We live in the culture of the superhero, “the Marvel comic savior,” said Deacon Joe Michalak. Referencing movie superheroes such as the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel and Black Widow, he said they are always saving the world and humanity in flamboyant, futuristic ways.
“And they wear these goofy outfits and they have all these superpowers and they can get small and get big and they have super strength,” he said. “And they bounce off buildings, they fly. It’s captivating and futuristic and it grabs us.”
That’s not at all like St. Joseph, who actually is a savior of the Savior, he said.
Deacon Joe Michalak
Deacon Michalak, director of diaconate formation for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, made the remarks during an episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show that debuts at 9 p.m. July 30 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. The sixth speaker in the ongoing Cuppa Joe series of talks on St. Joseph, Deacon Michalak addresses “St. Joseph, Savior of the Savior.” Recorded at St. Joseph in Miesville, the talk will be available at 4 p.m. Aug. 3 at archspm.org/cuppajoe.
Many might think of St. Joseph as a man with flowing robes and superpowers — “he must have because he was a saint,” the deacon said — but he wasn’t. In fact, it’s the opposite, he said. “We get hiddenness and silence. There’s no words of Joseph in the Scripture. Simple, obedient action, daily routine and the embrace of suffering,” Deacon Michalak said.
“This is actually everyday life for most people — hidden, silent, obedience, daily routine and suffering.” It may seem a diminutive role, but it is so crucial, the deacon said.
Deacon Michalak gave the example of the angel waking Joseph and saying, “get up, take Mary, take the child and get out of here” because Herod sought to destroy the child. Joseph immediately obeyed and the family fled.
Joseph did that, the deacon said. He was the one. “There’s no other episode that we know of in the life of Jesus where we see that complete, utter dependence on another human being, really to save his life,” Deacon Michalak said. “No one stood between Jesus and destruction, Herod, except Joseph, and so that’s the immediate and most obvious way in which that title, ‘Savior of the Savior’ comes to fruition,’” he said.
In his Cuppa Joe remarks, Deacon Michalak said he includes some personal testimony of deeper ways to identify with Joseph in “certain suffering” that he and his family endured, as well as other images that might portray St. Joseph better than a Marvel comic hero.
The deacon said he hopes listeners take away from the talk the ability to better identify with the everyday fabric of life, not superhero-dramatic “I’ve got to do grandiose things for God,” but rather as St. Joseph does, Savior of the Savior, flowing from “the daily, obedient, even suffering, quiet, understated.”
“Just simple living out the vocation that God has indeed called him to,” Deacon Michalak said of St. Joseph. “And we can all identify with that.”
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It also airs at 1 p.m. July 31 and 2 p.m. Aug. 1 on Relevant Radio.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, who looks back on his 10 years at MCC so far, and Leading with Faith honoree and dentist James Koller, who describes integrating faith life into work life.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at:
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic (Spotify)
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