Psychological Profile of Saint Joseph

Fr. Jijo Kandamkulathy CMF
Claretian Missionaries

In the gospels, Joseph is mentioned as a just man and a caring person who did not want to defame Mary even when he decided to divorce her. But within the limited narrative of Joseph in the gospels, a lot more can be read between the lines.
How to trace the psychological profile of Joseph from the scriptures? Let us reconstruct that conversation of Mary with Joseph after the annunciation from the angel.

Mary: Joseph, I want to tell you something.
Joseph: Honey, tell me, what is wrong?
Maria: This may not be what you think… I mean, I’m going to say something very serious.
Joseph: So dramatic? Everything you say to me is important. I take them very seriously and treasure them in my heart. Why are you so hesitant this time?
Maria: I hesitated… because I was afraid that this would make you unhappy…
Joseph: Do we still need to be formal to each other? Maria, tell me quickly!
Mary: I am pregnant!
Joseph: What?
Mary: I am carrying a baby in my womb.
Joseph: (angrily) Whose? Who is the man? You never told me you had another relation!
Mary: Joseph, calm down, I will explain.
Joseph: I don’t want to hear anything… who is the man. I will finish him.
Mary: It is the Holy Spirit (Ruha)
Joseph: Air? Holy air? You want me to believe that?
Mary: An angel came and delivered the message.
Joseph: So, there is an angel too…..
Mary: I do not know, how to explain this to you.
Joseph: Do not bother to explain anything to me now…. You go your way.. Let me see what I can do about it.

They might have parted ways with a sour mood. But, Joseph must have been a man of extreme self-control. Otherwise, like most men, he would have struck the woman or showered abusive words and left the scene forever for the cheating and treachery he experienced. Now, Joseph goes back home… He was worried.

Mary’s fall from grace with another “boyfriend” was a serious offence. Joseph might have been undecided and sleepless for weeks. That night when he went to sleep he had decided to divorce Mary privately and save her face. This shows how noble he is and his character really shines like gold! This also meant that the blame of this broken marriage would fall on him as well!

But during his sleep, God reveals that the child to be born is God’s son. Joseph should accept Mary as the child is born by the power of the Holy Spirit. God’s plan was against his decision. Joseph’s obedience to God was revealed in the process of discernment. He decided to obey God’s will even if it was against his plans. He was a man who truly trusted in God. It is a highly discerning and psychologically mature man who could take a touch decision to take Mary and the child to his home.

Joseph probably told this incident to Jesus several times. As the moment of the cross approached, Jesus also consulted and asked for instructions from His “Father” and made a decision to follow the Father’s will, as He always does. Jesus may have learned obedience from Joseph. The Bible alludes to this by stating that Jesus obeyed His parents while living in Nazareth (Luke 2:52).

Gospel mentions the character of Joseph in only a few lines, but his silence is profound not because he is a withdrawn person but a choice. In our society, where people crave attention with ‘selfies’ and ‘likes’, staying out of the light like Joseph is enough to cause psychological frustration among netizens. Joseph’s “Staying behind the scenes” is not just the virtue of humility but extraordinary psychological resilience and self-assuredness.

© Claretian Publications, Macau
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025