One of the most well-known saints in our Church is the man whom our parish is named after, Saint Joseph. This week on Thursday, March 19th, we honor his feast day. Or one of his feast days I should say – the other being the feast of Saint Joseph the worker which comes up on May 1st.

When I think of Joseph, I think of a man who let his actions do the talking. He is the quiet member of the Holy Family. He doesn’t say a word in Scripture. And for all the churches, towns, shrines and other things named after him, you might think we’d have an extensive biography of his life. But he left behind no writings. Scripture simply calls him a “just man.” He presumably provided for Mary and Jesus as a carpenter, and at some point, before Jesus begins his public ministry, he dies. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a ton to learn from Joseph.

For one, there’s trust. In the Gospel for Thursday, it’s taken from Matthew 1, when the angel appears to Joseph after Joseph has found out Mary is expecting, and he isn’t the father. Joseph has a plan to leave Mary, but the angel says do not be afraid, God has a plan. Joseph could think about his reputation, or his plans. But instead, he does what Mary does, and he trusts both God and Mary. Sometimes our ego and pride can get in the way, but it’s worth asking ourselves if we can trust God through challenging times or turn to Him for help.

Second, in Saint Joseph, we see the value of work. Saint Joseph has another feast day, May 1st, Saint Joseph the Worker. It’s intentionally put on that day to put attention on the dignity of work, not the Communist version when May Day was so popular in the Communist states. Work has dignity and through it, we make ourselves better, make the world better and provide for our families. People might not notice all that we do, but by learning from the example of Saint Joseph we can be reminded that our work is important.

Third, selflessness. Think of the hard work so many do such as a mom and a dad, going to work, doing work around the house, helping others in the family from the kids with homework and going to their games to elderly relatives. Much of the work we do is unseen; but Joseph did nothing for his own notoriety. He loved God, Mary and Joseph and strived to live out his vocation well. In a society that puts so much on people being seen and noticed, are we OK quietly contributing to our parish, our country and our family without doing so for recognition other than knowing that God sees what we do and that it makes a difference?

Finally, presence. Joseph didn’t do much talking in the Scriptures, but we know that he was there. Think of Joseph in your Nativity Set under the tree, looking tenderly on Mary and Jesus. He lived his life by always being there for his family, by providing for them, leading them into Egypt when they had to flee and being there day in and day out. How can we be present to our families and friends? How can we give that all important gift of time to those who need us? Our presence and being active in the lives of people can do so much.

No, Saint Joseph might not say much at all in the Bible, but from him we can learn so much about how to live a life of virtue that impacts others. Like Saint Joseph, may we be OK living out of the limelight, realizing that it’s OK not to be seen and noticed for our actions, because God sees the good things we do and they also leave such a lasting impact in the world and the lives of others.

Have a blessed week,

Fr. Paul

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March 13, 2026