Joseph Song - Part II

Photo Courtesy of Internet Search: The Nativity

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob,

And Jacob the father of Joseph,

the husband of Mary,

of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Matthew 1:15-16

My father was very involved in auto racing for most of my childhood, as a driver in stock cars and midgets, then remaining an avid fan, particularly of Indy cars.  I remember summers in rural Indiana – gathering eggs on Uncle Fagan’s farm while the rest of the family was off to the Indianapolis 500.  Clancy was constantly rebuilding airplanes as well – re-ragging the wings and fuselage or taking apart a propeller.  I have many visual memories of my brothers sitting in a race car or an airplane in the backyard, absorbed in watching my father go about his business.  Traffic would often slow to a crawl on Thomas Road as drivers stared in amazement at the tail end of a plane rising far above the oleander hedge.

I think my father influenced me most, however, in my use of the English language.  Dad possessed an amazing wit.  He had a long repertoire of little sayings and clichés that flowed freely through the river of his speech.  If I didn’t do something on time, I was “…a day late and a dollar short.”  Something that was a real bargain cost “…a dollar three ninety-eight.”  When the temperature was over 100 degrees outside, it was “…hotter than a $3 pistol.”  At some point in his life, Clancy had read Benjamin Franklin’s terse little sayings, and they came pouring out as well.  “A stitch in time saves nine,” or “Six to one, half a dozen to the other.”  Sometimes he would answer the phone with, “Phoenix Horsemeat Company,” or “Kelly’s Pool Hall, Eight-ball speaking…”  I absorbed all of this and more into my everyday language.  If you are around my children very long, you will hear it coming from them as well.

Joseph must have had his doubts about his duty as earthly father to the Son of God.  What would he do?  What would he say?  What if he made mistakes?  Where would the wisdom necessary come from?  The answer lay in the wisdom of God in choosing that particular couple – Joseph and Mary – to be the parents of Jesus. Joseph must have been kind, compassionate, well-versed in the sacred writings, tough when he needed to be, unafraid to take a stand.  All of those qualities and more shone out from the character and life of Joseph’s stepson – Emmanuel, God with us.