St Josephs Church

E. Gil
Tags: Faith, History, Holy Family, Holy Land, In the footprints of our Faith

The town of Nazareth has about 70,000 inhabitants today, but in our Lords times it was merely a little village of about a hundred people, most of whom worked on the land. The village was situated at the foot of a hill, surrounded by other spurs that formed a sort of natural amphitheatre. Archaeologists have succeeded in ascertaining what houses were like two thousand years ago in this part of Galilee: many were built around hollows in the rock, with a simple structure added in front. Some had cellars, grain-stores, or cisterns for storing water, underneath. Several places in Nazareth preserve the memory of our Lords presence. The main one is the Basilica of the Annunciation. Other places connected with the Gospel are the Synagogue and the nearby Mount of the Precipice, which recall how some of Jesus fellow-townsmen rejected him after they heard him preaching. There is also Marys Well, where according to some traditions, Mary went to draw water; the Tomb of the Just Man, where the holy Patriarch St Joseph is traditionally held to have been buried; and the Church of St Joseph, built over the remains of a house that centuries-old popular piety has identified with the house of the Holy Family. St Josephs Church

Graphic: J. Gil

The church we see today is about one hundred meters from the Basilica of the Annunciation. It was built in 1914, in neo-Roman style, on the ruins of previous structures: there had been a church there in the time of the Crusades (twelfth century) which the Muslims laid waste in the thirteenth century. When the Franciscans arrived in Nazareth around the year 1600, they found that according to local Christian tradition, the Church of St Joseph (also known as the Church of the Nutrition, since it would have been the place where the Child Jesus was brought up) stood on the site of St Josephs 1

workshop and the home of the Holy Family. Excavations carried out in 1908 brought to light the remains of a primitive Byzantine-style church dating from the fifth or sixth century, built on the spot where even today, in the crypt, may be seen some traces of a house dated by archaeologists to the first or second century AD: a cellar dug out of the rock, several store-rooms, cisterns for holding water, as well as what may have been a baptistery, reached by descending a flight of seven steps and containing some mosaics.

Panorama of Nazareth from the south, with the Basilica of the Annunciation in the centre. Photo: Daphna Tal - Israel Tourism

Although these finds are significant, they are not enough for archaeologists to be able to state beyond doubt that this was the actual house of the Holy Family. Nevertheless, based on that ancient and venerable popular tradition, we can go to the crypt of the Church of St Joseph with love and, guided by the hand of St Josemaria, enter into the home in Nazareth where Jesus spent thirty years of his life on earth. When Joseph woke from sleep he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife , St Matthew tells us (Mat 1:24).The Gospels give us a picture of Joseph as a remarkably sound man, who was in no way frightened or shy of life, St Josemaria writes. On the contrary, he faced up to problems, dealt with difficult situations, and showed responsibility and initiative in whatever he was asked to do. I dont agree with the traditional picture of Saint Joseph as an old man, even though it may have been prompted by a desire to emphasize the perpetual virginity of Mary. I see him as a strong young man, perhaps a few years older than our Lady, but in the prime of his life and work (Christ is Passing By, no. 40). St Josemaria used to use a brief phrase to define St Joseph: Hes the saint of the most absolute humility, the permanent smile and the shrug of the shoulders. By this he meant St Josephs total readiness, day and night, to do Gods Will, his serenity and confidence in forging a way through difficulties, and his attentiveness to those whom God had entrusted to his watchful care (cf. A. Vazquez de Prada, The Founder of Opus Dei, vol. III, chapter 23, note 170). The life of Jesus was, for Saint Joseph, a recurring discovery of his own vocation. () Joseph is surprised and astonished. God gradually reveals his plans to him, and he tries to understand them. As with every soul who wishes to follow Jesus closely, he soon discovers that here is no laggards pace, no room for the half-hearted. For God is not content with our achieving a certain level and staying there. He doesnt want us to rest on our laurels. God always asks mo re: his ways are not the ways of men. Saint Joseph, more than anyone else before or since, learned from Jesus to be alert to recognize Gods wonders, to have his mind and heart awake (Christ is Passing By, no. 54).

Basilica of the Annunciation from the front. Photo: Leobard Hinfelaar

St Josemaria and the house at Nazareth Our Lady left the house of her parents, Sts Joachim and Anne, and went to live in her husbands house, which was probably quite close, since the excavations carried out at Nazareth have shown that the houses in the village were about one hundred meters wide by a hundred and fifty long. What was family life in Nazareth like? In the home of the Holy Family in Nazareth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph sanctified their ordinary life, without doing anything spectacular or newsworthy. They led a life that was to all appearances the same as that of their neighbours, a life that was important not because of the material things they did, but because of the love that they put into these things, in perfect union with the Will of God the Father. St Josemaria would always encourage us to seek conversation with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and to carry out our everyday tasks as though we were living with the Holy Family in their house in Nazareth. When I think of Christian homes, I like to imagine them as being full of the light and joy that were in the home of the holy family. (...) And may the peace of Christ triumph in your hearts (Col 3:15), writes the Apostle.
Basilica of the Annunciation: the Crypt. Photo: Leobard Hinfelaar.

It is a peace that comes from knowing that our Father God loves us, and that we are made one with Christ. It results from being under the protection of the Virgin, our Lady, and assisted by St Joseph. This is the great light that illuminates our lives. In the midst of difficulties and of our own personal failings, it encourages us to keep up our effort. Every Christian home should be a place of peace and serenity. In spite of the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there together with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice (Christ is Passing By, no. 22). Family life, the marriage union, the care and education of children, the effort to provide for the needs of the family as well as for its security and development, the relationships with other persons who 3

make up the community, all these are among the ordinary human situations that Christian couples are called upon to sanctify. They will achieve this aim by exercising the virtues of faith and hope, facing serenely all the great and small problems which confront any family and persevering in the love and enthusiasm with which they fulfill their duties. In this way they practise the virtue of charity in all things. They learn to smile and forget about themselves in order to pay attention to others. Husband and wife will listen to each other and to their children, showing them that they are really loved and understood. They will forget about the unimportant little frictions that selfishness could magnify out of proportion. They will do lovingly all the small acts of service that make up their daily life together. The aim is this: to sanctify family life, while creating at the same time a true family atmosphere. Many Christian virtues are necessary in order to sanctify each day of ones life. Firs t, the theological virtues, and then all the others: prudence, loyalty, sincerity, humility, industriousness, cheerfulness... But when we talk about marriage and married life, we must begin by speaking clearly about the mutual love of husband and wife (Christ is Passing By, no. 23).

Under the cupola, a large open space leads to the Crypt and the Grotto of the Annunciation. Photo: Leobard Hinfelaar.