The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
The feast of St. Joseph is a magnificent solemnity and a beacon in the midst of this season of penance and sacrifice. As a father of three beautiful girls, St. Joseph is a model of fatherhood I draw great strength and insight from. As any parent knows, I don't just think of the immediate needs of my children- I think about how my parenting and guidance will set my girls up for success and what I will leave them with well after I'm gone. Indeed, much of my life as a parent is spent preparing the inheritance of those who will come after me. That understanding of inheritance is about more than just money, but includes our beliefs, values, ways of life, and so many other aspects that are passed along and carried in the lives of those who receive it.
The last line of one of the Gospel options for today is so understated, but so powerfully important when we consider it in the light of our inheritance as a basis of how to live. In Luke's gospel, it says, "He [Jesus] went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them." Those last five words tell us the enormous role St. Joseph received and carried out: to help lay the foundation of the humanity of Jesus that would be carried out in His life on earth.
Though much of Jesus' early life is hidden, we can infer from this one line that his obedience to St. Joseph meant receiving the inheritance of everything his foster father had to offer.
The book of Romans makes it clear that, "...we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ..." (Rom 8:16-17). Just as we receive the Blessed Mother, Mary, as our mother as well, so too do we receive St. Joseph as our foster father in faith. May we look to his example today as we consider what we have received and what we give as an inheritance to others.
Andrew Montpetit is a Motion Graphic Designer / Animator in West Michigan. He greatly enjoys good films and deep, substantive conversations about beauty and its pursuit. You can find his work on his website.