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Joseph the Silent
The Gospels tell us almost nothing about St. Joseph, yet his life is full of spiritual treasures. Michel Gasnier O.P., here shows you where to find them and how they can enrich your own relationship with God. In this series of brief meditations he explores St. Joseph’s work as a carpenter, his marriage, his character, the flight into Egypt, his return to Nazareth, Simeon’s prophecy, and more. He gives you an enlightening portrait of this man who remains one of the Church’s most extraordinary saints and intercessors.
186 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 1961
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September 8, 2023
El autor nos muestra a San José a través de sus obras, de su amor hacia a su esposa María y de la responsabilidad con la que se encargó, de ser el padre adoptivo de Jesús. Asimismo, nos deja conocerlo mediante el hecho de cómo se dejó llevar por las manos de Dios, siendo el custodio de la Sagrada familia.
San José, hombre de silencio,
tú que en el Evangelio no has pronunciado ninguna palabra,
enséñanos a ayunar de las palabras vanas y hazte cercano a aquellos que sufren a causa de las palabras que hieren.
Danos fuerza para redescubrir el valor de las palabras que edifican, animan, consuelan, sostienen y ayúdanos a unir siempre los hechos a las mismas. Amén.
San José, hombre de silencio,
tú que en el Evangelio no has pronunciado ninguna palabra,
enséñanos a ayunar de las palabras vanas y hazte cercano a aquellos que sufren a causa de las palabras que hieren.
Danos fuerza para redescubrir el valor de las palabras que edifican, animan, consuelan, sostienen y ayúdanos a unir siempre los hechos a las mismas. Amén.
April 4, 2021
A go-along for my consecration to Jesus through Joseph. A good look at what we can glean about Joseph from scripture and the context of the times and Jewish faith.
May 20, 2019
Pg. 25
I enjoyed the thought process Gasnier went through in speaking for Joseph in regards to lineage. It is a little comical that this book is titled Joseph the silent but the author insists on putting words in Joseph's mouth. He is not going so far as to say Joseph would say this and I think that is about as far as I could go in the theory that Joseph would question us by stating the genealogy of Jesus would end with him if we were simply to take Mary and disregard Joseph. I do see devotion to Mary as a similar experience among saints we know of. Rarely do you hear of saints calling upon the Holy family. I am interested as to why. Would silent Joseph want it this way? Is his humility to the point that only the Father's will be done and that is best done through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary? At the wedding at Cana we do not hear of Joseph and Mary is the one that intercedes for the couple. Had Joseph died at this point? Why was he a none factor.
This section also reminds me of Queen Elizabeth and her marriage to Prince Philip and how the Queen's last name is Mountbatten-Windsor. There was so much importance and heritage to the name Windsor that parliament felt it best to have the Queen forgo taking Philip's name. Granted, there was no counsel for Mary and Joseph; simply a prophesy that the savior would be of the house of David. "I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
This section makes me ponder my devotion to the Holy family. Mary did not bear him only through flesh. And the statement 'What the Holy Spirit wrought for her, He wrought for both of us.' Maybe that is where the thought experiment comes to a screeching halt. Mary and Joseph are not royalty. What was wrought for Mary was also wrought for all people both Jews and gentiles. Joseph does not need to be called Blessed among women. His fiat did not change the course of history. I am not trying to write him off but simply trying to better understand his humility and silence in all of this. He returned to Mary not boasting that he and his lineage (which no one can control but God) will be the key to bring about a savior. No. He returned in silence knowing that his duty, his promise, was to Mary and to God.
pg. 35
I enjoyed thinking of Joseph being successful in many fields but not to the point of popularity. Simply out of serving others. To imitate Joseph does not mean that we must aspire to the highest titles. Joseph was not as successful in business as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. That didn't matter. His identity was not laced in with his professional success. I find comfort in that. A weight has been lifted. I must be cautious, though, I could very easily use it as an excuse to not give myself fully to what God calls of me but to only seek out a comfortable life for me and my family.
pg. 37
"It is with pleasure he serves his customers. He is proud, but without vanity, to give them of his best."
Honoring God, giving glory to God, by producing your best but at the same time, leaving vainglory behind.
pg. 45
Silence comes when hope is pure. I like the thought of Joseph knowing and believing the statement 'God appoints anyone for a certain mission, He gives him the graces necessary to carry it out.'
