Episode 3257: St. Joseph's Humble Reverence: Why He Chose Silence

Walt: Welcome back to Catholic Reboot. With Sharon starting a nightly rosary via zoom with her parishioners, her pastor reviewed all the prayers and made several corrections of which one was that Joseph thought Mary had lost her virginity and therefore was going to put her away quietly. He said that is incorrect. St Jospeh never questioned Mary’s virginity and purity. That caused us to do an episode titled:
Joseph’s Humble Reverence: Why He Chose Silence
I never knew this and had to actually go back to Sts Jerome, Aquinas and Bernard to confirm this as a Church teaching.
Sharon (Host):
Yes this is a teachable moment. We’re exploring a profound mystery from the life of St. Joseph, a man of silence, humility, and hidden strength. Our theme is “Joseph’s Humble Reverence: Why He Chose Silence.” So often, when Catholics hear Matthew 1:19 “Joseph, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately” the assumption is that Joseph doubted Mary’s purity. But as we’ll see, the Church Fathers tell us something very different. Joseph’s silence was not doubt, but reverence.
Walt (Co-Host):
This isn’t just a theological detail about Joseph. It’s a lesson for us today about how to approach God’s mysteries with awe and humility, especially the Holy Eucharist.
Segment 1: Clearing the Misunderstanding
Sharon:
Let’s begin by addressing the common misunderstanding. Many modern readers think Joseph suspected Mary of sin. But the Church Fathers, especially St. Jerome, made it clear that’s not what Matthew meant. Jerome explained that to call Joseph “just” meant he was holy, virtuous, and close to God. Such a man could never suspect evil in Mary, whose holiness was evident.
Walt:
Exactly. If we believe Joseph thought Mary was guilty, we reduce him to someone who doubted God’s plan and questioned Mary’s virtue. That doesn’t fit the one chosen to guard both the Virgin and the Redeemer. Jerome even wrote passionately against this idea, saying Joseph’s justice showed itself in humility not suspicion.
Sharon:
So why did Joseph want to put Mary away privately? Because he recognized something divine was happening. He didn’t want to interfere, nor to bring dishonor upon Mary. It wasn’t a matter of covering up sin it was about stepping aside reverently, letting God’s mystery unfold.
Reflection Question for Listeners:
Do we sometimes jump to human explanations of God’s mysteries instead of pausing in reverence?
Segment 2: The Reverence of Joseph
Sharon:
Here’s where the saints give us incredible insight. St. Jerome said Joseph recognized the hand of God in Mary’s pregnancy and humbled himself before it.
Walt:
And St. Bernard of Clairvaux gave us one of the most beautiful comparisons. He likened Joseph to St. Peter at the miraculous catch of fish, when Peter fell down saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Bernard said Joseph too felt unworthy to remain so close to the mystery of the Incarnation.
Sharon:
St. Thomas Aquinas put it succinctly: Joseph wished to withdraw not because he suspected evil, but because he revered the hidden mystery and feared to live so near it. In other words, Joseph’s silence was reverence, his decision an act of humility.
Walt:
This changes everything. Joseph wasn’t avoiding scandal. He was shrinking back from greatness not out of fear, but because he knew his own littleness before God. Think of it: to “put Mary away quietly” was, in Joseph’s mind, the only way to honor what God was doing in her.
Sharon:
And yet, God didn’t allow Joseph to step back. The angel told him in a dream: “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” In that moment, Joseph learned that true humility is not abandoning the mission, but embracing it with trust.
Reflection Question for Listeners:
When God asks something of us that feels too great, do we step back in fear, or step forward in trust like Joseph?

Segment 3: Virtue sharpens the mind and heart
In Catholic teaching, virtue is not just moral goodness, it is also a strengthening of the intellect and will. A just man, as Scripture calls Joseph, sees reality more clearly than someone clouded by vice. Because Joseph lived in purity, humility, and justice, his heart was free from suspicion and rash judgment. That is why, when he saw Mary’s pregSharon, he didn’t leap to suspicion but perceived something divine at work.
St. Thomas Aquinas makes this clear: Joseph’s justice and reverence allowed him to grasp the mystery. He didn’t fully “understand” in the sense of knowing everything, but his virtue made him recognize that this was not an ordinary situation, and that God’s hand was here.
Patristic support
• St. Jerome argued that Joseph’s virtue ruled out any suspicion of sin. A truly just man, illuminated by God’s grace, could not imagine impurity in someone so radiant with holiness as Mary.
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux compared Joseph to Peter, who, upon recognizing Christ’s divinity, cried out: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Joseph’s holiness gave him insight to perceive the mystery, and humility to step back.
• St. Augustine noted that God entrusts His deepest mysteries only to the pure of heart. Joseph’s sanctity was why he was chosen to be the guardian of the Redeemer and His Mother.
Understanding born of humility
Joseph’s “understanding” was not human cleverness, but a supernatural perception born of humility. Because he was detached from pride and self-will, he could discern that Mary’s condition was not to be judged by appearances. His silence was wisdom a deep interior knowing that God was acting in ways beyond him.
As the Gospel later shows, once the angel confirmed the divine origin of Mary’s child, Joseph obeyed immediately without question. His readiness to act on faith demonstrates that his earlier silence came from reverence, not doubt.
Application for us
This lesson is powerful for modern Catholics: virtue prepares the soul for understanding the mysteries of God. If sin clouds vision, then purity and humility clear the eyes of the heart. Many struggle with belief in the Real Presence or in the mysteries of the Rosary because modern life dulls reverence. Joseph shows us that by pursuing virtue, especially humility, we too become capable of understanding what others cannot see.
Segment 4: Applying Joseph’s Reverence to Our Lives
Walt:
So what does this mean for us today? Joseph becomes a model for how we should approach the mysteries of our faith, especially the Eucharist. How often do Catholics treat Holy Communion as routine? Yet, if Joseph teaches us anything, it’s that we should fall silent, humbled, in awe.
Sharon:
Exactly. Many Catholics today struggle even to believe that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. But Joseph reminds us that the right response to mystery is not doubt, but reverence. Like him, we may feel unworthy. And truthfully, we are unworthy. But the angel’s words to Joseph echo to us: “Do not be afraid.”
Walt:
Yes do not be afraid to receive Christ in the Eucharist. Do not be afraid to take up your vocation, to embrace God’s plan even when it overwhelms you. Joseph thought he was too small for the grandeur of the Incarnation. But God wanted Joseph right there, as guardian of both Mother and Child.
Sharon:
Holiness doesn’t come from grasping at greatness. It comes from humbly receiving what God entrusts to us just as Joseph did. His silent humility became strength, and his obedience became protection for the Holy Family.
Reflection Question for Listeners:
Do we approach the sacraments with awe like Joseph, or with indifference?
Sharon:
As we close, let’s take Joseph’s silence to heart. His silence was not doubt it was reverence. His humility was not weakness it was strength.
Walt:
And that strength allowed him to guard the greatest mysteries the world has ever known: the Virgin Mother and the Incarnate Son.

Sharon:
When we feel tempted to shrink back from God’s plan, let us remember Joseph. His quiet yes became the foundation of his mission. May we imitate his reverence, his humility, and his trust.
Walt:
Let us close with prayer.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Heavenly Father, You entrusted Your Only Begotten Son to the care of St. Joseph. Through his prayers, grant us the grace of humility, reverence, and obedience to Your holy will. May we imitate Joseph’s silence that listens, his humility that receives, and his courage that obeys. We entrust ourselves, our families, and our Church to his paternal care.
St. Joseph, most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us.
St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Both Together:
St. Joseph, guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us.