INTRODUCTION
The following presentation was delivered by the Supreme Council Grand Marshal (RMOKHSJ) Fr. Milton R. Shaw, G.Cd.H.S., H.G.H.S., Kt.B., at the Opening Ceremonies of the Seventeenth Annual General Assembly of The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Fr. Shaw has made many contributions to the field of Chivalry and has been for many years the Rector of the parish of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA).
The husband of Mary, Joseph, plays an important role in the two Gospel narratives of the birth of Jesus (Matthew and Luke). Joseph is not named in Mark, and John mentions him only in reference to Jesus as "the son of Joseph." Both Matthew and Luke emphasize that Joseph was of the Royal house of David, and through Joseph Jesus also was counted as David's descendent. At the same time, both Gospels state that Mary and Joseph were betrothed but not yet married when "before they came together," at which time "she was found to be with child." But, as Matthew tells us, Joseph was a "just man." He was a man of justice, purity, meekness, humility and prudence--truly qualities that a Chevalier of God must have and which are exemplified for us Knights in St. Joseph. St. Jerome notes that Joseph was called "just" because he possessed all the virtues to a heroic degree. Let's examine some of these virtues of this Saint to see how we, as Knights, can conform to his example.
St. Joseph, by the labor of his hands and the sweat of his brow, nourished the infant Jesus and His blessed Mother. Unaware of the Incarnation of our Lord, and knowing that he was betrothed to Mary, yet seeing her with child, he for some time contemplated leaving her secretly without accusing her of anything, for he was a just man. Betrothal, in those days, was as legally binding as marriage, you see.
At this point however, Joseph had the first of a series of remarkable dreams that guided him through the dramatic events surrounding the birth of Jesus. As the Scriptures tell us, "But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream."
In the first dream, an angel revealed that Mary's future son was "of the Holy Spirit...and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." In St. Joseph we see one shining quality--a faithful trust. He was always ready for emergencies. He took his time to think things out before he made decisions (as the angel found him doing), and so, trusting in God, he remained calm among some of the most difficult conditions. Joseph here shows us that great virtue of prudence, the virtue which helps us choose the best means for attaining our final end. In difficult decisions, Knights ought to realize that God wishes that we examine things carefully before we take action, consulting wise and experienced people. Like Joseph, we Knights should suspend our judgments when our thoughts are disturbed by our emotions, and we should wait until calm has returned.
While prudence is affected by our natural human limitations, prayer helps Knights to attain supernatural prudence so that we may act with the will of God in all. Once we have taken the time to calmly and prayerfully resolve the situation, we then need to execute it with courage, not being discouraged by any difficulties we may encounter. St. Joseph didn't make any rash actions, but gave thought to what he should do. He didn't speak of his concerns to anyone--not even the Blessed Virgin.
The second dream came after Jesus was born, and wise men traveling from the East had come unexpectedly to where they were staying in Bethlehem. When they departed, an angel warned Joseph in a dream that King Herod the Great would try to kill the child. As instructed, Joseph took his family to Egypt for several months or, perhaps, years, all this in poverty and secrecy. Joseph was charged, not just with a family, but with God incarnate and His Mother. He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily concern his spouse and the Divine Infant. Regularly, by his work, he earned what was necessary for them for nourishment and clothing. He guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch's jealousy and found a refuge for Him.
An angel in a third dream had told him that it was safe to return. In a fourth dream, he was warned not to return to Bethlehem, where Herod's son and successor, Herod Archelaus still posed a danger, but to withdraw to Galilee. Luke does not mention these dreams, but his Gospel recounts that the need to register for taxation in "the city of David" brought Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the first place.
Joseph, a village carpenter, evidently trained Jesus to follow in his footsteps, and Jesus himself apparently worked as a carpenter for some years before his ministry began. In later Christian tradition, as stories concerning Mary's miraculous birth and childhood developed, and as the doctrine of her perpetual virginity evolved, the accounts of Joseph also became much more specific.
