Conceived when I needed greater contemplation and a deeper connection to my surroundings as an artist—particularly the world God had created for me.
Leaving Raleigh, unearthing a statue of St. Joseph that I buried in front of my home before getting into my car to travel to Sarasota for a new job.
The car packed, I couldn’t simply toss St. Joseph into a box like an old shoe. Packing tape sat on the last sealed box. I grabbed it, made a loop, and secured “Joe” to the dash of my ’96 Buick Roadmaster Wagon. While St. Joseph is known as the patron saint of selling one’s home, I knew him better as the patron saint of travelers. So my journey began—road in front of me, St. Joseph firmly in between.
An hour into my eleven-hour drive, caught in contemplation with St. Joseph, I turned the radio off. I began reflecting on his travels with Mary and Jesus to Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth, and Jerusalem—journeys carefully planned, taking many days or weeks. There were no modern roads, mountainous terrain and the constant need for food, prayer, and rest, not to mention the dangers along the way. The annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem alone was seventy to ninety miles, walked at two to three miles an hour. These were deeply invested journeys, and here I sat, about to travel 724 miles in air-conditioned comfort with multiple beverage holders.
With my eyes and mind now open, I began to see myself pilgrimaging with the Holy Family. Free from distraction, I became acutely aware of the wondrous world God had placed before me.
In many ways, it echoed the Canticle of the Creatures, in which St. Francis sought to awaken travelers to the wonders of God’s creation and celebrate nature’s divine connection.

Mark 16:16 - There is no account of St. Joseph being baptized. He had died prior to Jesus's ministry. While we know that baptism is part of salvation it must also be paired with belief. Marks verse to me clearly states that faith (belief) is essential for salvation. What we do know about St. Joseph is that he had faith and did believe in what God had shared with him. So much so that he devoted his life to Mary and Jesus.

My Father Paul E Rampson