St. Joseph

‘Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.’

Today the church takes a break from our Lenten journey to celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph.

Have you ever seen a Christmas pageant where Joseph had the lead role?

Have you ever heard a sermon about St. Joseph?

Probably not, but don’t feel bad.  Even the Gospels pay little attention to him.

Nothing is said of the bewilderment Joseph surely must have experienced when Mary told him she was pregnant.

Nothing is said of the anxiety and doubts he surely must have experienced when he had to flee to Egypt after learning that King Herod planned to kill all the male infants in Bethlehem.

Joseph was clearly a man of faith, a man who knew Jesus’ divine identity and mission.

He knew that the only way he would make sense of all these things that came into his life was to place his complete faith and trust in Almighty God and, like Mary, to simply be the servant of the Lord.

As an instrument of the Lord, he remained in the background, but the work he did brought light to God and to His mission.

As we continue in this season of Lent, even as we pause to celebrate this solemnity, may we be strengthened to imitate the wonderful example Joseph gives to us, and turn our lives over to the Lord as well. 

May the bewilderment, anxiety and doubts we face in life never keep us from doing what the Lord calls us to do. 

And may all we say and do likewise serve to draw all people ever closer to eternal life in the Father’s Kingdom of true and lasting peace.