He would think of himself as working class, even though he was a skilled man, a builder/joiner. He was building up his business slowly. He lived in town in the back of beyond. He was descended from kings. Now none of his family were important, but he must have had a sense of worth since the blood of heroic ancestors coursed in his veins.

He did good and avoided evil. What you saw was what you got. He had integrity.

He was a fortunate man because he was engaged to the most wonderful woman. But he was a sensible man who realised that she was really out of his league. There was something about her which took his breath away. He knew that you can feel all sorts of wonderful things when you are in love, but this was something else. She genuinely was awesome.

Then she tells him that she is pregnant with God’s child. We are told that he was afraid, and decided to break off the engagement quietly. If he spoke out publicly, according to the laws of that time, she would be stoned, or certainly ostracised. But he wasn’t afraid to be touched by the scandal, he was afraid because he almost believed her, and knew that he could never do justice to such a task as being her husband. Then the angel came to him at night and gave him the Lord’s command: “marry her”. All his life he had prayed and attempted to do whatever God called him to do. This was very explicit, so he did it.

Nobody really knows the intimate details of a marriage. But we know that they never had sex before the birth of the child, and it has gradually been revealed by the Spirit that they always remained celibate. He honoured her vow of virginity by which she had dedicated her whole being to God. In consequence there existed a heightened love between them which was a meeting of souls. She taught him so much. And the child was amazing with a capital A.

The circumstances of the birth were crazy, except if you were convinced that it was all being directed by God. A week-long journey with a heavily pregnant wife ended up in a cattle shed, where she gave birth. But he realised that this was the city of David his ancestor where it was prophesied that the Messiah would be born, and he was to name the child, and thus entitle him to be a "Son of David".

They were away from home, in very poor circumstances, but shepherds turned up to welcome the child because they had been sent by an army of beautiful angels they had seen in the skies. Eminent dignitaries came telling of their long journey seeking the new-born King, and did the baby homage, and he found himself able to converse with them as an equal, as he had with the shepherds. He asked himself how he got that assurance, until he saw the obvious answer. He was being blessed and guided.

The angels were certainly busy. Another one came and told them to get up and escape into Egypt, because the dreadful tyrant Herod was sending soldiers to kill the child. Later he learned that this happened, and that all the town’s infant boys had been wiped out.

In Egypt they lived the lives of refugees. He took whatever work he could to make ends meet. It was degrading, but only the same as has been experienced by refugees in every age. Yet their love and confidence in God only grew. Then Herod died and another angel directed them back home to Nazareth, and life seemed to return to normal.

The only other thing we hear of him is his sense of panic when he thought he had lost the child for three days in Jerusalem. That was just another instance of his human weakness playing up, and he was blessed with the reminder that this was God’s child.

We do not know much more about their family life, except that it did not draw attention to itself at the time. But since then we have come to understand that there burned within that house an extraordinary married love, and the presence of God. They made yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but really they were bringing to God’s Temple its replacement.

Secular historians may make of this man what they will, but those who listen to the Holy Spirit know that, despite his humble circumstances, here was a greater man than David. You don’t have to be a celebrated conqueror or extraordinary musician poet to be truly great. You have to tremble like the leaf in response to the breezes of God. He was a Graduate with Honours of the greatest school, with Jesus and Mary. Now the Church recognises him as the Protector of the Church.

I have heard several stories of nuns who ran orphanages which had run out of food for the children. When they turned St. Joseph’s statue to the wall because he wasn’t helping, they always found it worked.

Patron of the Universal Church

                             – what a man!