The Feast of St. Joseph is less than two weeks away, and I’m prepping by reading Father Joseph Lienhard’s St. Joseph in Early Christianity: Devotion and Theology: A Study and an Anthology of Patristic Texts (a lovely book). More on patristic josephology as the day approaches. Meantime, I share a quote beautiful for its clear and simple summary of the Fathers’ method of interpreting Scripture:
In their study of the Bible, moreover, the Fathers accepted in faith three controlling truths: the Holy Spirit is one, and thus, in the whole Bible speaks with one voice and teaches one truth; the Holy Spirit is no fool, and nothing in the Bible is trivial or irrelevant; and the Holy Spirit speaks to me, so that everything the Bible says should, when understood rightly, foster my Christian faith and life.
If you don’t already own the book, you can probably order it today and have it in time for March 19. The Augustine material alone is worth the price of admission, and it’s joined by passages from Jerome, Origen, Justin, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, and others. Father Lienhard’s essay provides excellent analysis and synthesis. What a great way to celebrate a great day, a great life.
Don’t forget St. Joseph’s Day tables, my Italian-American friend; we’ve brought the tradition to paisan-bereft Cincinnati. I wrote a piece for Catholic Exchange about it two years ago that’s unfortunately been lost.