Mt 1:16-24a St. Joseph – the Humble

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Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.  Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Today is the solemnity of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Gospels are silent with regards to any words ever spoken by Joseph.  There must be a reason for it, and it can’t be because he never spoke.  No, it must be because he rarely ever spoke. 

Humble people rarely speak.  They listen A LOT though, that’s for sure!  And although they speak very little and listen a lot, they end up doing a lot. 

I have a feeling that Pope Francis will be known not only as the “Humble Pope” and/or the “People’s Pope”, but also as the “Pope of few words.”  Humility goes hand-in-hand with speaking at the right moment.    

This morning, at 3:30 am, the Pope called home, to Buenos Aires, to the huge crowd gathered in the cathedral's square.  Many of them had stayed up all night to witness his inaugural Mass live, from Rome, on TV.  When they heard the Pope's voice, the crowd went berserk!  They never expected a phone call from the Pope!  He called them to tell them one simple thing:  “My dear friends, thank you for praying, for your prayers, which I need a lot.  I want to ask you a favor that we walk together, that we look after each other…Don’t forget that this bishop, who though far away, cares so much for you.  Pray for me.”

What Pope Francis said does not even begin to compare with what he did!  And although I find it hard to put these sentiments into words, I hope we can all understand exactly what this gesture meant to his people back home.  He has not forgotten us.  He still remembers us.  He still thinks of us.  He still loves us.

But what I find most remarkable about Pope Francis and his inaugural Mass is that it occurred today, on the solemnity of St. Joseph, the humble husband of Mary and father of Jesus, the Son of God.

St. Joseph is the patron saint of all workers and husbands.  The two go together like bread and water. 

What has always been difficult for a husband and a father is that he must often work outside the home.  Don’t get me wrong.  Moms and wives kill themselves for their family everyday, but not to few are blessed to have their children constantly near them.  On the other hand, Dads kill themselves for their family and almost never have their family near them.   This is a sad reality and a difficult concept for small children to understand, especially the sacrifice that is involved in this.

I can still remember vividly a lesson I learned long ago when I went to visit a family for dinner.  I noticed the youngest child playing “house” with her dolls.  I saw that she had a Barbie doll in her hand.  I asked her if she had “Ken” as well.  She nodded and said she did.  I asked her where he was.  She pointed to the corner of the playroom and said, “He’s at work.”

The Blessed Virgin Mary is known for her humility.  We should get to know Joseph’s profound humility as well; for their humility made their marriage successful and their acceptance of God’s plan and love unconditional. 

Humility and obedience go hand-in-hand, for humility means I will trust in the Lord and obedience means I will trust in His ways.

“Humility works.”  That’s for sure.  It prevents a multitude of sins, such as pride, vanity and sensuality.  It covers a multitude of sins, like our faults, weaknesses and falls.  It heals a multitude of sins such as rash judgments, resentment and anger.

Resolution:  Let us always trust in the Lord and in His ways, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.