Even before he received a message from an angel that explained Mary’s pregnancy, he had chosen the kindest way to deal with the situation — to divorce Mary quietly rather than subject her to shame. Joseph’s instinct for kindness was likely one of the reasons God chose him to be the earthly father of Jesus. Jesus was a very kind man, and surely that characteristic was instilled in him by having a kind father.

In his message for Lent 2021, Pope Francis said, “In order to give hope to others, it is sometimes enough simply to be kind.” Perhaps the best way to honor St. Joseph on his Feast Day is to follow his example and extend kindness to those around us.