20260319 JOSEPH THE IDEAL FATHER REFLECTS THE HEAVENLY FATHER
19 March 2026, Thursday, St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First reading |
2 Samuel 7:4-5,12-14,16 |
The Lord will give him the throne of his ancestor David
The word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29 |
His dynasty shall last for ever.
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
His dynasty shall last for ever.
‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.
His dynasty shall last for ever.
‘He will say to me: “You are my father,
my God, the rock who saves me.”
I will keep my love for him always;
with him my covenant shall last.’
His dynasty shall last for ever.
Second reading |
Romans 4:13,16-18,22 |
Abraham hoped, and he believed
The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.
Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. This is the faith that was ‘considered as justifying him.’
Gospel Acclamation | Ps83:5 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
They are happy who dwell in your house, O Lord,
for ever singing your praise.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel |
Matthew 1:16,18-21,24 |
How Jesus Christ came to be born
Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.
This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do.
JOSEPH THE IDEAL FATHER REFLECTS THE HEAVENLY FATHER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 7:4-5,12-14,16; PS 88:2-5, 27, 29; ROM 4:13,16-18,22; MT 1:16,18-21,24 OR LK 2:41-51]
Today, we celebrate the feast day of St Joseph. Why is St Joseph such an important saint in the Church? His name is even mentioned in the Eucharistic prayer. St Joseph is important for three reasons. Firstly, it is important for the Church to trace Jesus through the history of Israel in order to underscore that Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s plan as prophesied in the Old Testament. Secondly, St Joseph is important in moulding Jesus’ human experience and understanding of the word, “Father”, especially through his life of faith, commitment and devotion to God.
In both the First Reading and the Gospel, the authors seek to establish the fact that Jesus is the fulfilment of the promise of God made to David. The context of this claim comes from the time when David had established his kingdom and subjugated all his enemies. After he had built his palace, he felt guilty that, having received all these blessings from God, he was living in a palace whilst God – that is, the Ark of the Covenant – was housed in a tent. He proposed to Nathan that he wanted to build a house for the Lord. Nathan thought it was a good idea and agreed with him. However, instead of David building a house for God, the Lord told Nathan to tell David, “When the days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure forever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established forever.”
How could this promise be fulfilled except in Jesus! For the truth is that none of the sons of David could preserve the throne. In fact, after Solomon, the rest of the kings were mediocre; some corrupt and some evil, except for a few who were faithful to the Covenant. Eventually, history shows how the kingdom of David collapsed, first with the division between the Northern Kingdom – Israel – and the Southern Kingdom – Judah. This was followed by Assyria capturing the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C., and the people were scattered and exiled. Then the kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 597 B.C., followed by a second deportation in 587 B.C. The Temple was in ruins, the land uninhabited, and the people were exiled, including their king.
And during the time of exile, prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, prophesied the coming of a future king, the Messiah who would set the people free and restore the kingdom of David. The Jews continued to expect the promised Messiah, and with Christ’s coming, many thought that He would be the one to restore the kingdom of David. Through His miracles, His preaching of the Kingdom of God, and His works of exorcism, Jesus gave signs that He is the Messiah they were waiting for, as proclaimed by the prophets and John the Baptist.
Indeed, only in Jesus is this possible, because Jesus is the Messianic King as announced by the prophets of old. Jesus coming from the line of King David through Joseph establishes the fact that He is the fulfilment of God’s plan. For this reason, Joseph must be the father of our Lord, even though he is not the biological father but the legal and genealogical one. The Gospel takes pain to underscore that Joseph accepted this call even though initially he was reluctant. Perhaps, believing in Mary’s testimony that the Holy Spirit had conceived the child in her, he felt unworthy to be considered for this role. So, “being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally.” He respected that Mary and the child belonged to God.
It was the angel’s reassurance that made Joseph accept the call to be the father of our Lord. “He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do.” Accordingly, as the father, Joseph named Jesus when He was born, not Mary. “He took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.” (Mt 1:25). Again, to underscore that Joseph was really the father of Jesus, when He was lost in the Temple, Mary, after finding Jesus, said to Him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” (Lk 2:48)
Secondly, we must also consider the importance of Joseph as a father figure to Jesus. If Jesus were able to speak of God as His heavenly Father, we can be sure that Joseph must have been a model father to Him. The truth in life is that earthly fathers are called to reflect the image of our heavenly Father. The same term “father” is used for both our earthly father and for God. Consequently, the way we come to understand God and have positive feelings towards Him – especially when we pray the “Our Father” or hear Jesus speaking so much about His Father – will often be based on our own experience of our earthly father. And as the Lord also said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Mt 7:11). Indeed, He made it clear when He said, “I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.” (Jn 5:19f)
From Joseph, Jesus learnt to trust in His heavenly Father. When Jesus was newly born, King Herod was persecuting Him. Together with the child and Mary, they fled to Egypt, a foreign land to seek refuge and safety. We never hear Joseph grumbling or complaining against God for allowing such a thing to happen to him, or asking how he could find a job in another land and how his business would be affected. Joseph was patient, accepting of God’s will, and in faith, accepted the trials in his life. He accepted life’s struggles, ups and downs, in stride. The faith of Joseph indeed is comparable to the faith of Abraham that St Paul spoke about in his preaching. He wrote, “Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist. Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he became the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars.” So too Jesus placed His total trust in His Father, especially in times of His trial. “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16:32f)
From Joseph, Jesus learnt commitment to the Heavenly Father in His vocation. We remember once again how, when Jesus was lost in the Temple, He said to His parents, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Lk 2:49) In saying these words, Jesus could have learnt from Joseph what it meant to be committed to the Father in one’s vocation. He must have observed His earthly father, Joseph, always going about his work as a carpenter, his devotion and commitment to those who asked him to make furniture for them. In the same way, Jesus gave His life totally to the Father. He said to His disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.” (Jn 4:34).
From Joseph, Jesus learnt what it means to be righteous and yet merciful. He must have also observed Joseph’s quiet and non-judgemental ways in guiding Him as He grew up. Although Joseph was a just man, he was not self-righteous towards others who might have appeared to have broken the Law. He did not react negatively to Mary’s pregnancy. He did not judge our Lord for staying back in the Temple when they had already left for home. Instead, like Mary, he listened quietly and led the way through his example. Perhaps for this reason, when He was confronted with an adulterous woman who was brought before Him, our Lord did not condemn her, unlike her accusers. He said to her, “‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.'” (Jn 8:10f). And when another woman publicly showed her sorrow for her sins by wiping the feet of Jesus with her tears, the Lord told His host, Simon, “Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” (Lk 7:47)
So today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph, we give thanks for his life, for he was truly a model of what it means to exercise fatherhood even though he was not a biological father. This is especially applicable to us all, regardless of whether we are biological parents or simply have responsibility for those under our care. We must exercise our parental roles accordingly, reflecting the maternal and paternal love of our Heavenly Father so that, through us, people will come to know that God is their Father; and that we are brothers and sisters to one another in Christ.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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