The Creative Courage of Saint Joseph

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February is the month of the Holy Family, a favorite topic of Catholic men is Saint Joseph; he is the husband and father that we aspire to emulate.  However, what do we really know about Saint Joseph?  From the Gospels, almost nothing!  No words of his were ever recorded.  All we know is that Joseph had three dreams.  This is in contrast with Mary, who had fully conscious apparitions.  Mary was visited by archangel Gabriel.  For Joseph, the messenger was an unarmed angel.  An ordinary angel for an ordinary man.  

From the Infancy Narratives, we know that Joseph a) took a  Mary into his home as his wife, b) took the pregnant Mary on a 70-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then had to find shelter "in the wild" where Mary can give birth to the Son of God, c) at a moment's notice following another dream from an ordinary angel, led Mary and Jesus on journey into Egypt, a distance of over 300 miles.  We do not know where they went or how long they stayed.  During that journey, Joseph needed to obtain food and shelter along with whatever supplies that he and Mary needed for a baby. Joseph likely took employment where he could, whether it was in his trade as a builder or as a low-level, servile worker.  There were thriving Jewish communities in Alexandria and Fustat (now know as Cairo), so it is logical that the family visited those areas.   Of course, it is just as likely that they were not welcome anywhere with language and cultural differences and the fact that they were not Egyptians.

The Coptic (Egyptian) Orthodox (and Catholic) Church cites 26 significant sites in Egypt where the family visited and took refuge.  There are monasteries at most of these locations, and Coptic tradition holds that miracles were performed in many locations during a stay that the Coptics believe was about three and one half years.  

Our Gathering will feature reflections on the Patris Corde - With a Father's Heart Session 5.  We will also reference Hallow's series for the Consecration of Saint Joseph, let by Father Mike Schmitz and Sister Marian James Heidland.  We will engage in imaginative prayer as we contemplate the journey of the Holy Family and discuss how Saint Joseph applied creative courage.

Documents listed below include:

•  Study Guide - Patris Corde Session 5: A Creatively Courageous Father
• "Joseph the Nazarene" a Hallow lesson by Father Mike Schmitz
• "Journey of the Holy Family in Egypt - A Sacred Timeline" (with illustrated map) from CopticSermons.com

You can view the Patris Corde videos at this link from the Knights of Columbus.  We will view the Session 5 video, but feel free to watch all of them.  The average run time is five minutes each.

https://www.kofc.org/resources/faith-formation/mens-faith-formation/patris-corde/