What did Jesus — and St. Joseph — do?

The WWJD movement in the 1990s rekindled a century-old fire popularized by a Charles Sheldon book titled, “In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?” Through Catholic, Protestant and secular circles, the slogan, and furthermore, the original book, has its supporters and critics regarding its social and moral purpose — and the context.

Even so, this sentiment can be summarized as an admonition to make decisions and live one’s life in the same way that Jesus Christ would. What resonates with me, however, regarding the dawning and donning of the trendy bracelet at the time, was when a priest friend of mine during a homily commented, “Isn’t it really, ‘What did Jesus do?’” In Christian theology, imitating our Lord is the practice of following his example. To go by what he did do, so we do not speculate on what he would do.

The priest’s comment was not designed to market a new brand of bracelets, but to focus on the doctrine taught by Christ. That includes listening to and acting upon his teachings revealed in sacred Scripture and supported by the sacred workings of tradition (with a big ‘T’). We can learn how the four Gospels were exemplified by his true followers in the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline letters, and all the books of the New Testament for that matter. Their witness to what Jesus did is signified by remarkable stories of courage as they spread the faith to the whole world as they knew it.

Flashback to earlier times in the first century, and we have yet another example to emulate, that of a man who helped pave the rugged way for our Lord and his Blessed Mother. We learn largely from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke how St. Joseph led the Holy Family literally, by following his dreams. Divine, angelic-driven dreams though they were, the narratives speak to his great prudence, courage, obedience and faith.

What did St. Joseph do? To learn this, several Catholic Watchmen participated in a Consecration to St. Joseph, depending on a guidebook and preparing 33 to 44 days prior to a selected feast day. There are worthy books and vehicles that can help us see through the lens of this holy man. Because we are observing a Year of St. Joseph beginning Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and since a consecration is now underway in our own archdiocese to that feast day, it would be prudent to flip through our Bibles to engage with the spiritual and physical leadership of St. Joseph.

In sacred Scripture, we learn that, with Mary, Joseph accepted Jesus as his own. Via a series of significant angelic dreams, he followed the mysterious paths of God’s mysterious ways. A lot of moving around initially: in haste, in suspense, in joy, in sorrow, in unfamiliar territory. Joseph eventually settled his family in the community of Nazareth, making a living as a carpenter, as a father teaching his son his trade. A devout, righteous man leading his Jewish family — the original domestic church. Certainly, a unique responsibility of blending a family — with natural and supernatural characteristics — into ordinary living. It’s a mystery, not because it is unbelievable, but due to the goodness, beauty and truth that play a key role as part of the story of salvation for humankind.

Joseph — albeit silent in the Scriptures — is an active, fatherly example for us to follow, as a material provider, physical protector and spiritual leader of the family. Body and spirit must integrate and embrace the will of God. Joseph teaches — along with the Blessed Mother — the virtues of sacrifice, obedience, humility. In raising God’s only begotten Son, both Jesus’ mother and his foster father epitomized God’s design of complementarity.

Please encourage others in groups — small to large — to earmark and devote a period throughout the next 12 months to a consecration to St. Joseph. He is the patron saint of the Catholic Watchmen movement, and we are celebrating the 150^th anniversary since he was given the title Patron of the Universal Church. Along with Mary, St. Joseph takes pride of place as our intercessor as we pray to Jesus at each fraternal gathering: “May I faithfully fulfill my duty to protect those entrusted to me both physically and spiritually. Like St. Joseph, may I humbly fulfill the duties that have been placed upon me as a man of God.”

All for Jesus, all for Mary, all for Joseph. May we continually learn and do what they did.

Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount, All Saints in Lakeville and assists the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen movement. Reach him at [email protected]. Learn about the Catholic Watchmen at archspm.org/faith-communities/men or at facebook.com/thecatholicwatchmen.