Throughout the world there are thousands of Catholic churches named after St. Joseph, yet he is never quoted in the Bible.
St. Joseph protecting his family
Saint Joseph
Imagine you are newly engaged only to find out that your fiancée is carrying a child you did not father. An engagement or being bethrothed was different in ancient Judaism. This was considered a marriage, a temporary period up to one year before the covenant of marriage took place. This arrangement could only be broken by death or divorce (Deut 24:1-4).
Joseph, a godly man, was about to ask Mary for a divorce when an intervention from God came to him in a dream.
Matthew 1:19-21 New Catholic Bible
19 Her husband Joseph was a just man and did not wish to expose her to the ordeal of public disgrace; therefore, he resolved to divorce her quietly.
20 After he had decided to follow this course of action, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Mary into your home as your wife. For this child has been conceived in her womb through the Holy Spirit.21 She will give birth to a son, and you shall name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The Dreams
Many times I have mentioned in my Blog about the importance of dreams. To receive a message in a dream in the time of Jesus was not taken lightly. The vision of a giant angel whose first words were, “Do not be afraid,” must have put the dreamer in a state of shock. Joseph was no different – he understood the message and obeyed God’s orders.
King Herod
God never gave King Herod dreams because he got his orders directly from Satan. As soon as the insecure, narcissistic king heard of the birth of Jesus, he wanted the infant dead. King Herod received the information of the Christ child’s birth through the Wise Men. The Wise Men followed the star which led them to Bethlehem. The king had instructed them to return to him with this location, but the Wise Men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.
Matthew 2:12 New Catholic Bible
12 And since they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another route.
Joseph’s Second Dream
This dream was to make haste, and, again Joseph did as instructed.
Matthew 2:13-15 New Catholic Bible
13 The Flight into Egypt. After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him, “Arise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Remain there until I tell you. Herod seeks the child to kill him.”14 Therefore, he got up, took the child and his mother, and departed that night for Egypt,15 where they remained until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Joseph had never been outside his small village but, through obedience, God provided all that this Holy Family would need. The holy family were not considered immigrants, because Egypt was part of the Roman Empire and they would have family there. With all they endured, God protected them every step of the way.
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Herod was so preoccupied with the killing of the innocent children that it would be two years before Joseph received his last dream.
The Last Dream
It was after the death of Herod, that Joseph received the last dream.
Matthew 2:19-23 New Catholic Bible
19 The Return to the Land of Israel. After the death of Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt20 and said, “Arise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought to kill the child are dead.”21 He got up, took the child and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel.
22 But when Joseph learned that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod in Judea, he was afraid to go there. After he had been warned in a dream concerning this, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.23 He settled in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazorean.”
My Dream
I am a dreamer, and as many times I grapple with matters of the heart. I obsess and find myself in a quandary thinking of how to remedy the problem. Recently I received a beautiful dream with instructions on how to pray. One: my sister Myra, who has been with the Lord for 15 years comes to aid me, and then we are taken to a family member’s home where there is a huge community theater. As I look around I say to myself, “This is St. Aquinas High School!” I’m sharing this with others, but they don’t understand. We are at a football stadium, but it is enclosed with wood ceilings. So what does this dream mean?
The Interpretation
I did not give all the details to this dream because it was meant for me, and it is personal and very long. This dream means is that I am to ask my sister Myra for her intercession and to seek one of the greatest philosophers and theologians Saint Thomas Aquinas’ intercession as well. The high school is a place for learning, I plan to read some of his prolific writings to help me with my prayer life.
Our Joseph
My husband Mike was born with the spirit of Joseph. His only concern in life is to make sure that we, his family are well taken care of. He has never put himself before others and his quiet demeanor is a testament of what a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather he is to us. One of Mike’s main priority is to serve his family. In January we will mark another milestone of 54 years of marriage!
My Prayer
Dear Lord, You never fail us. I thank you for the gift of dreams and for their interpretation. May we all seek Your holy wisdom in all matters of our lives. Shed light in all the dark areas of our lives and deliver us from judging others. May Your loving arms embrace all those who need healing in their bodies, minds,and souls. Thank You for giving us life. Amen.
