Homily for March 19, 2026
Title: A Righteous Man Who Listened and Acted
The Text: Matthew 1:16, 18–21, 24a
The novelist Marilynne Robinson wrote that goodness often reveals itself not in grand speeches, but in quiet decisions made faithfully over time. That observation provides a fitting doorway into today’s Gospel, where Saint Joseph appears not as a speaker, but as a listener, a man whose righteousness is shown not through words, but through obedience.
Not one word of his is recorded in the Sacred Scriptures. Instead, we have stories of action. Through four dreams, the angel told him what to do:
Mt 1:20 Do not be afraid to take Mary.. / 2:13 Go to Egypt / 2:19 Herod died, return to Israel / 2:22 Archelaus is ruling, so go to Galilee. And Joseph arose and did what the angel told him.
Ironically, the other Joseph in the Old Testament, who was called the patriarch, was called “that dreamer” by his jealous brothers. Then he arose to be the “head of the household” of the Pharaoh.
For such a vibrant man, St. Joseph has gotten “bad press” in paintings. He has frequently been pictured sleeping in the corner of a room, seated with his head supported by his hands, elderly and tired.
However, an old man wouldn’t walk 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then another 100 miles to Egypt. There is nothing in scripture suggesting he was aging or feeble. According to tradition, St. Joseph was 60 yrs old when he died. For the first thirty years, he was single, and the additional thirty were in private life with Jesus and Mary. “It just doesn’t seem right that the Heavenly Father would entrust His Son to a man who is elderly, grandfather type, but rather, to a strong and virile role model.” These are the words of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (d.1979) from among his many writings. This “just man” embodied the expression, “Do not just talk the talk, but walk the walk!”
Joseph’s obedience did not end when he and Mary brought Jesus back from Egypt. He remained faithful unto death. Since St. Joseph was not at the Wedding of Cana, tradition says that he died at the carpenter shop, accompanied by Jesus and Mary. Therefore, he had the most beautiful death possible and therefore has been invoked as the Patron of a Happy death. We invoke him for that and for a prepared, not sudden, death.
So let us ask good St. Joseph for a happy and prepared death. We can work toward that every day by following his example of not just words, but action. Let us not just tell Our Lord that we love Him, but put that into our daily living. As the Lord Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn. 14:15)
May I suggest that every time you attend Mass and hear St. Joseph’s name mentioned in the Canon of the Mass, you consider putting in a good word with him to assist you at the time of your death? You, then, can experience the joy that awaits those who are faithful to be with the Lord, St. Joseph, Our Blessed Mother, and all of the saints in the kingdom of heaven.
Photo by Brad Stell on Unsplash