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

The traditional artistic depiction of St. Joseph, the father of Jesus, is that of an old man, more like Jesus’ grandfather than His father. However, the Spanish artist El Greco painted St. Joseph as a vigorous young man with Jesus holding onto his legs, portraying him as a strong, trustworthy, and protective figure. This is much closer to the portrayal of St. Joseph in the Gospels than the usual elderly depiction of him.

Today's Gospel suggests that although St. Joseph was protective of his young Son, he sometimes struggled to understand Him. After searching anxiously for Jesus with Mary, Joseph finally found Him in the Temple, only to be told by Jesus that He must be busy with His Father’s affairs.

St. Joseph realized that his young Son had someone else in His life whom He called "Father." Clearly, his Son had a stronger loyalty to this "Father" than to His earthly parents. St. Joseph learned that he had to allow his Son to pursue a greater purpose, even if it wasn't the one he had in mind for Jesus. As a result, St. Joseph serves as an inspiration and a reference point for all parents who must work through the difficult task of learning to “let go” of their children.