Joseph, the Man Who Raised Jesus

by Gary Caster

Who was St. Joseph? Was he just a passive, incidental figure in the drama of salvation? On the contrary, in every way that Jesus needed a father, St. Joseph was that for him. And how overwhelming it must have been for Joseph to be asked to stand in the Father’s place! No man has ever been asked to do so in such an unthinkable way. Every priest, and certainly every man who is a father (biologically or otherwise), should take this to heart.

Caster’s book provides a unique, in-depth presentation of Joseph from the perspective of the evangelical counsels and the theological and cardinal virtues. Each section begins with an explanation of what each counsel or virtue means and then shows how Joseph models it for us.

The descriptions of St. Joseph’s life and character found in this book, while rooted in the Scripture passages that mention him, are chiefly inspired by Jesus, who spent the majority of his life at home with Joseph and Mary. For years, the three of them lived, prayed, celebrated, studied, and shared, all the while uniting their lives more intimately with God’s own. Those years in Nazareth were a real preparation for the foundation upon which Jesus would build his saving ministry. And as much as Joseph and Mary offered Jesus, he offered them an ever-expanding awareness of the God that had changed both their lives. The reciprocity of love that perfectly defines the home in Nazareth is the very pattern for all family life—and therefore of the Church itself.

Let Fr. Gary Caster introduce you to the man who risked everything to care for Mary and her Son, safeguarding them from harm and cherishing them with a pure and true love. Joseph was a flesh-and-blood testimony of what it means to live according to the Father’s will with one’s mind and heart centered on Christ.

Genres: Catholic, Spirituality

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2013

Reviews

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little wordy but he makes some excellent points. He is somewhat of a mystery because there is very little written about him in the scriptures. He was a faithful and faith filled man. God communicated with him in dreams. He was an upright and just man.

[Dana Nield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've wanted to learn more about St. Joseph and I've (finally) taken an active step to do so. As it turns out, the priest who wrote this book married two friends of mine! This book helped frame the amazing impact St. Joseph had as the head of the Holy Family. It was organized into chapters based on his qualities: courage, patience, faith, obedience, labor, purity, etc. The chapter on patience struck a chord---for any impatient feelings I have now about vocation or anything else, there will never be a point in life when I'm not tempted to impatience, making this quality all the more admirable and desirable. The sacrifices he made for the Holy Family were many and done without hesitation. I have an encyclical bookmarked about him and I look forward to learning more about this great saint.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing really struck me while reading this.

[Andrea Mudd · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, 4.75? Fantastic book that inspired in me a greater devotion to St. Joseph. I learned so much and saw St Joseph and Jesus’s life st home in a new light

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good inspiration, but only tenuous in an actual link to Joseph.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like this. Nothing new. Giving implied credit for Jesus' actions

[Patrick Alog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about St. Joseph, as Fr. Gary Caster helps show the humanity of Joseph and how we could model our lives on him.