Episode 035 - Homily | Saint Joseph And The Courage To Surrender: Advent (December 21, 2025)

Years ago in a Catholic school it was time to cast their annual Christmas play.

And there was one kid who everyone was worried about, Wally.

Sweet kid, shy, awkward, the kind of kid who always stood on the edge of the group.

The teacher stared at the list and the roles and thought to herself, Well, what do I do with Wally?

She finally decided to make him the innkeeper.

It seems safe enough.

One line, no speeches.

All he has to do is open the door, shake his head, and say, sorry, we have no room.

When Wally found out he had an important role, his face lit up like Christmas morning.

He practiced his line for days, and then came his moment.

Everything was going smoothly.

Mary and Joseph made their way across the stage.

Joseph knocked on the door and Wally opened it, took a breath, added his line perfectly.

I'm sorry, we have no room.

Now, unfortunately, the boy playing Joseph was very confident, and maybe he was too confident, and instead of following the script, he decided to add lib a little.

And instead of walking away, he was improvising.

He says, But sir, my wife is about to have her baby.

Surely you can find us a place.

Wally froze.

This was not in the script, it was not practiced.

His face turned pale, and after a long pause he shook his head again and repeated, I'm sorry, we have no room.

But Joseph pressed on.

But what do you mean we've traveled so far?

My wife is exhausted.

Please do something about it.

Any place at all?

Wallie's eyes filled with tears, his voice trembling.

Joseph and Mary began to walk away.

And then, forgetting the script entirely, being wrapped up in the moment, Wally blurted out loud enough for the whole church to hear.

Wait, wait, wait, come back.

You can have my room.

The audience laughed, then fell completely silent like you just did, because in that unscripted moment, Wally preached the Christmas gospel better than anyone on that stage.

I want you to keep that in mind while we turn our attention to Saint Joseph.

He steps into the light on this fourth Sunday of Advent, not with words, not with speeches, not with explanations, but with a decision.

Joseph is one of the most fascinating figures in all of Scripture, precisely because he says nothing, and yet he does everything.

If the gospel were honest about noise, Joseph would be easy to miss.

But if the gospel is honest about holiness, Joseph becomes impossible to ignore.

Scripture tells us only a few times about him.

He was a carpenter, he was engaged to Mary, and today we hear that line that defines his entire life.

Joseph was a righteous man.

That word, righteous, that word does not mean pious in a shallow way.

Does not mean naive or passive.

In the Bible, a righteous man is someone who orders his life around God's will, and even when it costs him something.

And make no mistake, this moment was devastating for Joseph.

Mary is pregnant.

Joseph knows the child is not his.

And the law gives him some options.

He could expose her publicly, he could protect his reputation.

He could walk away in bitterness and self-justification.

Instead, Scripture tells us something extraordinary.

He decides to divorce her quietly.

In other words, Joseph chooses mercy before he understands the miracle.

He chooses love before there's clarity.

He chooses righteousness before he has all the answers.

And that's where Saint Joseph becomes relevant for all of us.

Because Joseph shows us something most of us resist with every fiber of our being.

Holiness is not control, holiness is surrender.

Joseph's greatness is not that he understands God's plan, it's that he trusts God enough to obey it without understanding it.

The angel does not give Joseph a roadmap.

The angel does not explain how people will react.

The angel does not promise things will get easier.

No, the only thing that the angel says is, do not be afraid.

And Joseph obeys.

That obedience cost him everything.

Modern people cling to predictability, reputation, control of the narrative.

From this moment on, Joseph's life is one long act of trust.

He will take Mary into his home.

He will raise a child who is not biologically his.

Amen.