Good morning! My name is Kiera Harris of the Class of 2027. Welcome to the Mass celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph.

In today's Gospel, we discover that St. Joseph was truly just as ordinary as ourselves. St. Joseph was given the honor to be Jesus’ father on Earth. He abruptly found out that his wife, Mary, was pregnant, and accepted the potential scandal others might presume about him. He was a respected man who took God’s law seriously, but desired to protect his bride-to-be, even if it meant taking on the shame himself. And that, we may expect, was scary. In reflecting upon this, we can learn from St. Joseph’s example of courage, grace and obedience to the Holy Spirit.

For the past three summers I have had a job as a golf caddie. Our system works where I have no guarantee of making money any day. I just have to show up at 6:45 every morning and hope I’ll get a job on the golf course, also known as a loop, before my plans later that night. One day in particular, I really wanted to go home. So, when my caddie master asked me “Kiera, I have a loop now for you, but it may not pay well, do you still want it?” I was hesitant, but agreed to go, knowing that once I was done I could go home. My member explained to me that all he really wanted me to do was help his female client who wasn’t truly that familiar with golf. During the round I bonded with her, laughing as she recounted her own time in high school. We made connections over the clothing stores we liked and found out we knew a few families in common. And, it turned out that I was paid generously; even though earlier I was warned this member might not. However, after the experience of the round, the money was not that important to me. Rather, I found the chance to help this client most rewarding. This opportunity I received had an unknown outcome, but in saying "yes," I was rewarded well.

St. Joseph was rewarded for agreeing to the unknown too. In being chosen to be the foster father of Jesus he was asked to take on a responsibility that he could not possibly have understood. Just like my caddie master selected me for this task knowing my abilities, and asked me to trust in his pairing, God called Joseph for a special role and asked St. Joseph to trust in Him as well.

God has a way of blessing us with a plan oftentimes so opposite and far from our own, yet it is more purposeful and fruitful than we could have expected. However, it is important to recognize God’s choices in regards to His plan for us because they can serve as a good reminder. Both when we reflect on what we have been prioritizing, and, in turn, when we take time to think about what we can work on. After all, what we worry about most reveals what we trust God in least.

In Scripture, St. Joseph never spoke. Instead, his faith and trust in God were present solely in his actions. Most notably, the great dedication he displayed when navigating his roles as a husband and father. This goes to show that actions are just as, if not more, important than our words.

Let us consider how our actions reflect our lives of faith, in particular this Lenten season. Have you followed through with your Lenten promise? Have your actions prepared you for Easter? Another way to ask that is: have you learned how to love others better this Lenten season? If the answer is yes, great. If not, could you be more diligent in your practice of generosity and kindness - and make an effort to at least compliment one person a day?

St. Joseph shows us that no matter what the circumstance, we need to trust God to guide us. That being said, let’s finish out Lent courageously and trusting in God to lead us into becoming the people He wants us to be. Remember we should not only speak, but act.