HOMILY
Solemnity of Saint Joseph – March 19, 2026
2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24
Every year on this day – March 19th – we pause to celebrate Saint Joseph. We set aside time to worship and pray, as we do at this hour. We sing hymns dedicated to his life and example. We feast on special foods as our Lenten fast is suspended in his honor. And we proclaim his name along with that of the Blessed Mother of God in the very heart of the Eucharistic Prayers that we offer at Mass. … In so many ways, the Christian world stops today to reflect and give thanks for this saintly man – this great gift of God to our Church.
And yet, while we celebrate his unique and vital role in salvation history, what is it about Joseph that sets him apart so singularly? We never hear a word from him in the Scriptures – not one recorded sentence! He was not at all powerful by the world’s standards. He was a carpenter in a small outback town called Nazareth. For the most part, his life is hidden from us. Still, heaven entrusted him with its greatest treasure – Jesus, the Son of God. … What is it that sets him apart?
While the world in which we live celebrates noise and visibility, Joseph – a simple, quiet, humble, faithful man – was set apart because of his willingness to listen carefully to the voice of God – to trust in the power of God to save – and to cooperate with the plan God entrusted to him, despite of all the upheaval, uncertainty and struggle that enveloped his life.
Saint Matthew, in the opening chapter of his gospel, lays groundwork for the birth of Jesus. He reminds us that when Mary was engaged to Joseph – but before they lived together – she was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was rightly confused about this and wanted to divorce her quietly, when suddenly an angel appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife.”
These are key words in the life of Joseph. “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife.” With these words, God entrusts to Joseph – the carpenter of Nazareth – the mystery of salvation. … That mystery was given first to Mary, when she was chosen to be the mother of the savior. But Joseph too, became a unique participant in the same mystery of God. God’s plan for his creation was revealed to a virgin … and then to a carpenter.
Just before this past Christmas, Pope Leo reflected upon this passage from Saint Matthew’s gospel. “When Joseph is faced with a situation that is difficult to understand and accept with regard to his future bride,” the Holy Father began, “he does not choose the path of scandal and public condemnation, but the discreet and benevolent path of secret repudiation. In this way, he shows that he understands the deepest meaning of his own religious observance: the meaning of mercy.”
Pope Leo noted further, “The purity and nobility of Joseph’s sentiments, however, become even more evident when the Lord, in a dream, reveals his plan of salvation to him, indicating the unexpected role that he must take up as the spouse of the Virgin Mother of the Messiah. Here, indeed, with a great act of faith, Joseph leaves even the last resort of his security and sets sail toward a future that is now totally in God’s hands.”
And what was the result of Joseph’s willingness to place his life totally in God’s hands? First, the stage was set for Joseph to grow in faith. He trusted in God more than in himself. Second, Joseph’s openness to God enabled him to embrace his unique vocation as a husband and father fully, risking everything to be faithful to that God’s plan. And finally, Joseph’s relationship with God provided him with the assurances that he needed to submit himself to God’s plan and to work tirelessly to achieve it, even in a harsh and brutal land during a difficult time in history. Joseph not only cooperated with God, but he served God selflessly through the people God placed in his care.
Saint Joseph teaches us so very much about our lives in relationship to God – doesn’t he? He speaks eloquently through the example of his life – his faith in God – his generous embrace of his vocation as husband and father – and his care for the lives entrusted to him by God. … And he reminds us of all that is possible when we seek to walk by faith as disciples of the Lord.
As we celebrate Saint Joseph and his unique yet quiet presence in the story of salvation history, may we simply give thanks: thanks for the witness of his life – his faith – his trust in God’s plan – and his intercession with God on our behalf. Saint Joseph, pray for us!