Today is the solemnity of St. Joseph. Today is a good day for us to reflect on the meaning of Fatherhood. I think the first struggle in my life was the struggle that I had with my father. My dad is a simple and kind man but he can be an angry man when it involves his farm. My dad was operating a small-size farm. He wanted me to help on the farm a lot. I did try to help in different ways, but I was not good at doing my jobs on the farm. Part of the reason was that I was physically weak, but mostly because I would have rather spent my time reading a book rather than doing a dirty job on the farm. So, my dad frequently called me a “useless boy.” My problem was that as a teenager with a sensitive heart, I did not know how to cope with a father who was verbally abusive. As my dad repeatedly called me a “useless boy,” I decided to keep a distance from my father. As time went by, the gulf between us grew wider. Nevertheless, reflecting on my family time, I am also grateful for my dad and for his work in the farm. He had done a lot to sustain the family and I should be grateful for his sacrifice.
St. Joseph gives us an image of a good father figure. He knew that Jesus was not his natural son, yet, he took responsibility to raise Jesus as his natural son. He accepted Jesus as his son and welcomed him into the family, which is the Holy Family. As a carpenter, St. Joseph was a builder and he taught Jesus to be a builder of people and community. He did not encourage Jesus in carpentry work, but was always supportive of Jesus. As a carpenter, Joseph also taught discipline to Jesus. Joseph’s disciplinary role was not harsh or used to intimidate or tear down, but to correct. Moreover, Joseph also taught Jesus to pray and to worship God. While he knew that Jesus is the Son of God, he continued to teach Jesus that there is an ultimate authority that provides the moral law of good and evil.
On the solemnity of St. Joseph, let us pause a moment and reflect on the father figure in our lives who taught us discipline, confidence, and prayer. Perhaps this person is your biological father. If you are in the same boat as me, you might want to look to a different father figure who helped us on our journey. In our reflection, we might also reflect on how fatherhood on earth helps us to re-discover of our Father in heaven. In what way can we contribute to the renewal of human fatherhood?