It has been over four hundred years since the feast of Saint Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was established as an obligatory celebration in the Church, first by Pope Sixtus IV, and later affirmed by Pope Gregory XV. And why not, my brethren? Joseph never needed to speak loudly for his life to be heard. He was the pious husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ, faithfully fulfilling his role with quiet strength and devotion.
Doing what good parents do; that’s St. Joseph. With Joseph and Mary, the Church reminds us of the responsibilities of parents toward their children. In today’s Gospel passage from Luke (2:41-51a), Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover feast. In many ways, it is like parents today taking their children to events such as games, church celebrations, or even the movies. They embraced the full experience of parenthood, sharing in its joys, its worries, and its challenges. These are the realities of family life, and we continue to learn from Joseph’s quiet example as we celebrate his feast day.
