St. Joseph as an embodiment of qualities pertaining to a perfect formator.

Introduction

The sacred scripture does have conspicuous narratives of those who would be docketed as
formators. Throughout the history of Israelites, a handful of the divine chosen persons stand
out as leaders, inspirers and guiding stars who gave their best in forming the people of God.
Began with Moses, a trajectory of such people is drawn up in the history expanding to the
New testament period with the teachings of Jesus extended to his disciples. Despite their
chosen status each of them had assigned roles of being the formator of the chosen people to
make them walk in the path of God.

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put
my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I commend him. I myself will call to
account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name”
(Deuteronomy 18:18-19). Therefore, we must assume that in due course of time people were
chosen with purpose for taking up the responsibility of taking part in the formation of the
people of God.

Notwithstanding these chosen ones of God, the scripture still invites us to look into elements
to identify persons, though do not pertain to that line of leaders but still possessing the
qualities of a formator. Despite being the foster father of Jesus, Joseph can be identified as
another biblical figure to argue for this reason especially with the way he was. The biblical
narratives on Joseph hold peculiar characteristics of a formator being in the role of the foster
father of Jesus.

Joseph a model formator

Apart from the divinity that embellished Jesus, the gospels identify Jesus as a true man died
on the cross and completed the assigned divine task. The role that Joseph took in making
ready Jesus to enter into his ministries that he completed with the cross was enormous to
identify him a model formator. One could find a number of instances where joseph possesses
enough of the characteristics pertaining to this view. However, nothing that really accounts to
enumerate the formative elements in Joseph is found in the gospels in the form of his words
recorded, still the way he acted and lived the life matters. Some of them could be identified as
follows.
1. The role as a fosterer

The gospel identifies Joseph as a person who was chosen by God to be the fosterer of Jesus
and the care taker of Mother Mary as well. And he is found successful in his role entrusted to
him. He is mentioned as a carpenter and we assume that Jesus too worked beside him. (Mt.
13:55). The gospel of Luke portrays him as a pious and noble Israelite, who was faithful
(Luke. 2: 22-24). But the real qualities that made him to be the chosen one to take care of
Mary and Jesus is not obviously revealed. We may have to leave this part for the enactment
of the divine plan upon a person being chosen for purposes. Nonetheless, the way he fulfilled
the entrusted task indirectly proves the rightfulness of his selection.

No one would repudiate the fact that a formator takes up the role of a fosterer not as an added
responsibility but very much to the role itself. Hence a fosterer should have the qualities after
Joseph.

a. Listening: The role of listening is always appreciated in all aspects of life. It is generally
said that almost the solution of a problem is found with a good listening. In the gospel portrait
of joseph, the best suiting title might be that he was a listener. He listens to God primarily.
We have to presume that he had the wisdom to know whom to listen to and whom to not. It
might have been a character of him that he possessed from an early time that made him to
listen to God. This art of listening turns to be a formative quality of Joseph when we realise
that he made Jesus ready to learn the art of listening and that made Jesus in turn to listen to
the deprived ones who approached Him in distress. Therefore, the formative quality of
listening can be highlighted in the life of Joseph.
b. Acting: This acting would mean the wise execution of the listened wisdom. Most of the
time failure is identified not because of the initial plans but accounts very much to the
execution part. Joseph succeeds is executing the plans in the way they were expected to be.
Always it turned to be an error free execution. Execution of wisdom would account for the
formative qualities in Joseph. He acts wisely always without giving chances to go wrong in
anyway. He is thoughtful as well as quick. The thoughtful action is supported by listening to
God and the execution is supported with prudence. This saves the holy family from great
distress. It is very much obvious that Joseph gave his best to Mary and Jesus when they were
in need of him especially in the early childhood of Jesus as if he was meant to be present only
during the childhood days of Jesus. The thoughtfulness in action which never went wrong
when supported with pure wisdom and prudence can be taken for granted from Joseph as a
pure formative quality.
c. Accompanying: When Joseph is acting out the plans or executing them, he makes them
done by way of accompanying. This accompaniment instils great hope and comfort in the
dependents. Though this accompaniment can be understood as part of a divine plan, it
accounts for the formative quality that once could imbibe from Joseph en route to the
fulfilment of the divine plan. Accompaniment is an act of being with. Joseph kept the divine
family close to his heart. The gospel concludes the childhood of Jesus with a statement that
“…and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Lk. 2: 52). We
have to realise that this growth of Jesus was accompanied by his foster father Joseph. Hence
the formative quality of accompaniment makes the candidate to grow in wisdom and stature
together with the favour or God and man.
2. Joseph as a model

Many a time Joseph is identified as the silent model. He is depicted as the one who speaks
less. But it doesn’t mean that he didn’t speak. But still his silence remains a supreme quality
which is not of the powerless but of the powerful. He is found as a model in the following
ways.

a. The silent way: It is often debated upon the very idea of a model. Would it mean to have a
lot of things said on his or her credit and established or just having the life led as a silent
model. Joseph, being the silent man teaches beautiful lessons of life which Jesus himself
successfully practices in his life. Being a human, Jesus was very much after the silent model
of Joseph. The silent way means not keeping oneself aloof from talking. It means hopping for
the good with great faith and without suspicions. Joseph never questions Mary or the divine
word but rather silently follow them. For instance, on the way to Jerusalem they were in
search of a place to stay. Joseph inquired about every possibility but nothing came their way,
but he wasn’t ready to leave himself to be hopeless, rather reached a unique solution.
b. Solution finder: It is amazing to know that Joseph always had a solution which was a
working one. En route to Jerusalem to find a manger was a finest of the solutions. Taking
Jesus to Egypt and coming back and settling all were part of his findings of solutions. This
model was very much inspiring for Jesus, who found solutions for everything in a unique
way. Apart from His divine nature we find the wisdom and prudence of Jesus in many
instances which would be attributed as a quality acquired from Joseph. When the Pharisees
approached Jesus to catch him in his words on the matter of paying imperial tax to Caesar
(Mk. 12: 13-17), the answer was impeccable which was in fact one out of his wisdom and
prudence. There are many other instances once could find Jesus wins over his opponents with
finest solutions ever made. These otherwise called the practical wisdom which was acquired
from his foster father Joseph.
Conclusion
The minimal biblical allusions pertaining to the formative qualities of Joseph would suffice to
argue for that Joseph in fact was an embodiment of qualities for a successful formator.
Though the apparent narratives would not obviously lead to them, reading between the lines
defenitly accounts for this. Hence it would be apt to enumerate the qualities, of silence,
listening, acting according to the will of God with prudence and finding working solutions
are the sufficient formative qualities identified in the person of Joseph.