All glory and honor is yours, oh Lord. There is no need for words unless you ask it of us. The Angel Gabriel asked it of Mary and she rose to the occasion. Joseph was silent, yet rose to the occasion as well.
pg. 50
"In the meantime, no one seeing this barefooted man walking along the narrow roads of Nazareth on his way to work with his toolbox on his shoulder could or would ever dream of his incomparable destiny. In their eyes and his own, he was a lowly, ordinary workingman. Yet it was he, Joseph, who by God's decree would make possible the Incarnation according to God's plan"
It is funny, I sense more pride and arrogance in the author's proclamation than who we believe Joseph to be and stand for. I can appreciate the stark contrast the author is portraying in this moment. But what really speaks to me in this passage is more of the first part and less of the second. Maybe we are only supposed to know of Joseph's glory in the Beatific vision because the second part comes across as a little melodramatic and pompous.
pg. 57
An eclectic mix of opinions brings me to meditate on the state of relationships before Mary and Joseph, with Mary and Joseph and after Mary and Joseph. Bishop Baron speaks of ordering your life correctly which is to say towards God. And that if you are making small gods out of other aspects of your life than you will be off-balance. Case in point, the sexual revolution and women's rights.
The focus in our culture and the making of sex as our god has brought about so much pain and death in our age. Some say that this sexual revolution is a way for humans to go back to our roots which is of a non-monogamous relationship. That we should not limit our sexual desires. In comes contraception in the 1960s and we have made sex a simple pleasure act; and act for fun. For me, hearing of Mary and Joseph and their relationship, captures what a healthy, God-fearing relationship looks like. And it is a marriage without sex. Some might say that their sexual desires were stifled and from the outside, that is an easy assumption to make.
What I see is a freedom from the box people put themselves in with regards to intimacy. Am I having enough? Am I stopping a desire from happening because the Church says no? Mary and Joseph rise above the melodrama and ascend to God's will. This life should be ordered towards God. That is where our freedom is. A selfish life has been displayed in many ways in human history. So has a self-less life; one ordered to God's will. I believe it would take an off-balance person to pick today's certain actors, politicians, billionaires over the lives of the saints. Sure, the first may have more access to material means and are not constrained by power, wealth, lust. But the later has a monopoly on a life lived in happiness and content.
pg. 56-57
"After having explained to Mary that he could offer her only a modest home, he assured her that it was a great joy and privilege for him to have been chosen to take care of her, that he had promised God to remain as she, that he would always look after her as would a brother.
They both were filled with joy and exultation when at the close of their meeting each felt that their souls were joined in perfect accord. Mary's heart was flooded with peace and security, Joseph's with an immense desire to protect and cherish the precious gift confided to him. Descendant of kings, he had no court, no riches, no renown, but God had given him a treasure compared to which all the glory and wealth of Solomon were as dross and nothingness.
A text from the Book of Wisdom came to his mind to help him express in words his super-abounding joy: "All good things have come to me together with her."
pg. 82-83
"That was the secret time-beat which every instant throbbed in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. As divine love is incorruptible, so their love springing from it was invincible, and indeed, far from distracting them from God, it helped to unite them close to Him.
It was so from the time of their first vows. Joseph then thought he could never love Mary more than at that moment, but after the angel's revelation she became dearer still. The strength of his attachment made him a new man. The Infant-God that she carried increased his reverence, since he looked upon her as a new Ark of the Covenant and a Tabernacle of the Holy of Holies.
As for Mary, she saw in Joseph the representative of Divine Authority, the one chosen to be God's coadjutor in the mystery of the Incarnation, and always she showed him deference, submission and tender affection.
Their vows of virginity served but to unit them more closely. It was because their love had in it no fleshly desires that it was untroubled by anxiety, doubt, bitterness or disappointment. Virginal love is without spot or wrinkle. They knew nothing of what St. Paul calls the "tribulation of the flesh". Holy in mind and body, their affection for each other was capable of constant enrichment and increase: "O holy virginity," cried Bossuet, "your fires are stronger because they are free; the flames that burn in us can never equal the ardor of the chaste embrace of souls whom love of purity binds together."
