Sermon by Fr. Stephen on the feast of St. Joseph.

I missed recording a bit of it.  Father's words are in italics, as well as i could get them on the phone recording.

Joseph no doubt had other plans.  He wanted to be a husband and father and provider.  When Mary was found to be with Child, and Joseph had his dream, he realized that God’s plans would be leading him in a completely different direction than the plans he had made.  He had questions, as we have questions, and I'm sure God is bracing Himself to answer all the questions we will have at the end of our lives. 

"Joseph thought, it’s so hard to find a perfect wife, but I think I found one. If he (Joseph) had known what he was going for (our Lady), probably he would have chosen another woman, probably, because this is not the kind of situation a husband will usually find himself.

You know how much energy goes into falling in love, don’t you?  How much energy!  If you were to convert that energy into electrical energy, I don’t how much it would measure, but it’s a lot. To invest your heart into someone else, and say I want to give my life, only to be told, “You know what, there are a lot of things that we need to change about this relationship.”

 The bible does not tell us how Joseph responded to all of this, he simply obeyed, but I’m sure the guy had lots of questions. At times you feel it was almost unfair that he was not given a chance to explain himself and his feelings in the scriptures.  He was mute throughout.  He died with all of his questions.  So we don’t know what he was thinking,  after God’s judgement intervened. 

We all have plans, we all do.  I still am a young man, but I can tell you I have seen God destroy some of my most important plans of life, I have seen Him destroy them, and replace my plans with His Plans. And He keeps saying that His Plans are better plans. I’m sure you all in your life, and in your walk with God, you have similar stories to tell when, at some time in your life, something which you hoped for, something you thought was very right and the right thing to do, at the right time and place, only to  have an event come your way and you feel that God is asking you to wipe everything and take a complete new turn. 

That is what was asked of Joseph   He lived in different circumstances, yes, we are not like Joseph.  But you are going to have lots of problems and you will need a lot of faith to handle that.  So everyone has his own story, his own likes and dislikes, but there is a common theme in our story.  At some time in our life, God wants us to change our good plans, and to trust Him that He has better plans.

  The problem is the trust.  Trust in God that His plans are better than mine. And He does that to all the saints, and to all of us all the time.  For Joseph was a husband, he had to literally rethink everything about this marriage, he had to plan everything different, because the normal path to being a husband, “Look, I’m going to have intimacy with my wife, I’m going to enjoy that woman, I’m going to probably have future kids, and I’m going to be the father…  But as it turns out,  I  am sharing her with God.“ 

 Do you see how the scenario is? And the bible does not tell us how heavy it was on him. And yet, he humbly obeyed and served.  “I’m not sure why, but I will go with You, because I can trust You.”

 Marriage is a covenant within a Covenant. By that I mean our general Covenant with God.  Marriage is a specific covenant within that Covenant.  And in marriage you know too well that you are called to make lots of decisions which might be against your personal will and interests.  Yet for the sake of the common good, you might have to make that decision. You make a decision that, if you were left alone, you wouldn’t make.  It is all possible with great trust and faith.

  Marriage also needs faith.  Without faith you will quit.  Without faith it is impossible to even live with somebody for one week, one week, just a week.  Maybe a week is even too long.  It takes a lot to be able to accept that person and all the changes they will bring to your life, all the uncertainties, all the conditions, all the adaptations, and the compromises, but God promises that in all that He is going to be with you. Just trust Him and obey Him.

 He will never let you be ashamed, it is not possible. God has never shamed any person who trusts in Him. May God bless husbands at this Eucharist, may He bless husbands to be, may He bless all men, especially as they make the life decisions that the Lord has chosen for them.  If they trust Him, they will never be put to shame. May God bless men, and remember women as well."