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Happy Father’s Day!
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It’s unfortunate we have to celebrate this holiday under the shadow of self-quarantining and social distancing.
But, ironically enough, some dads may find themselves home today because of the Coronavirus. To all of you, I hope you make the best of an otherwise difficult day.
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Today the Church remembers all dads, but one dad in particular, Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus.
We know very little about his life, because scripture only references him in the early life of Jesus. But there’s still enough detail there to paint some picture of what he was like.
Joseph lived in an small village…He was married to a young, peasant girl named Mary… He spent his life as a carpenter, earning his daily bread by the sweat of his brow.
He knew the twinge of hunger, the pain of aching bones, and the value of a few cents.
He was an ordinary man, much less accomplished than some of us.
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Joseph never went to college. He never wrote a book. He never owned shares in the stock market. He never held public office.
He didn’t have a blog. He never made the news. He never lived in a major city or even journeyed far from his home.
The only time he left his home country was to flee to Egypt as a refugee because King Herod was trying to kill the infant Jesus.
And the child wasn’t even his.
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On the surface, Joseph was uneducated; a peasant; a refugee.
A nobody.
Yet 2,000 years have come and gone and we still celebrate his life. Out of the billions of dads who’ve come and gone, he is one we remember.
Why is that?
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Maybe it’s because we all see something of Joseph in ourselves.
Like him, we know the value of hard work, the meaning of sacrifice, and the importance of family.
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Joseph never accrued worldly wealth or status; neither will many of us. But he was faithful in the tasks God entrusted to him.
He worked hard. He loved deeply. He was a faithful husband. And he believed in the Son of God.
That’s what counts in the end.
Being faithful; being humble; and being responsible. Living such a life makes us all blessed in the eyes of Almighty God.