Homily for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We do not know a lot about the details of his life. We know that he was much older than Mary. We know that he was a carpenter. We know that he had dreams in which an angel appeared to him at crucial times in the time before the birth of Jesus and in His early life. And we know that because he listened to the angel in these times, and followed their guidance, he played a very important role in bringing to fruition the mission for which God came to earth in the person of Jesus.

So, while we do not know much about the details of Joseph’s life, we do know about the faith and character of this man, chosen for the role of foster father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. His is a life, then, that we should emulate.

Through his intercession, may we be always aware of the ways in which God is calling to us and guiding us, and may we humbly act in accord with that call and guidance with the same trust and conviction as did St. Joseph.+