It is a long quote but captures so much of what I have been pondering lately. From how God has called me to be transformed in my vocation of marriage to Lisa, to society's approach to married couples and their reason to break vows to what it truly means to be free and not constrained by sexual desire.
Joseph shows me what it is like to grow closer in love. I could stop the love train at any moment with selfish thoughts of retaining aspects of my life before Lisa or indulge in bachelor habits I was accustomed to before I married her. But the more I come to love and respect Lisa, the more I see my call to what married life is. The vocation calls for a transformation. We could not survive if I were to go out with the guys drinking every Friday night or stay up late playing video games or plan my day according to only what I want accomplished.
I can see how that thought could be radical. I hear of self care so much now and how we need to take time for ourselves in our marriage/life. I would say that I do not mean that marriage means you lose who you were entirely but I guess I do. "That doesn't sound healthy" or "that is not possible." I can hear my dad's words ringing in my ear. It is simple. If I want to continue to grow in love and be successful in loving Lisa better, who I was; my wants and desires; should slowly fade away. That way I could better want the good of Lisa for her sake and no other.
And that brings me to what it looks like if men do take the idea that forgetting yourself and your wants sounds unhealthy. We now get married couples announcing divorce. Some are because of the turbulent times that they faces or maybe they truly did not understand the vows they were saying or could not possible offer those vows during the wedding day. Today, it is different. Today it is both couples saying that they are the best of friends and are so close to one another but have decided that they have drifted out of love. To me it sounds like they are sugar-coating or lying to themselves that the reason why they are breaking their vows is noble. When in reality, it comes down to selfish motives. Turn toward one another and embrace or turn away from one another to self. From what I have experienced, it is very difficult if not impossible to 'fall' out of love when you are striving for the good of one another.
And a big part of people deciding to turn to self is the sexual revolution. From contraceptives being introduced causing 'risk free' sex to the availability of pornographic images has caused marriages to spiral downward. A Hollywood actress, Jennifer Laurence, admitted in an interview that she sends her boyfriend nude photos. Her reasoning is that she is not blind to the dating field now-a-days. Her response:
She says her first thought was to write a public statement, “but every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don't have anything to say I'm sorry for. I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he's going to look at you.”
We consider that loving; when your boyfriend will look at objectifying photos of yourself and not porn. He should get a standing ovation for the sacrifice he made. What virtue this man is demonstrating.
That might sound a little crazy but that along the lines of thinking for Gen Y. If I sent the quote from the book: your fires are stronger because they are free; the flames that burn in us can never equal the ardor of the chaste embrace of souls whom love of purity binds together. He would rail back at me and say that it sounds unhealthy. That we are not made to stifle sexual desires. His thought is that the church has been the culprit of shaming and pushing a narrative that goes against the freedom of sexual desire. Chaste love is not even an option in this day and age.
This book touches on the idea of a chaste marriage but not to the extent that our generation needs. I do not think this book was made for that but a book on couples living chaste relationships that mirror the Holy family would be championed by some and thrown in the trash by the majority.
To be truly free to live your life for your spouse would call for a release from the driving force that is sexual desire. How can someone say they are truly free when they spend the majority of their day and night thinking about sex. Actions and words are taken to increase the chance of sexual encounters. That sounds more like a prison to me.
I enjoyed the thought process Gasnier went through in speaking for Joseph in regards to lineage. It is a little comical that this book is titled Joseph the silent but the author insists on putting words in Joseph's mouth. He is not going so far as to say Joseph would say this and I think that is about as far as I could go in the theory that Joseph would question us by stating the genealogy of Jesus would end with him if we were simply to take Mary and disregard Joseph. I do see devotion to Mary as a similar experience among saints we know of. Rarely do you hear of saints calling upon the Holy family. I am interested as to why. Would silent Joseph want it this way? Is his humility to the point that only the Father's will be done and that is best done through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary? At the wedding at Cana we do not hear of Joseph and Mary is the one that intercedes for the couple. Had Joseph died at this point? Why was he a none factor.
