If one hopes to one day join the ranks of the saints in heaven, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get to know a few more of them first.
While I wasn’t raised Catholic by any means (I’m the daughter of a pastor), I have realized that the world of saints is a truly rich and inspiring one.
Their world may seem so far removed from ours, but, in fact, I believe that people from ancient times to today have been messengers of God and have been able to enact miracles through God.
So while it may be more comfortable to keep the mind closed to some of their stories at times (as some are admittedly seemingly far-out), sometimes stepping outside of our comfort zones is exactly what we need in order to reach new spiritual heights and be open to miracles that may be happening right around us.
St. Joseph
We, of course, all know about St. Patrick’s Day. But did you know that St. Joseph’s Day is in March, too? March 19, to be exact.
In many areas of Europe, one’s name day is something taken very seriously, sometimes as seriously—or more so—as one’s own birthday. What a beautiful thought—to have a calendar, and events, that revolve around holy people that we can all learn from. And this happens throughout the year, meaning that one’s thoughts—traditionally, at least—would never stray too far from religious faith.
But sadly in the United States, we don’t have that tradition. It’s a shame, really, because many of us owe our names to incredible, heroic, faithful figures that we—and many people—would benefit from knowing a little more about, and celebrating.
You’ve probably seen in a lot of older works of literature that people refer to calling people by their Christian (meaning, baptismal) name. Indeed, that relates to this too, for most names in the Western world come from the Bible or from Christian, saintly figures, who were given far more recognition in the past than they are given today.
All of this came to my attention again most recently by a friend from central Europe who was mentioning all the celebrating done on various saints’ name days.
The idea is that, on the feast day of the saint or on the assigned date of a Christian figure you were named for (and, back in the day, that was essentially the only kind of name there was!), you and others take some time to reflect on and celebrate their life. Often a saint’s name day goes back to the day of his or her martyrdom, but not always, of course.
At the moment, practically speaking, if your name is Joseph, Joe, or some other variation, March 19 is your day to feast! Well, not necessarily (the term “feast day” traditionally meant a religious observance), but it’s a nice occasion to reflect on the life of a great man of tremendous faith—the earthly father of Jesus.
So many people around the world are thinking about him at this time. If you live in Norway, for example, on March 19 you will be celebrating the name day of anyone with the name of Josef or Josefine. In Spain, it will, of course, be José. And in Poland, it’s Jozef.
Goodness knows the world is currently short on male role models!
Most know the basic story of Joseph, but might not often reflect on what we can learn from him. It’s a story familiar to many, but if we take a big step back and look at it with fresh eyes, it’s truly extraordinary.
First, he experienced a major test of faith—an unexpectedly pregnant betrothed that he was told in a dream to marry anyway. (And that was obviously during a very different era from ours, over 2,000 years ago, which makes it all the more incredible.)
He also risked his own life, setting aside everything, to protect the baby from being killed. He was of a modest profession, that of a carpenter, but shouldered the monumental task of raising someone born to save.
What a significant thing parenthood is for anyone, but imagine the weight on Joseph’s (and Mary’s) shoulders! He seems to have truly been a humble servant. Perhaps, his good heart was seen from above, and someone looked down and said, “This one!”
I find his story at once humbling and inspiring. It is interesting to think, too, about how a person without faith may have responded to similar circumstances.
When the angel appeared in the dream, would they doubt its significance? Would they second-guess the whole thing? Or, if they believed they saw it, would they believe what it said and instead denounce Mary out of questioning her purity?
I believe that, if we are open to it, and maintain a humble and faithful heart, we may see the hand of God all around us, in things big and small, every single day.
To all in the world named Joseph, Joe, José, and Josephine, happy name day! Here’s wishing you the spiritual discernment of Saint Joseph, the commitment, and the courage.
