OPENING HYMN

 

Come now and praise the humble saint

     of David's house and line,

the carpenter whose life fulfilled

     our gracious God's design.

 For him there was no glory here,

     no crown or martyr's fame,

for him there was the patient life

     of faith and humble name.

 But now within the Father's grace

     where saints and angels throng

beside his spouse, before the Son,

     he sings the glorious song.

 Words © 1979 The Hymn Society (admin. Hope Publishing Company, 380 S Main Pl, Carol Stream, IL 60188)

COLLECT

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that by Saint Joseph's intercession
your Church may constantly watch over
the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation,
whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

FIRST READING  2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16

4 The word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 “Go and tell my servant David: 12 ‘When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “‘He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.’”

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

R/.  The son of David will live for ever.

SECOND READING Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22

13 The promise that Abraham would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 16 For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham. He is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.” Abraham believed in the presence of the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Hoping against hope, Abraham believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” 22 Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.”

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

GOSPEL  Luke 2.41-51a

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when Jesus was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.

MEDITATION (Pope Leo XIV)

The Gospel episode of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus and, distressed, finding him after three days in the Temple (cf. Lk 2:39-52) teaches us that the presence of the other is not automatic, but the result of constant searching. It has happened to each of us to lose someone or something we were very attached to. At that moment, we realized how precious that presence was.

This also happens in the life of faith: we take for granted the presence of Jesus in our existence, until unexpectedly it seems that He is no longer where we left Him. We feel a sense of loss. In reality, it is not He who is lost, but we who have strayed. When this happens, we are called to seek him with confidence, with the courage to travel unexplored paths, looking at the world with new eyes, filled with hope. In this way, we will stop looking for a God who suits us and instead encounter Him where He dwells. Seeking Jesus, therefore, means moving from the security of our convictions to the responsibility of encounter, learning to see and welcome the presence of God who is always “beyond”.

This is exactly what Saint Joseph did in caring for the family entrusted to him by the Lord. In him we recognize that welcoming is not only presence but also guardianship. Guardianship means being attentive to others, respecting their choices and caring for them. This attitude belongs first and foremost to God, whom the Bible shows as the guardian of his people. We recall the psalm that says: “He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand” (Psalm 121: 4-5). From this perspective, we understand that the human family is also called to preserve what has been entrusted to it: relationships, creation, and the life of our brothers and sisters, especially those who suffer and are most fragile. In this way, Joseph shows us that presence and guardianship are inseparable dimensions: it is not possible to guard without being present, and one is not present without assuming responsibility for the other.

INTERCESSIONS

All fatherhood in heaven and on earth has its origin in God. Let us turn to him and pray:
Our Father in heaven, hear our prayer.

You called Saint Joseph to walk faithfully in your presence;
– grant us the grace to follow his example and to become holy as you are holy. 

You chose Saint Joseph, a just man, to be the foster father of your Son;
– grant us the grace to serve our brothers and sisters who are the Body of Christ. 

You entrusted the earth to your servants to make it ­habitable;
– make our work serve the coming of your kingdom.  

O God, ever faithful to your covenant, you strengthened Saint Joseph to embrace the mystery of your will and to welcome your Word, made flesh of the Virgin Mary. Keep your Church also steadfast in faith, ready to trust in your promises and eager to fulfil your saving purpose. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen. (ICEL; 1998)

OFFERTORY (John Michael Talbot)

 

Hear, my son, your father’s teaching
Reject not your mother’s song

A graceful crown, a royal diadem
Will they be for the crowning of your soul
Crying aloud is the voice of Wisdom
In open squares and the streets of your soul

So the sinners entice you and say
“Come along.” Hold back your foot from their path
For their way is quick to shed blood
And death will come back on them each and everyone

Happy the man who finds Wisdom
Her profit is better than silver or gold
When you are young, disdain not discipline
And you’ll be honored when you grow old

She is like the tree of life
By Wisdom all of the earth was founded
The depths break open, the clouds poured down rain
Let not lady Wisdom escape you

Hear, my song, your Father’s teaching
Reject not Wisdom’s song

COMMUNION

Joseph, son of David, fear not to receive Mary as your wife; for that which is conceived in her come from the Holy Spirit.

CLOSING HYMN

Holy patron, thee saluting
Here we meet, with hearts sincere;
Blest Saint Joseph, all uniting,
Call on thee to hear our prayer.

Happy saint, in bliss adoring
Jesus, Savior of humankind,
Hear thy children thee imploring,
May we thy protection find.

Through this life, O watch around us!
Fill with love our ev'ry breath,
And, when parting fear surrounds us,
Guide us through the toils of death.