"When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do". The same angel had called him "Joseph, son of David". That title, and his faithful obedience are the basis for our veneration of him, whom we know more familiarly as the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Jesus. Each of these roles of Joseph is highlighted in the readings for his feastday today, through the respective personalities of David, Abraham and Jesus.

Joseph is the humble descendant, son of David, from whom Jesus is known as the Son of David, the Lord's chosen one whose reign would last for ever. In this role, Joseph mirrors the role of Mary in her humble acceptance of the angel's word, her trustful obedience to God. In Abraham, St Paul reminds us, we see the Lord's promises being fulfilled in a person of faith and hope and trust. And Abraham's descendants share the promise as a free gift given to people of faith and trust. Joseph in his turn has become the father of many because of his faith, a faith and trust most clearly shown in his treatment of Mary. Perplexed and anxious at first, unable to understand, yet he accepted Mary's pregnancy as the fulfilling of the Lord's promise. We honour him today because, like Mary, he listened to God's word and kept it.