St Joseph Barsabbas
St. Joseph Barsabbas. He is one of the two men in ACTS chosen as candidates to fill the empty place left by Judas: Joseph and Matthias. The Holy Spirit chose St Matthias today, but I have always wondered what happened to St Joseph. He is hardly remembered.
What was it like to have that announced to all the brethren? That Matthias was chosen, and he was not. St. Joseph Barsabbas must have been a tremendously humble man, to just step down and find his place again among the 72 other disciples without a disappointed murmur.
What was even more charming to me was discovering that St. Apolinarius and St. Joseph Barsabbas share a feast day and it is Apolinarius who is celebrated on the liturgical calendar. Joseph was not chosen for that either. The saint book says that he probably preached "all over the place" but didn't know exactly where. In fact, the book says, his death is not even recorded.
This is the saint of the second place. This is the patron saint of all those who are not famous, not chosen for important tasks although they have the talent for it as Joseph must have had. The assistant teacher, the OB nurses in the delivery room, the little old lady who pours the iced tea quietly over in the corner at the fish fry in the time slot no one else wanted. The man who always gives up his seat on the bus. That one friend who is so shy and unassuming but is the first you go to when you need prayers for something important. These are all St. Joseph Barsabbas people. He loved, he served, he preached, and probably well, but he never got the human honor we all really like getting....how many of us would have been as gracious as he was when realizing we could have had one of the twelve thrones in the Heavenly Jerusalem...and just missed it.
But he must have been so beloved. He was the Poster Child of the Sermon on the Mount. He found the pearl and bought the field, he lost his life and gained it, he sought the lowest place, he fed the hungry, he tended the sick, he did not worry about tomorrow or the honors of today.
He was perfectly content to be and do whatever Jesus wanted. For he had known Jesus. He had walked with Him. Somewhere along the line Jesus must have looked at Joseph along a road somewhere and smiled at his humility, given him a look of encouragement, or a thank you for a service done. Jesus must have been consoled that Joseph had listened on the mount and was putting it all into practice. That was enough for Joseph.
St Joseph Barsabbas and all those like him - these are great saints even though we might not remember their names, or where they preached or prayed, or how they died. Jesus knows. And that is all that matters.
The Saint of Second Place is a beautiful description. Most of us “toil in obscurity” not seeking public acclaim or financial rewards. I’m thinking of the recent celebration of Mother’s Day and all the many hours of mother’s century after century. I don’t think it’s even done hoping for a quicker path to heaven. It’s just a life well lived
What a wonderful piece! I recently listened to your interview on Hear and Now podcast, and was excited to hear you’ve thought about writing books. Pieces like this, on the saints, and reflections you’ve done on liturgy and the gospels, always make me wish you would write a book. . . Something like, Theology of the Home V: Living Liturgically with the Saints, by Denise Trull . . . Just if I had to come up with something off the top of my head.