One of the overlooked but fascinating details about Jesus’ family during His time on earth is that we never actually hear his foster father say anything in the scriptures. St. Joseph lived his life in the midst of the greatest mysteries of our salvation and became a model of what it means to live as a disciple, but we never actually get a quote from him. A priest I knew once pointed out that every day, for a number of years, St. Joseph woke up under the same roof as the Immaculate Conception and the Incarnation. One can only imagine that he had a profound appreciation for the plan that God put in place to redeem mankind, seeing as he was chosen to protect and care for that plan during his life.
This week we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, and it’s an excellent time for us to renew our devotion to both the foster father of Our Lord and the Holy Family. The age in which we live is a turbulent one for living out one’s vocation, regardless of what that vocation might be. But it is perhaps most difficult nowadays to fulfill the responsibilities of being holy husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers. I frequently hear from parents in meetings, casual conversations, or even in the confessional, about how hard it is to raise holy children who strive to live out their Faith in God in the midst of the Church while they grow up in this culture. So much of what the Church teaches about marriage, the family, and even the human person is actively undermined by society, and it affects our young people and their understanding of who God is calling them to be.
This week, as we celebrate St. Joseph and draw towards the conclusion of Lent and the celebration of Our Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection, it would serve us well as a region and as a universal Church to pray for fathers, and for the strength of the family. May all the families of our parish strive to live out their call to grow in holiness, and may we always help one another along the path to Sainthood. St. Joseph, protector of families and of the Church, pray for us!