Pills of Faith February 6 "Isn't this the carpenter?"

Joseph loved Jesus as a father loves his son and dedicated himself to giving him the best he could.Joseph, taking care of that Child who had been entrusted to him, made Jesus a craftsman: he transmitted his craft to him. The inhabitants of Nazareth will therefore speak of Jesus sometimes calling him "carpenter" or "the son of the carpenter" (Mt 13,55) ....

Jesus had to resemble Joseph in many aspects: in the way of working, in the features of his character, in the accent. The realism of Jesus, his spirit of observation, the way of sitting in the canteen and breaking the bread, the taste for concrete speech, taking inspiration from the things of ordinary life: all this is the reflection of Jesus' childhood and youth , and therefore also the reflection of familiarity with Joseph. It is not possible to deny the greatness of the mystery: this Jesus, who is man, who speaks with the inflection of a specific region of Israel, who resembles an artisan named Joseph, who is the Son of God. And who can teach anything Who is God? But Jesus is truly a man and lives normally: first as a child, then as a boy who begins to lend a hand in Joseph's workshop, finally as a mature man, in the fullness of age: “And Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace before God and men "(Lk 2,52).

Joseph was, in the natural order, teacher of Jesus: he had delicate and affectionate daily relationships with him, and he took care of it with happy self-sacrifice. Is not all this a good reason to consider this righteous man (Mt 1,19:XNUMX), this holy Patriarch, in whom the faith of the Old Covenant culminates, as Master of interior life?