Thinking about St. Joseph

I know it is the feast of St. Matthew, but the combination of Mr. Culbreath's recent post on St. Joseph and this article I came across, got me to thingking... First the article; it begins:

Will the coming millennium-2000 A.D. -be focused on St. Joseph just as the first millennium centered on Christ and as the second millennium brought out the role of Mary in God's plan for mankind? There seems to be much pointing in that direction.

The ecumenical councils of the first millennium clarified the questions concerning Christ's divinity and humanity. The second millennium began with the great surge of cathedral building-many named after Our Lady, such as Notre Dame of Paris. Then there were her apparitions and gifts, and finally the dogmatic definitions.

As the third millennium begins, not only does our "fatherless" society need to rediscover the family in God's natural and supernatural plan, but also, and especially, our individual call to holiness as emphasized by Vatican II.

Further on, it continues:

His interior life was based on his singular union with Jesus through Mary. He was consecrated to Jesus through Mary by his espousal to her. To espouse means to take to heart, to become one with, to identify with completely. Joseph gave his heart undividedly to Mary and took her heart as his own. As Mary's heart is one with Christ's, so Joseph's heart became one with the Sacred Heart through Mary. Thus Joseph's consecration is the epitome of all consecrations to Jesus through Mary. By espousing the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Joseph was perfectly united to all that which the heart of Mary contains. She was Joseph's way to Christ exteriorly and interiorly. That is why we can call them the terrestrial trinity: three in one love.

There is a lot to absorb here. Husbands and fathers must live up to St. Paul's exhortations in Ephesians as head of the family. Abstractly and concretely we look (as always) to Christ on the cross-knowing that we must love our wife as Christ loved the Church-laying down His life for His spouse. Now in a very practical sense, we can look to St. Joseph to see how he lived out this ideal.

Think about this guys: St. Joseph was asked to be head of the Holy Family. From Ephesians-we know that headship is not a lording of our power or tyranny over the family. But imagine your spouse is the Blessed Virgin and your son is Christ! That's pretty intimidating. How do you lead a family when you are the only sinner? Yet (excepting that most of our spouses [Mrs. Curley not included] and children are not without sin) we must follow Joseph's example in our dealings with our spouses and our children.

Again, the emphasis is that headship in a family is about sacrifice. Only through the sacrifice is that headership obtained. Christ founded and became head of the Church through His shedding of His most precious blood on the cross.

I heard of a miracle worked through the intercession of St. Joseph this week. Not surprisingly it occurred at a place dedicated to our Lady...

Oremus pro invicem!