For example, a late second century tale called the Protoevangelium of James portrays Joseph as an elderly widower with grown sons who was chosen by a miraculous sign--a dove emerged from Joseph's walking staff and flew to his head--to be caretaker of Mary, the pure "virgin of the Lord," who had lived since infancy in the temple. Many other legends about Joseph developed through the centuries, raising him to a level of sanctity second only to that of Mary herself.
In the miseries of their journeys and in the bitterness of exile, Joseph was ever the companion, the assistance, and the upholder of our Lady and of Jesus. To quote Pope Leo XIII,
"And for such reasons the Blessed Patriarch looks upon the multitude of Christians who make up the Church as confided especially to his trust--this limitless family spread over the earth, over which, because he is the spouse of Mary and the foster--father of Jesus Christ, he holds, as it were, a paternal authority.It is, then, natural and worthy that as the Blessed Joseph ministered to all the needs of the family at Nazareth and girt it about with his protection, he should now cover with the cloak of his heavenly patronage and defend the Church of Jesus Christ."
This saint had the great happiness of living in the holy company of our Lady and Savior, a goal of all Christian Knighthood. "What a happiness," says St. Bernard...
"not only to see Jesus Christ, but also to hear Him; to carry Him in his arms, to lead Him from place to place, to embrace and caress Him, to feed Him, and to be privy to all the great secrets which were concealed from the princes of this world!"
The Church honors St. Joseph as patron of the dying and of a happy death. He had the great privilege to die in the loving arms of our Lady and of our Savior. Jean de Gerson, a theologian and mystic of the Middle Ages, writes that...
"when St. Joseph was dying, he was assisted by Jesus and Mary, and that, since virtue makes natural affection more perfect, Jesus wept for his foster--father and served him in his last illness, consoling and strengthening him for the final passage...his holy spouse mingled her tears with those of her Son, weeping with tenderness for her well--beloved spouse, and thanking him for all the services he had rendered her."
Joseph, the "first Knight" of the King of Kings, is our perfect model of humility, chastity, and conformity to the will of God. We Knights can but imagine the painful circumstances of the flight into Egypt, of St. Joseph seeking shelter for the Holy Lady Mary and the Child she was to bring forth into the world. Yet, in all this and numerous other trials, not a word of complaint escaped his mouth. He is truly a saint whom every Christian Knight can imitate and invoke.
Yet, it is not only the Knight who can benefit from St. Joseph's life and example. Fathers of families find in Joseph the best personification of paternal solicitude and vigilance; spouses find a perfect example of love, of peace, and of conjugal fidelity. The noble of birth will learn from Joseph how to guard their dignity even in misfortune. The rich will understand, by his lessons, which are the goods most to be desired and won at the price of their labor. As to workmen, artisans, and persons of a lesser degree, their appeal to Joseph is a special right, and his example is especially for them to imitate.
St. Teresa of Avila, who had a special love for Joseph, writes:
"All I ask, for the love of God, is that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will then learn for himself how advantageous it is to commend oneself to this glorious patriarch Joseph and to have a special devotion to him."
St. Joseph shows us an admirable patience which is also easy to imitate. The patient soul always acts with prudence and deliberateness, just as Joseph did when he saw the Blessed Mother with child. While we may not have to face such difficulties as St. Joseph did, we do have our own lives, our own decisions, and it is very important to God how we meet them. Let us invoke St. Joseph often, and ask him to obtain for us those Knightly virtues of patience, humility, prudence, honor, and to aid us in our labors and vocations, especially that of Knighthood.
© 1999 by M.R. Shaw. All rights reserved under international copyright convention. Other than a single printout for archival purposes, this article may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Your comments and questions regarding this article are welcome. To comment on this article or to ask a question concerning it, click HERE.
To return to the articles selection page, click HERE.
To return to the main page of The Internet Knighthood and Chivalry Information Center, click HERE.