His descendants shall continue for ever
2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a; Ps 89(88):2-3. 4-5. 27, 29; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Luke 2:41-51a
We know little about Joseph, the husband of Mary, a Carpenter and resident of Nazareth, then those few things from Scripture. We also have his genealogy which takes us back to David - although genealogies were used to show that every Jew was a son or daughter of David! Perhaps most importantly of all we know that he accepted God's will in the matter of keeping Mary as his spouse, and accepting Jesus as his son.
Tradition, Reason and common sense fill in the rest. Jesus (as we can see from today's Gospel) was a normal boy, well able to get into scrapes such as loosing himself in the Temple (what boy would not go off exploring!). Joseph might well have been a normal Father - and perhaps after a moment of chastisement accepting and allowing his adopted son to grow and mature as an independent young man. In this he makes a great example to those of us who are fathers - yes we must guide our sons, but we must also allow them to be themselves.
Please also today pray for my Aunt, a Carmelite nun, who today celebrates her 90th Birthday and in the region of 65 years as a member of her order.