Solemnity of St. Joseph the husband of Mary
Theme: A man of great faith
Today as the church celebrates the Solemnity of Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the liturgy presents us the opportunity to reflect on his life. He was a great man, whose life can be emulated by Christians in our own time; he is truly worthy of emulation. His integrity as a man was greatly tested from the very beginning when he discovered that Mary was with a child. He made up his mind to quietly allow Mary go without disgracing her or making it known to the people. Ordinarily, some of us would have refused to listen to the message of the Angel, because of the fear of what people will say and the way they will react to the pregnancy of Mary. But Joseph trusted in the message of the Angel and he did as he was directed, not minding the consequence of his decision.
St. Joseph can be referred to as a model of fatherhood. In the Holy Family, he was both a good father and a good husband. He was responsible and took good care of his family. This is an attribute that is gradually becoming unpopular amongst some of our men in recent time; and this gives rise to a very important question today as we celebrate St. Joseph, what type of a husband and father are you? This is a question that is worth answering by every man, especially during this season of Gods abundant grace. If we are not happy with our answer, let us resolve today to retrace our steps and return back to our family as the husband and father that we are called to be. It is never too late to make that resolve and be responsible.
My brothers and sisters in Christ let us resolve today to emulate him. He responded positively to all the messages that was given about Jesus, even though some of them may not be very clear to him; he believed in Gods process and followed it through; and he was not disappointed at the end. In the same way my brothers and sisters, we are all encouraged to trust in Gods process and allow him to lead while we follow. One thing that is certain is the fact that God can never lead us astray. He may lead us through a difficult path just like Joseph, but it will be for our own good at the end. Let us resolve today to let go and let God, and we will never regret our decision.
We pray that through the intercession of St. Joseph that God will grant us the grace to be faithful Christians. Peace be with you.