This section also reminds me of Queen Elizabeth and her marriage to Prince Philip and how the Queen's last name is Mountbatten-Windsor. There was so much importance and heritage to the name Windsor that parliament felt it best to have the Queen forgo taking Philip's name. Granted, there was no counsel for Mary and Joseph; simply a prophesy that the savior would be of the house of David. "I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
This section makes me ponder my devotion to the Holy family. Mary did not bear him only through flesh. And the statement 'What the Holy Spirit wrought for her, He wrought for both of us.' Maybe that is where the thought experiment comes to a screeching halt. Mary and Joseph are not royalty. What was wrought for Mary was also wrought for all people both Jews and gentiles. Joseph does not need to be called Blessed among women. His fiat did not change the course of history. I am not trying to write him off but simply trying to better understand his humility and silence in all of this. He returned to Mary not boasting that he and his lineage (which no one can control but God) will be the key to bring about a savior. No. He returned in silence knowing that his duty, his promise, was to Mary and to God.
pg. 35
I enjoyed thinking of Joseph being successful in many fields but not to the point of popularity. Simply out of serving others. To imitate Joseph does not mean that we must aspire to the highest titles. Joseph was not as successful in business as Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. That didn't matter. His identity was not laced in with his professional success. I find comfort in that. A weight has been lifted. I must be cautious, though, I could very easily use it as an excuse to not give myself fully to what God calls of me but to only seek out a comfortable life for me and my family.
pg. 37
"It is with pleasure he serves his customers. He is proud, but without vanity, to give them of his best."
Honoring God, giving glory to God, by producing your best but at the same time, leaving vainglory behind.
pg. 45
Silence comes when hope is pure. I like the thought of Joseph knowing and believing the statement 'God appoints anyone for a certain mission, He gives him the graces necessary to carry it out.'
All glory and honor is yours, oh Lord. There is no need for words unless you ask it of us. The Angel Gabriel asked it of Mary and she rose to the occasion. Joseph was silent, yet rose to the occasion as well.
pg. 50
"In the meantime, no one seeing this barefooted man walking along the narrow roads of Nazareth on his way to work with his toolbox on his shoulder could or would ever dream of his incomparable destiny. In their eyes and his own, he was a lowly, ordinary workingman. Yet it was he, Joseph, who by God's decree would make possible the Incarnation according to God's plan"
It is funny, I sense more pride and arrogance in the author's proclamation than who we believe Joseph to be and stand for. I can appreciate the stark contrast the author is portraying in this moment. But what really speaks to me in this passage is more of the first part and less of the second. Maybe we are only supposed to know of Joseph's glory in the Beatific vision because the second part comes across as a little melodramatic and pompous.
pg. 57
An eclectic mix of opinions brings me to meditate on the state of relationships before Mary and Joseph, with Mary and Joseph and after Mary and Joseph. Bishop Baron speaks of ordering your life correctly which is to say towards God. And that if you are making small gods out of other aspects of your life than you will be off-balance. Case in point, the sexual revolution and women's rights.
The focus in our culture and the making of sex as our god has brought about so much pain and death in our age. Some say that this sexual revolution is a way for humans to go back to our roots which is of a non-monogamous relationship. That we should not limit our sexual desires. In comes contraception in the 1960s and we have made sex a simple pleasure act; and act for fun. For me, hearing of Mary and Joseph and their relationship, captures what a healthy, God-fearing relationship looks like. And it is a marriage without sex. Some might say that their sexual desires were stifled and from the outside, that is an easy assumption to make.
What I see is a freedom from the box people put themselves in with regards to intimacy. Am I having enough? Am I stopping a desire from happening because the Church says no? Mary and Joseph rise above the melodrama and ascend to God's will. This life should be ordered towards God. That is where our freedom is. A selfish life has been displayed in many ways in human history. So has a self-less life; one ordered to God's will. I believe it would take an off-balance person to pick today's certain actors, politicians, billionaires over the lives of the saints. Sure, the first may have more access to material means and are not constrained by power, wealth, lust. But the later has a monopoly on a life lived in happiness and content.
pg. 56-57
"After having explained to Mary that he could offer her only a modest home, he assured her that it was a great joy and privilege for him to have been chosen to take care of her, that he had promised God to remain as she, that he would always look after her as would a brother.
They both were filled with joy and exultation when at the close of their meeting each felt that their souls were joined in perfect accord. Mary's heart was flooded with peace and security, Joseph's with an immense desire to protect and cherish the precious gift confided to him. Descendant of kings, he had no court, no riches, no renown, but God had given him a treasure compared to which all the glory and wealth of Solomon were as dross and nothingness.
