Dear Friends,

The figure of St. Joseph in the Scriptures is mysterious. Very little is said about him. We know that while he was a carpenter, he was of the royal Davidic lineage; what we do know is that he was betrothed to Mary, of Nazareth, and we get a glimpse into the quality of his character and heart, in the term “a righteous man” used in the Gospel, directly making a reference to the Patriarch Abraham. The evangelist refers to him as a righteous man. This is no small compliment. The role of Joseph of Nazareth in the Christmas story, while not predominant and often eclipsed by others, is nonetheless an essential one for each of us as we seek to participate in the eternally unfolding drama of the coming of Christ into our world. His exemplary and simple life teaches us how to accept God’s loving design graciously and how to discover the fullness of life and love as it is made manifest in the challenges of our daily lives.

From the few scenes in which he appears, we are convinced, if not inspired by just how righteous he truly is. Scripture reveals that he took Mary as his wife, after having been told that she was with child (knowing full well that it was not his), despite his initial doubt. We get an insight into this humble man’s character and integrity as the story unfolds and describes him taking his accepted responsibility so seriously that one has to shake his/her head and ask: “How?” He takes Mary as his wife prior to his trip to Bethlehem to register for the census; he takes her and her pre-born child protectively on the perilous journey; he searches painstakingly and deftly to find a place, despite both demonic and human resistance, in which the Christ could be born into this world. He then leaves his homeland and family, fleeing to Egypt, in order to protect what most saw as an unfaithful bride and an illegitimate child. And, unto the moment of his earthly death, he remained faithful to both Mary and Jesus in his service and love.

In these last days of Advent, let us examine our consciences regarding our own honesty, integrity, responsibility, and character. Let us look to this nobly humble man, St. Joseph, as a model and example of pursuing holiness in the ordinariness of this life. Let us spend our time and energy, searching painstakingly and deftly to find a place, despite demonic, human and personal resistance, in which we can assist in bringing Christ into this world anew. We have in our hearts, through the power of the grace of Holy Baptism, to transform the world, through faith, hope and love.

It is in these days that we should renew our own straw hearts and prepare our poor souls to receive the greatest gift of all—God’s Self-gift, like the original manger in Bethlehem. May St. Joseph intercede for us in these days: that we, like him, unworthy as we are of the task given us by Divine Providence, may accept unselfishly the sweet and easy burden of our vocation to be Christ to the world. May the Holy Family teach us again that no matter how meager our surroundings, the richness of our lives is found in the nature of God, who is Love. Our ability to love Him, who loved us first, and to love one another, is the power that we wield to vanquish the narcissism and deceit of the ancient serpent.

Be of good cheer! Have a Blessed, joyous, and safe Christmas!

Msgr. Grous

Thank You!

In anticipation of the solemn liturgies we will experience over the next week in celebration of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, enhanced by the beautiful music provided by our cantors and choirs under the direction of Charles Paschall; enriched by the service of our Altar Servers, Lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Collectors; comforted by our Outdoor Stable, courtesy of the Knights of Columbus and the young men and women of our Parish Youth Group, and our splendidly decorated Church, I wish to thank everyone who has taken a part in providing all of us the consolation and welcome of “coming home” to St. Isaac Jogues Church to celebrate Christmas in this Holy Year of Jubilee 2025.