Book Review: St. Joseph and His World by Mike Aquilina

St. Joseph and His World by Mike Aquilina

This short book (about 120 pages) gives a history and some theology about Saint Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus Christ. Source material about Joseph is very sparse, little more than a few chapters in the gospel accounts of Jesus's birth and childhood, and a reference or two later in Jesus's ministry ("Can this guy be the carpenter's son?!?"). Aquilina fills in some gaps in a few different ways.

First, Aquilina looks at the salvation history leading up to the time of Jesus. The Jews had an expectation of a savior coming from the line of David. Since David lived a thousand years before, he has a lot of descendants. The Jewish faith was centered around the Promised Land and the Temple of Jerusalem, the only place where sacrifices are made, the very heart of Judaism. Synagogues are places of teaching and fellowship, the lifeblood of the religious community. By the first century B.C., Israel was the homeland again and the Romans were more tolerant (for a time) towards their religious practices than other empires had been. Jerusalem grew architecturally and economically during the reign of Herod the Great, one of the most troubled leaders in history.

Joseph lived in a small town and probably knew Mary growing up. Aquilina discusses the life of small towns and how Joseph's trade as a carpenter was in high demand with all of the civic projects Herod initiated. They lived close enough to Jerusalem and other cities that work would be plentiful. Joseph  would have knowledge of the larger world and probably knew Greek, at least well enough to do business. He also knew his faith and lived a just and upright life. He'd make the three pilgrimages each year to Jerusalem that all Jewish men were required to do. He'd make the proper offerings and was familiar with the Passover supper. He shared that faith and devotion with his soon-to-be wife.

Then the hard times happened. Mary was with child before they came together in the fullness of marriage. Joseph listened attentively when angels gave him guidance and reassurance. His obedience was prompt and his prudence enabled him to make good choices, as when they returned from Egypt and he had to decide under which of Herod's children his family would live. Joseph used his faith as a resource and a guide in the hardships of life.

Aquilina also looks at the traditions that have grown up around Saint Joseph, both good and bad. Early in the church's history, the emphasis on Mary's virginity led to assumptions and depictions of Joseph as an old man who probably couldn't have children anyway. In some Nativity paintings, he's off in a corner looking grouchy because he isn't really involved in the birth of the savior. Nothing could be further from the truth. Attitudes changed later on, especially in the second millennium of the church. Many saints, including Thomas Aquinas and Teresa of Avila, praised his virtue and plumbed the depths of gospel references to understand him better. Joseph was a father to Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity. He taught Him how to celebrate the Passover meal and took Him to Jerusalem to fulfill the law given to Moses. Jesus made Himself obedient to Joseph. Joseph is not just an image of a father, he was the image of the Father to the Son. Surely he is worthy of study and veneration. 

The book is well worth reading. I happen to have read it at the end of the Year of Saint Joseph (2020-2021) and just before the beginning of Advent. The book serves both quite well. I am sure to put it on my short list of Christmas-prep reading for Advent (along with Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives and Fr. Dwight Longenecker's The Mystery of the Magi, among others). 

Highly recommended, even if it isn't Advent or the Year of Saint Joseph!