Homily of Most Rev. Charles John Brown D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
March 19, 2025 | Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saint Joseph Shrine, Aurora Blvd., Quezon City
“When Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home” (Matthew 1:24).
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
For me as your Apostolic Nuncio, it gives me a lot of joy and happiness to be with you this evening, on the glorious Solemnity of your patron, Saint Joseph, here in the Parish [of] San Jose de Quezon City, and also St. Joseph Shrine here on Aurora Boulevard, to celebrate your Parish Fiesta Mass.
I'm deeply grateful to the rector and parish priest of the shrine and parish, the Rev. Fr. Gilberto Fortunato, II C. Dumlao, who wrote to me, quite a while ago, inviting me to be with you this evening, to share your joy on this Parish Fiesta Day in honor of Saint Joseph, behind whose beautiful image I am speaking.
Our Gospel this night comes from Saint Matthew (1:16, 18-21, 24a). It tells about how Saint Joseph learned that Our Lady was with child. That Our Lady, Mama Mary, was pregnant. Of course, Joseph, as we know, was engaged to Mary. They were an engaged couple. They had not had their wedding feast. They had not come together as husband and wife. In that period in which they were betrothed to one another, engaged to one another, fiancé we can say, it turned out that Mary became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We don't know how Joseph found out about that. We don't know how he learned that Our Lady had become pregnant by the Holy Spirit; but we do know from the Gospel that he was troubled. He was disturbed, he was worried. Because this obviously was something that, from his mind, would probably have meant that Mary was in love with someone else. That was his first reaction perhaps. We don't know for sure. We know that his plans for his life with Mary to be his wife were completely overturned, completely upended by this news that Mary was with child, that Mary was pregnant; and he decided, as we heard in the Gospel of St. Matthew, to break off the engagement quietly. Not to say anything, but to let the engagement be broken. Then presumably, in his mind, I imagine, Mary could live with whomever was the father of her child. She could marry that other person.
It was in that context that Joseph is visited by the angel. The angel comes to him while he is sleeping and tells him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife…for it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her” (Mt. 1:20b).
What is so beautiful about Saint Joseph is that in that moment in which his human plans for his life have been completely upended and overturned, he accepts the revelation of God. He believes in the angel's message, and he takes Mary into his home as his wife. That is the beautiful act of surrender and trust that we see in our glorious Saint Joseph, our wonderful Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph, who illustrates and who exemplifies different virtues.
Saint Joseph, An Example of Obedience, Authority, and Protection
First, the virtue of obedience. He is obedient to God. As the message comes to him from the angel, he obeys God, when God tells him through the angel, “Take Mary into your home as your wife.” So, Joseph is an example of obedience for all of us.
Saint Joseph is also, we can say, an example of authority. Saint Joseph has a certain authority in the Holy Family, because about nine months after this Gospel that we heard, at the very beginning of Mary's pregnancy, later on, at Christmas time, all of us know that Joseph receives word that he has to go to Bethlehem, to be enrolled in the census (Luke 1:1-5). He tells Mary, “Come with me.” He has the authority of a husband, inviting her, asking her, “Come with me to Bethlehem,” and it is there in Bethlehem that the baby Jesus will be born. So, Saint Joseph has authority as the father of his family, as a husband.
So, obedience, authority, and then we also see Saint Joseph as an example of protection. Saint Joseph who protects Mary. He protects her in the Gospel we heard tonight; he does not accuse her publicly of being unfaithful. He decided not to, in any way, cause difficulty for Mary. He decided to break off the engagement quietly before the angel told him that the baby was the work of the Holy Spirit.
So, Saint Joseph always wants to protect Our Lady. We see that later on in Bethlehem. When King Herod learns that the baby Jesus has been born, the Messiah, the three kings come to offer gold, frankincense, and myrrh; and they tell Herod that a king has been born in Bethlehem, and Herod then tries to kill Jesus by killing all the firstborn babies, all the boys there in Bethlehem; and Joseph protects Mary and Jesus by fleeing into Egypt (Matthew 2:1-18). We see actually in your beautiful stained-glass windows, in the middle window here, to your left, to my right, we see Joseph taking Mary into Egypt, protecting Mary.
