Instead of doing the usual blog post on Saint Joseph, which I have done here and here, I thought would reach out to some of my fellow Catholic brothers to see how Saint Joseph has influenced their lives as husbands and fathers. Although I am not a husband and father yet, even as a single man, Saint Joseph has had a great influence on me for many years of my life.

Every man, especially every Catholic man, should try to emulate the virtues that Saint Joseph displayed on a daily basis as the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father to Jesus Christ. It was Saint Joseph who was charged by God to protect the Immaculate Mother and the Divine Son of God. As men, let us yearn to be protectors to all those placed under our care.

Josh C. said, “I see my role as a conduit of the life and joy of God. From my life of grace and the intimate sharing of my journey I provide and protect them not only on a physical plane; but more meaningfully on a relational and spiritual plane. St. Joseph shows the spirit of service and closeness with the persons with Jesus and Mary that I need to be a fountain of living water to my family.”

Nelson D. shared, “For me to be a single Catholic Father can be somewhat challenging. People are on the outlook to see if my actions parallel with my words. I always ask St. Joseph to guide me and lead me to his son Jesus. Furthermore, most my coworkers are curious about fatherhood. I hear them use terms like “beat down dad” etc. They use them to describe others but through these terms I know they question my fatherhood. When they see how I live my Christian faith they see truth. Then and only then they tend to open up and share their relationships with dad. I credit this through the intercession of St. Joseph. Few of those relationships are fatherless. As an evangelist myself, you can imagine what happens next.”

Mike P. wrote, “I made the choice, in college, to commit myself to the sacrament of marriage rather than Holy Orders. Therefore, my vocation in life is to be a great husband to Sharon and a great father to Bethany, David and Susan. I love God by loving Sharon and my children well. My role model in this vocation is Saint Joseph. His wife was holier and better than him and his son certainly was better in every way! My wife, Sharon, is a better and smarter and holier person in every way than I am. My children are smarter and more gifted. St. Joseph inspires me to love them well, to support them, to be there for them as best I can in every way I can.”

Bill M. proclaimed, “Like Saint Joseph, my model as husband, father and man of faith, I fee entrusted with specific responsibilities: provider, protector, teacher and supporter. Joseph gave entirely of himself to Mary and Jesus, and served them with humility and devotion; constantly focused on their dignity. Although he was the leader of the family, he always put himself as the least among them. Each day, I pray that his example continues to inspire me to be the man I cam called to be.”

Andrew D. declared, “As a Catholic, St. Joseph has always been an inspiration to me. He understood his duty to honor God, his wife, and son. Also as the patron saint of jobs, I have prayed his novena for his intercession in my career multiple times. His witness and actions encourage me to try and emulate his humility, courage, and obedience in being a great husband, father, and man.”

Cris A. stated, “Being a Catholic husband is a life of sacrifice. Usually, it’s easy to live out knowing where the fruits will go, but there are often difficult moments. St Joseph’s quiet, steady example and prayers have been vital in my weakest moments, and a great source for joy in recognizing his intercession. His icon in my office is a constant reminder of what my vocation is called to be, and how much I need his prayers.”

Kevin C. verbalized, “A lot of people like to point out that St. Joseph had original sin, because in how we think about the Holy Family he stands in somewhat sharp contrast to the sinless Ever-Virgin Mother of God and the Christ Child, Who Himself is true God, co-eternal with the Father. I have been guilty of this, too, but the more I think about it, to speak in such a way about St. Joseph is irreverence before the mystery of the man. How many more words much more worthy could we multiply about him, chosen by the Father to be protector of the only-begotten Son and spouse of the Immaculate? Rather than declaring St. Joseph’s sinfulness, Scripture affirms that he was a “perfect man.” St. James says, “if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also” (3:2). When I read this, I think of St. Joseph. After all, not a word of his is recorded in Scripture, yet the Son of God obeyed his every word.”

Dan N. articulated, “To be a Catholic husband and father is to be a virtuous man of the Church, who lays down his life daily and does battle with his own passions for the sake of his vocation. St. Joseph is integrated into this role for me because he teaches me that I am responsible as the head of my household to safeguard my family, to give my family the opportunity to authentically flourish as human persons, and to maintain a strong sense of fidelity to my wife as I promised in marriage.”

Saint Joseph…Pray for Us.