19 March 2021
Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
In this year of St. Joseph, we might ask “who is St. Joseph for?” He is held up as a model of Christian manhood. He is held up as a model of a Christian family man—what every husband and father should strive to be. He is held up as a model for Christian laborers and craftsmen, and all who work with their hands. There is great truth in all of this, but most importantly, St. Joseph is a model for all Christians, period.
Of all the members of the Holy Family, St. Joseph is the one every Christian can relate to. Mary is completely sinless, Jesus is that and also fully God. St. Joseph, like us, bears the wounds of sin, and yet is striving for holiness. If Mary’s glory is the pattern of our lives in the next world, Joseph’s righteousness is the pattern of our lives in this world.
Where did Joseph’s righteousness come from? Not from his own strength or efforts. St. Joseph had “the righteousness that comes through faith” (Rm. 4:13). St. Joseph trusted in the Lord, and with that trust was able to obey and do God’s will. That trust was the source of his strength, as well as everything else we admire about him. Whoever you are, you can be comforted and inspired by St. Joseph’s faith in God, and cultivate that trust in your own life.