Joseph, husband of Mary (Solemnity)

March 19

For some of us, the first barrier to stewardship is understanding that all of what we think we own, really belongs instead to the Lord. That was not a problem for St. Joseph.

From the very beginning, the words of an angel made clear that those special people who shared his life—his beloved wife, Mary, and his adopted son, Jesus—were “on loan” to him by the Lord and entrusted to his care. A man of great faith, he accepted the responsibility without hesitation. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,” the angel said. “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,” the angel directed . . . And every time, St. Joseph obeyed without question.

The carpenter of Nazareth patiently taught his foster son to practice his Jewish faith, passed on its laws and customs, and helped him to learn his trade. And he did it well, for Scripture tells us that “Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Lk 2:52).

It must have been difficult not to know how it would all turn out, for St. Joseph died before Jesus began his public ministry. But this just man of faith proved to be a conscientious steward of all that had been given him—his traditions, his vocation, his relationships.

“Whatever you do,” Scripture says, “do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment” (Col 3:23-24). St. Joseph unfailingly did exactly that. May his example inspire us to do the same.

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