Jesus never forgot St. Joseph - his father on earth

Editor’s Note: This issue of “The Catholic Spirit” focuses on our diocese’s ordinations. It was decided, therefore, to share the homily Bishop James F. Checchio gave at the ordination of our four new priests and transitional deacon.

My brothers, Ariel, Greg, Jay, Tim, Ronal, your being ordained in the year of St. Joseph will be something you will always remember, and hopefully you will take on from this day forward an even more special bond with St. Joseph. As you know, from Dec. 8, 2020, until Dec. 8, 2021, Pope Francis has asked for St. Joseph’s special intercession for the whole Church in his apostolic letter, “With a Father’s heart.” The introductory line gives us very simply the identity of St. Joseph as it begins “With a father’s heart: that is how St. Joseph loved Jesus.” St. Joseph was given a father’s heart to love with the love of our Father in heaven, not only Jesus, but also Mary and all of us, God’s children.

I was blessed to grow up with a heartfelt devotion to St. Joseph. Perhaps it was because my father took St. Joseph as a special patron since he and my mother adopted a sister into our family. The prayer to St. Joseph was one that was often prayed in our home. And the Sisters of Mercy at my elementary school always had us begin the rosary with a prayer to St. Joseph, which I still do every day. My love and admiration for St. Joseph has grown and changed over the years but it has been a constant admiration, and I have found him to be a worthy intercessor for so much of what a priest does each day to provide for the community entrusted to his pastoral and spiritual care.

We know that a father is not just a sustainer of life or a maintenance man taking care of his children’s needs, but he is called to make his life a sacrificial offering of love that provides life. We know that worthy fathers sacrifice their own wants and needs for the good of their children. These sacrifices are often done in quiet, unseen ways. I’m sure many of our biological fathers here today can testify to this — happy father’s day to you all a day early!

How as priests we need to have this same type of sacrificial love in our lives as we give up our own wants, desires, wishes, to serve as and where the Church needs us, not necessarily where I want, as celibate, prayerful, obedient servants of Jesus. You solemnly promise to do this today, and we’re all grateful for that.

St. Joseph readily let his life be re-oriented by God’s will over and over again. That’s why he ends up becoming a saint! We heard about one of those times in our Gospel today. It was just a dream though, — how easy it would have been for Joseph to ignore it and to do what he wanted rather than what God wanted. How easy to dismiss as fantasy or wild dreaming such an incredible destiny. But he did choose it — and I admired that — especially when I was trying to have the courage to respond to my own call to priesthood and was feeling the movements of discernment in my life. And there were certainly moments when I wanted an excuse not to do God’s will. Joseph for me, was an example of openness and courage and so I always looked to him and prayed to him and hoped for those same qualities in my response and life as a priest.

My admiration for St. Joseph deepened as a priest and now bishop as I took on assignments and tasks that I felt unprepared for, unworthy of and never desired nor wanted. I looked to St. Joseph as the provider of the household for the Holy Family — the one who protected and cared for them — but often in a very hidden way. He was content to be in the background and to let Jesus and Mary receive the attention. Joseph for me is an example of humble, selfless service, that doesn’t seek recognition or reward. He may not be remembered by history books or even in the Scriptures very much, but he is remembered by Jesus. And that’s what mattered to St. Joseph, that when all was said and done, that Jesus would remember him with filial love and affection; in the end, nothing else truly matters, no?

Jesus called out “abba,” daddy, to Joseph for years before Our Lord addressed it to His heavenly Father. Joseph taught Jesus to say “abba.” And Jesus never forgot it. You know of course, that long before any priest held Jesus in His hands as He makes Him present in our world in the Eucharist, Joseph held our Lord in his arms. Joseph for me was and is an example of priesthood — someone who humbly, selflessly and obediently lived and worked for the good of others and I knew I needed that as well, and still do.

Yes, we need to honor and remember St. Joseph, we need his example in our lives, especially us priests, so it is good that Pope Francis called us to this special year. Joseph is the Patron of the Church. As such, he continues to watch over, protect and provide for the Family of God, and we all need that now, very much. In addition, St. Joseph sees a bit of His Divine Son in each priest who is ordained in persona Christi capits, ordained as another Christ the head, through this mysterious, sacred rite we will have in a few moments, so he sees us brothers, as his adopted sons too, and so he desires to provide and protect us as his sons, just as He did Jesus. We should never forget him, as he never tires of interceding for us.

My brothers, you have heard a lot about spiritual fatherhood in your formation, and you men have prepared yourself well to take on this role today as four of you are ordained priests and one a deacon. If we desire to be true spiritual fathers, if we truly desire to become saints, and I know you do, then we need to take a cue, or maybe 20 cues, from the fatherhood of St. Joseph and his radical openness to allowing his life to be re-oriented by God’s will through listening to Him.

St. Joseph — open to God’s word;

St. Joseph — humble and selfless in service;

St. Joseph — Husband of Mary and Patron of the Church,

St. Joseph — our adopted father:

Pray for us, intercede for us and inspire these men to be ordained today, as they are made over in the very image of your Divine Son, along with all the good and generous priests and deacons of this beautiful Diocese of Metuchen, to be spiritual fathers who learn from you and emulate you. May others come to know and call upon God as their Father, Abba, because of the example these men give, as we strive to live up to the title we bear — “Father.”

God bless and keep you all in His love.

 

With renewed best wishes, I remain

Yours in Christ,

 

Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA

Bishop of Metuchen