A Note From Our Parochial Vicar: December 28, 2028

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and are recovering from the festivities! This weekend we celebrate the Holy Family and I would like to mention something about St. Joseph. He is a part of every Nativity scene yet remains forgotten by many.

However, St. Joseph teaches us something important about silence and action. He is the only major figure in the Gospels to never say a word. This silence isn’t a lack of something; it was a presence of something—attentiveness. Because St. Joseph was quiet, he could hear the voice of God in his dreams. He was free to act decisively when his family was in danger.

In the early Church, St. Joseph was often in the background, a "silent guardian." It wasn't until the Middle Ages—through the inuence of saints like St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis De Sales, St. Bernard of Clairvaux—and later in 1870, when he was named Patron of the Universal Church, that his role was fully celebrated.

Why the delay? God always provides help when it’s most needed. In a world that is noisy, undermining the role of the family and moving away from faith, St. Joseph is given to us as a strong and gentle guide in listening to God’s voice and responding to the needs of our times.

What can we learn from St. Joseph? A few things:

1. Silence. Where do we need silence in our lives? Perhaps having a technology-free day and establishing a daily prayer routine would be good for this upcoming new year.

2. Response. Where do we need the gift of diligence, that is, to respond and act accordingly with the people and tasks God has entrusted to us? What am I putting off taking care of or responding to?

3. Faithfulness. Where have we fallen in our faith journey this past year? How can I live my faith better in 2026?

May we all cultivate a heart of St. Joseph for 2026 ad beyond. St. Joseph, Pillar of Families and Terror of Demons, pray for us!

God bless,

Fr Ben Bray