Saint Joseph is the protector, and that's why he is described also as a “Protector of the Church”. Because Mary, carrying Jesus, is an image of the Church; and Joseph is the Patron and Protector of the Church.
Saint Joseph, and the Christian Family
So, all those images of Joseph in our minds tonight, we see him as an example of obedience, of authority, of protection. We see him showing us what family life ought to be. Of course, the Holy Family had a special family life because they lived a virginal spousal relationship. They were husband and wife, but Mary remained a virgin her entire life. That was out of respect for the work of God in Mary.
Saint Joseph exemplifies for us so beautifully, the virtues of a father, one who has authority, one who protects. That is why, when Christianity began to develop in the ancient world and spread around the Roman world, the remarkable thing that the Pagans, the non-Christians saw in us as Catholics, as Christians, was the honor that we had for family life. The remarkable thing, the social revolution, the social revolution of Christianity, was nothing more or less than family life: husband and a wife committed to each other—one man, one woman, until death, “monogamy” as we call it.
That we take it for granted in the Catholic Church, but it was a revolution in the world, because people did not live that way. We know, even in the Gospels, that Jesus remarks that among the Jewish people, they had the possibility of divorce because of the hardness of their hearts (Mark 10:2-5); but in the Christian Church, in the Catholic Church, following the example of Joseph and Mary, we have that beautiful example of family life. For you as Filipinos, family life is very important.
We need to protect family life and strengthen family life, and defend family life. Pray to Saint Joseph for our families, that they stay together, that they stay intact, that we love each other, that we forgive each other.
Even as Saint Joseph in the Gospel tonight, was confused. He didn't know what had happened when Mary became pregnant. Yet he trusts. He follows. He is obedient. He is continuously faithful to His promises. All these things are so important in our world today. So, Saint Joseph is, first of all, a glorious example to all of us, but he's also a powerful intercessor in heaven before Jesus and the Father, interceding for us.
I was so happy when I came into this church this evening. Having come from Taft Ave., with two of my colleagues in the Nunciature, our Counsellor, Monsignor Giuseppe Trentadue, and our secretary […]. When we arrived in the church, we saw a long line of people here, in front of the statue of Saint Joseph, asking for his intercession. So. Saint Joseph is not just a great example for us. He is a great example, but he is also one who intercedes for us in heaven.
Photo by Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao (Diocesan Ministry for Liturgical Affairs)
St. Teresa of Avila and St. Joseph
You know? Saint Teresa of Avila, the great saint of the 16th Century, who reformed the Carmelite Order. She had a huge devotion to Saint Joseph; and she writes in her autobiography and let me quote—she writes about the fact that when she prayed to Saint Joseph on his feast day, which is today, whatever she asked for, she always received from Saint Joseph. So, let that be a reminder for all of you, asking Saint Joseph tonight for different favors.
She says this in her autobiography (chapter 6), this is Saint Teresa of Avila in Spain,
“Would that I could persuade all people to be devoted to this glorious Saint Joseph. For I know by my long experience, what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone, who was really devoted to Saint Joseph, and who honored him by particular services, who did not grow visibly more and more in virtue. For Saint Joseph helps in a special way, the souls who commend themselves to him.”
And then she goes on to say in that autobiography,
“It is now some years since I have always on his feast day, asked him for something, and I always receive it…If my petition may be in any way amiss (that means if it might not be exactly what God wants for me), Saint Joseph directs it in the right way for the greater good. I ask for the love of God that he, Saint Joseph, who always listens to my prayers, that he will always be close to us.”
Conclusion
So, tonight, we honor Saint Joseph, and finally, I finish my reflections this evening by asking you to pray for Pope Francis, on this Feast of Saint Joseph. Pope Francis, as all of you know, put the name of Saint Joseph in every single Mass that we celebrate (Paternas Vices). So, every Eucharistic Prayer, because of Pope Francis, mentioned Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph has a tremendous attraction for Pope Francis. So, Pope Francis is still in the hospital after more than one month. He has made some progress in the last several days, but he still needs our prayers. So, please pray for Pope Francis, especially tonight, to Saint Joseph, asking Saint Joseph to protect him, to intercede for him.
May God bless you. Happy feast day!
Happy Fiesta of Saint Joseph!
Transcribed by Joel V. Ocampo
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