Joseph was a ... righteous man. (Matthew 1:19)

The gospels record not a single quote attributed to Joseph, yet what Jesus’ earthly father did could surely fill compelling volumes. While engaged to Mary, he learned of her pregnancy and decided to quietly divorce her. He had a change of heart, however, after receiving what Joseph knew was a divine message. He lived, no doubt, a difficult life, beginning with the journey to Bethlehem during the late stage of Mary’s pregnancy, an arduous trek across harsh and hostile lands. The manger birth and the later frantic flight to Egypt must have been frightening, not to mention living through a parent’s worst nightmare some years later—a missing child.