A text from the Book of Wisdom came to his mind to help him express in words his super-abounding joy: "All good things have come to me together with her."
pg. 82-83
"That was the secret time-beat which every instant throbbed in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. As divine love is incorruptible, so their love springing from it was invincible, and indeed, far from distracting them from God, it helped to unite them close to Him.
It was so from the time of their first vows. Joseph then thought he could never love Mary more than at that moment, but after the angel's revelation she became dearer still. The strength of his attachment made him a new man. The Infant-God that she carried increased his reverence, since he looked upon her as a new Ark of the Covenant and a Tabernacle of the Holy of Holies.
As for Mary, she saw in Joseph the representative of Divine Authority, the one chosen to be God's coadjutor in the mystery of the Incarnation, and always she showed him deference, submission and tender affection.
Their vows of virginity served but to unit them more closely. It was because their love had in it no fleshly desires that it was untroubled by anxiety, doubt, bitterness or disappointment. Virginal love is without spot or wrinkle. They knew nothing of what St. Paul calls the "tribulation of the flesh". Holy in mind and body, their affection for each other was capable of constant enrichment and increase: "O holy virginity," cried Bossuet, "your fires are stronger because they are free; the flames that burn in us can never equal the ardor of the chaste embrace of souls whom love of purity binds together."
It is a long quote but captures so much of what I have been pondering lately. From how God has called me to be transformed in my vocation of marriage to Lisa, to society's approach to married couples and their reason to break vows to what it truly means to be free and not constrained by sexual desire.
Joseph shows me what it is like to grow closer in love. I could stop the love train at any moment with selfish thoughts of retaining aspects of my life before Lisa or indulge in bachelor habits I was accustomed to before I married her. But the more I come to love and respect Lisa, the more I see my call to what married life is. The vocation calls for a transformation. We could not survive if I were to go out with the guys drinking every Friday night or stay up late playing video games or plan my day according to only what I want accomplished.
I can see how that thought could be radical. I hear of self care so much now and how we need to take time for ourselves in our marriage/life. I would say that I do not mean that marriage means you lose who you were entirely but I guess I do. "That doesn't sound healthy" or "that is not possible." I can hear my dad's words ringing in my ear. It is simple. If I want to continue to grow in love and be successful in loving Lisa better, who I was; my wants and desires; should slowly fade away. That way I could better want the good of Lisa for her sake and no other.
And that brings me to what it looks like if men do take the idea that forgetting yourself and your wants sounds unhealthy. We now get married couples announcing divorce. Some are because of the turbulent times that they faces or maybe they truly did not understand the vows they were saying or could not possible offer those vows during the wedding day. Today, it is different. Today it is both couples saying that they are the best of friends and are so close to one another but have decided that they have drifted out of love. To me it sounds like they are sugar-coating or lying to themselves that the reason why they are breaking their vows is noble. When in reality, it comes down to selfish motives. Turn toward one another and embrace or turn away from one another to self. From what I have experienced, it is very difficult if not impossible to 'fall' out of love when you are striving for the good of one another.
And a big part of people deciding to turn to self is the sexual revolution. From contraceptives being introduced causing 'risk free' sex to the availability of pornographic images has caused marriages to spiral downward. A Hollywood actress, Jennifer Laurence, admitted in an interview that she sends her boyfriend nude photos. Her reasoning is that she is not blind to the dating field now-a-days. Her response:
She says her first thought was to write a public statement, “but every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don't have anything to say I'm sorry for. I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he's going to look at you.”
We consider that loving; when your boyfriend will look at objectifying photos of yourself and not porn. He should get a standing ovation for the sacrifice he made. What virtue this man is demonstrating.
That might sound a little crazy but that along the lines of thinking for Gen Y. If I sent the quote from the book: your fires are stronger because they are free; the flames that burn in us can never equal the ardor of the chaste embrace of souls whom love of purity binds together. He would rail back at me and say that it sounds unhealthy. That we are not made to stifle sexual desires. His thought is that the church has been the culprit of shaming and pushing a narrative that goes against the freedom of sexual desire. Chaste love is not even an option in this day and age.
This book touches on the idea of a chaste marriage but not to the extent that our generation needs. I do not think this book was made for that but a book on couples living chaste relationships that mirror the Holy family would be championed by some and thrown in the trash by the majority.
