It’s been awhile since I last posted! I recently came across a new society called the Josephology Society. I’m not sure if I mentioned in an earlier post as to why my blog is titled “Mirror of Patience,” but the title is in reference to a title given to St. Joseph in the Litany of St. Joseph. The subject matter of my column has featured different areas such as faith, family and daily living. At the heart of my column is a devotion to St. Joseph, something that I have developed in the last few years and seek to grow in the years to come.
The Josephology Society is an initiative that has been years in the making! Fr. Edward Looney, STL, a priest of the Diocese of Green Bay and a Marian theologian, is the founder of the Society. Josephology is a subfield of dogmatic theology focused on the study of St. Joseph. The study of St. Joseph has grown tremendously in the last 150 years. As the field of Mariology grew, so did the field of Josephology. The mission of the Josephology Society is:
Through its annual symposium and publications, the Society seeks to promote comprehensive and integrated study of the person and role of Joseph, the model husband and model father. This helps to foster a well-informed and theologically sound Josephology, which in turn aids and augments a theologically sound Mariology and Christology.
What an exciting time! The Society has the support of many esteemed scholars such as Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, Scott Hahn, and Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC. Furthermore, the blueprint for the Society was the Mariological Society of America, which was established in 1949. The aim of the Society is to bring together Christian scholars, theologians and evangelists. Those who are interested in joining can do so through four types of membership: scholars (those who have academic degrees), associates (those who share the aims of the society), students (those who have a student status), and patrons (those who feel called to support the society financially).
Reflecting on St. Joseph, I recall an angelus given in 2006 by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph. He reflected on St. Joseph’s humility and hiddenness:
His greatness, like Mary’s, stands out even more because his mission was carried out in the humility and hiddenness of the house of Nazareth. Moreover, God himself, in the person of his Incarnate Son, chose this way and style of life – humility and hiddenness – in his earthly existence. From the example of St. Joseph we all receive a strong invitation to carry out with fidelity, simplicity and modesty the task that Providence has entrusted to us.
St. Joseph had no verbal accounts in Scripture, speaking instead through his actions. The grace of God is evident in this saint as devotion continues to grow in the midst of St. Joseph’s humility and hiddenness. It’s precisely through humility and hiddenness that saints throughout history have led a life of holiness. Like a mustard seed, humility and hiddenness show nothing extraordinary outwardly, but inwardly bear an ever-unfolding mystery.
As a Catholic father and husband, I think communities such as the Josephology Society are great to be a part of because you get an opportunity to learn from others how St. Joseph has been influential in their life and unpack the mystery of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church.
During this month of October, let us draw closer to the Most Holy Rosary and in particular, embrace the humility and hiddenness of St. Joseph. May we learn to glorify God with fidelity, simplicity, and modesty through the ordinariness of our daily lives!
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