SLEEPING JOSEPH, AKA DREAMING JOSEPH, NOT FOR ONESELF, BUT FOR OTHERS. Though rest is important, but the the most significant point of the Sleeping St. Joseph's figure is that through his sleep he DREAMT of God's will for him, specially when he was contemplating of abandoning, divorcing the infanticipating Blessed Mary, with a child which wasn't his. Because he slept, thus he dreamt of the Angel telling him about the truth of Mother Mary's pregnancy. During their time, a women who gets pregnant without a father, especially if she's already bethrothed to a man who's not the father of the child she's carrying, can have very tragic consequences for the pregnant woman. She can be accused of adultery, whose punishment is stoning to death. But because through his dream, understanding and accepting God's will, Joseph understood the real situation of Mary. So, instead of abandoning her, instead of condemning her, Joseph became the defender, the loyal husband to Mary, and a loyal father too to Jesus.
Come to think of it, St. Joseph himself actually became the enfleshment of the earlier Joseph, the-Dreamer of Egypt of the Old Testament. The similarities of the two Josephs actually are striking. Firstly, both had fathers whose names were Jacob. Both also became rescuers to those whose lives were entrusted to them: St. Joseph for Mary and Jesus; Old Testament Joseph, the Israelites who were then undergoing famine. Thirdly, both brought those whom they rescued to Egypt. St. Joseph brought Mother Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to escape the rampage of murderous Herod; OT Joseph brought into Egypt the Israelites who were going through a devastating 7-year cycle of famine. Lastly, and most importantly, both learned of God's will via their dreams, and also decided to follow God's will as expressed in their dreams. Thus, we we actually have not only one, but two JOSEPHS THE DREAMERS. Dreamers, NOT for their own sakes, but following GOD'S WILL, FOR OTHERS.
Come to think of it, St. Joseph himself actually became the enfleshment of the earlier Joseph, the-Dreamer of Egypt of the Old Testament. The similarities of the two Josephs actually are striking. Firstly, both had fathers whose names were Jacob. Both also became rescuers to those whose lives were entrusted to them: St. Joseph for Mary and Jesus; Old Testament Joseph, the Israelites who were then undergoing famine. Thirdly, both brought those whom they rescued to Egypt. St. Joseph brought Mother Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to escape the rampage of murderous Herod; OT Joseph brought into Egypt the Israelites who were going through a devastating 7-year cycle of famine. Lastly, and most importantly, both learned of God's will via their dreams, and also decided to follow God's will as expressed in their dreams. Thus, we we actually have not only one, but two JOSEPHS THE DREAMERS. Dreamers, NOT for their own sakes, but following GOD'S WILL, FOR OTHERS.
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