To be truly free to live your life for your spouse would call for a release from the driving force that is sexual desire. How can someone say they are truly free when they spend the majority of their day and night thinking about sex. Actions and words are taken to increase the chance of sexual encounters. That sounds more like a prison to me.
January 4, 2020
Good simple book.
December 29, 2020
Very fitting book for Advent and Christmas. The chapters are short and offered an effective meditation for each day. St Joseph, by his silence, speaks so much and teaches us so much.
February 13, 2020
Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus, is only seen in the first few chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Even in those small sections, he has no words attributed to him. He does many things and has an active role in Jesus's childhood. The early Church probably downplayed the role of Joseph since he was overshadowed (quite rightly) by the true Father of Jesus. A tradition of devotion to Joseph eventually grew up. This book is a more recent contribution (first published in French in 1960).
The book is divided into thirty chapters that are typically five pages long. The format makes it an ideal monthly devotional. The reflections start with the prefigurements of Joseph in the Old Testament and work their way through the life of Joseph. Gasnier does a bit of extra-biblical research to expand on what it was like to be a carpenter and what the marriage traditions were like back then. He paints a convincing and detailed portrait of Joseph's life and his virtues like humility, obedience, and courage. Joseph was the fittest spouse for Mary since he shared her trust in God's will. Even with their hardships, they must have had an idyllic life. Living with grace-filled companions encourages and strengthens a virtuous character. In every way, Joseph is a fine role-model for us as we strive to live our lives with Christ.
I found this book a very valuable way to get to know Joseph better and to imitate his trust in God's will.
Highly recommended.
Quote on how the mix-up happened when Jesus got left behind in Jerusalem as a child:
Perhaps Jesus told his mother before the caravan started that he would stay with his "Father," and Mary had not realized which 'father' he was speaking of. [p. 100]
The book is divided into thirty chapters that are typically five pages long. The format makes it an ideal monthly devotional. The reflections start with the prefigurements of Joseph in the Old Testament and work their way through the life of Joseph. Gasnier does a bit of extra-biblical research to expand on what it was like to be a carpenter and what the marriage traditions were like back then. He paints a convincing and detailed portrait of Joseph's life and his virtues like humility, obedience, and courage. Joseph was the fittest spouse for Mary since he shared her trust in God's will. Even with their hardships, they must have had an idyllic life. Living with grace-filled companions encourages and strengthens a virtuous character. In every way, Joseph is a fine role-model for us as we strive to live our lives with Christ.
I found this book a very valuable way to get to know Joseph better and to imitate his trust in God's will.
Highly recommended.
Quote on how the mix-up happened when Jesus got left behind in Jerusalem as a child:
Perhaps Jesus told his mother before the caravan started that he would stay with his "Father," and Mary had not realized which 'father' he was speaking of. [p. 100]
July 19, 2018
Santo callado
El libro me ha gustado mucho, exalta las virtudes ocultas, que no hacen ruido, de quien estuvo tan cerca de Jesús, cuidando de él y de la Virgen Maria. Es una vida imitable, no hizo nada extraordinario, solo estar con el corazón abierto y la voluntad lista para vivir plenamente la misión que Dios le había dado.
El libro me ha gustado mucho, exalta las virtudes ocultas, que no hacen ruido, de quien estuvo tan cerca de Jesús, cuidando de él y de la Virgen Maria. Es una vida imitable, no hizo nada extraordinario, solo estar con el corazón abierto y la voluntad lista para vivir plenamente la misión que Dios le había dado.
December 21, 2020
This short book is a look back at St. Joseph's life and does a great job of bringing together scripture and tradition, along with some holy speculation. The author is very explicit that we don't have an in-depth knowledge of St. Joseph's life, but yet somehow manages to get 30 chapters in the book! It was interesting to reflect on how Jesus would've been raised, how St. Joseph would've simultaneously taught Jesus and been taught by him, and to reflect on his relationship with Mary.
In a pure coincidence I read this during Advent and would recommend that to others, although certainly you can read it at any time of year. But it definitely helped me reflect.
There are a few terms throughout the book that are either mega old school or just new to me. For example Isaias instead of Isaiah (pretty easy to figure out what he was saying) or referring to the Middle East as the Orient which I hadn't heard. I think if the book is republished it would help to update so as to not distract the reader, but overall it's a solid book.
