St. Joseph – Patron of Catholic Homeschoolers

The Catholic Church has never declared an official patron of homeschooling.

Nevertheless, individual families should choose saintly patrons for their own family. Whomever their primary patron, St. Joseph should have a place in the homes and hearts of every homeschooling family. All of us, but especially husbands and fathers, need to look to St. Joseph as a heroic guide in life and for the teaching of our children.

St. Joseph serves as a reminder of the importance of fathers in the family, especially in this sad and strange time when fathers often are considered irrelevant, extraneous, and unnecessary. Sadder still is when some fathers start to believe this ignoble lie. Fathers, as well as mothers and children, need to be reminded by the life of St. Joseph that fathers are of great importance to the family.

Though Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, God willed for Jesus to have a foster father on Earth to protect and to love Him and His mother, Mary. When His son Jesus was in terrible danger from an evil and murderous king, God the Father warned Joseph by an angel in a dream.

Immediately, Joseph took Mary and Jesus and made a daring overnight escape—a difficult, treacherous escape. Though earthly fathers are not generally called to perform such feats, a father’s heroic protection is desperately needed in many other ways. In fact, a father’s decision to homeschool his children is evidence of his desire to personally teach and protect his children.

Jesus, the Son of God, Who is eternal and omniscient and all-powerful, desired to have an earthly foster father. That fact should inspire every father on Earth. If God the Father in Heaven desired an earthly foster father, how much more does each child on Earth today need a father, someone to call “Dad” in good times and in bad times.

The world, for all its nonsense, might forget that fact. Your children, however, will never forget you. Never. You homeschool Dads have chosen a special calling to be even more present in the lives of your children—to teach them directly and to personally foster their spiritual growth. There is no better example of human fatherhood than St. Joseph.

St. Joseph was also the greatest husband in history. While Mary did not need a husband to accomplish her role in salvation, God willed for her to have St. Joseph as a husband.

Though their love was virginal, the highest and holiest spiritual aspirations of marriage were witnessed in the lives of Joseph and Mary. Joseph was not only her best human friend, but he was also her faithful guardian who was willing to leave his home and his work at a moment’s notice to protect her and her Son.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.” This is what the Catholic Church teaches. St. Joseph was the purest example of that beautiful teaching. In the homeschool family, fathers should be inspired by St. Joseph’s love for Mary and His Son, just as wives should be inspired to love their husbands as Mary surely loved Joseph.

So should our homeschooling families be inspired, not only by what St. Joseph has shown us but also by what he can do for fathers. Father Donald Calloway has written a beautiful book about St. Joseph called Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father. Father Calloway explains that one of St. Joseph’s titles is “Zealous Defender of Christ,” because St. Joseph so powerfully wanted to defend his son Jesus. St. Joseph also wants to help defend your family. St. Joseph is a powerful intercessor for fathers to teach their children.

St. Joseph loves you and your family. St. Joseph desires your highest good, which is to be in the presence of God. St. Joseph sees the homeschooling that you are doing. By leading your family to Christ, you are the modern-day Magi who traveled some distance and likely with some difficulty, to worship Jesus. How could St. Joseph respond to your teaching your children to love Jesus, with anything but love? How could St. Joseph respond with anything other than his powerful intercession for your family and your homeschooling?

As we continue on our homeschooling journey, let us ask St. Joseph to guide and to guard our family with his prayers. Regardless of the difficulties we face in this life, let’s keep Jesus at the center of our lives.

Thus we can look forward to meeting Mary and St. Joseph presenting to us their beloved Son Jesus, thanking us parents for our Catholic homeschooling, and perhaps allowing us to worship Jesus as we behold Him in the arms of Good St. Joseph.