St. Joseph had an awesome responsibility placed upon him by God – acting as foster father to God’s own Son and raising him safely to manhood. To do so, Joseph had to develop the spiritual awareness to recognize God’s leading and the practice of obedience to God’s will. These qualities were required when the message came to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because of Herod’s planned slaughter of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem. In obedience Joseph took them by night and left for a foreign land.
Joseph obeyed God in fleeing Israel because of his concern for his family. St. Paul calls for that same care for families when he tells the Colossians that they are to bear with and forgive one another. Husbands, wives, parents, and children are to treat the other members of their families with love and respect; and as they do so, they are to be thankful.
Thankfulness is the foundation of stewardship. In a thankful response to the love God has shown us, we’re to pass on that love to other members of our families. It may be as dramatic as fleeing by night for their safety, or it may be as mundane as bearing with family members on bad days as well as good, but it’s the sphere in which we live our lives as Christian stewards