In a pure coincidence I read this during Advent and would recommend that to others, although certainly you can read it at any time of year. But it definitely helped me reflect.
There are a few terms throughout the book that are either mega old school or just new to me. For example Isaias instead of Isaiah (pretty easy to figure out what he was saying) or referring to the Middle East as the Orient which I hadn't heard. I think if the book is republished it would help to update so as to not distract the reader, but overall it's a solid book.
March 22, 2021
I read this as one more book on the subject to honor Mary's spouse on his day and during his year. This comes on the heels of reading Mike Aquilina's recent book on the same saint ("St. Joseph and His World").
That being said, I prefer the Aquilina book. While the Gasnier work is enriching it deals with too much speculation often treated as fact (he says he relies on Doctors, Fathers, theologians, and hagiographers but often it seems he either brings in his own ideas or relies on mystics -- there are few references cited). That is not to say that it is not thought-provoking in parts as it presents details of Joseph's (and Jesus' and Mary's life) during the hidden years that I had not considered. And the speculation is certainly plausible. But I tend to prefer books on saints that deal with what can be known or reasonably asserted based on history.
Recommended for spiritual reading.
That being said, I prefer the Aquilina book. While the Gasnier work is enriching it deals with too much speculation often treated as fact (he says he relies on Doctors, Fathers, theologians, and hagiographers but often it seems he either brings in his own ideas or relies on mystics -- there are few references cited). That is not to say that it is not thought-provoking in parts as it presents details of Joseph's (and Jesus' and Mary's life) during the hidden years that I had not considered. And the speculation is certainly plausible. But I tend to prefer books on saints that deal with what can be known or reasonably asserted based on history.
Recommended for spiritual reading.
February 4, 2022
Un gran libro que ahonda sobre la figura de San José, su vida, sus virtudes y cuánto podemos deducir de él por sus acciones y silencios, ya que en la Biblia no viene ni una sola palabra dicha por él como tal. Vemos su rol en la vida de Jesús y de María, su relación con grandes personajes y santos, y su crecimiento personal y espiritual al lado del mismo Dios, conjeturando sobre momentos clave de su vida, desde su desposamiento con María hasta su muerte.
April 17, 2018
José, o silencioso escrito por Michel Gasnier é uma das melhores escritas sobre a vida de um santo. POr oras especulativo, todas as suas bases são veridicas observando passagens biblicas e estudos sobre a época.
São José é retratado de uma maneira correta e simples. São José é grande, mas pequeno perto de Jesus, o Deus encarnado e Maria. O autor consegue de maneira clara mostrar as dificuldades da missão e o zelo de São José.
São José é retratado de uma maneira correta e simples. São José é grande, mas pequeno perto de Jesus, o Deus encarnado e Maria. O autor consegue de maneira clara mostrar as dificuldades da missão e o zelo de São José.
January 4, 2023
I thought it was a great little book about a great saint. Makes you appreciate St. Joseph even more. Pondered over one or two chapters a day and really enjoyed it. Glad I came across it at the thrift store or else I probably would have never heard of it.
November 25, 2017
A lot of conjecture without enough sources cited.
January 7, 2021
A very sweet book about a great saint, but necessarily speculative and sometimes perhaps a bit too authoritative about what Joseph *must have* thought or done.
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July 12, 2021Good spiritual reading for this Year of St. Joseph. Just a few minutes a day is all it takes to really appreciate this book.
January 4, 2025
"Se habla tan poco de José en el Evangelio que ni siquiera se refiere su muerte".
Explora la vida del esposo de María relacionándola con pasajes de la Biblia, así como las grandes enseñanzasde su silencio y obediencia.
Explora la vida del esposo de María relacionándola con pasajes de la Biblia, así como las grandes enseñanzasde su silencio y obediencia.
March 17, 2017
Buen libro para empezar a conocer algo de la vida de San José
February 26, 2021
Preciosa meditación sobre la humildad y modestia de San José. Muy hermoso
June 18, 2009
There is a great lot you can learn from even the fewest words!
May 20, 2011
Wonderful meditation on paternity and Saint Joseph
loaned by François LECOQ
loaned by François LECOQ
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