O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
– Collect for the Feast of Saint Joseph (Book of Common Prayer page 239)
Dear People of St. David’s,
On March 19, right in the midst of Lent, the Church keeps the Feast of Saint Joseph. There is something especially fitting about that. Joseph is not remembered for grand speeches or public recognition. In fact, he never speaks. Not once. Search the Gospels from beginning to end, and you will not find a single recorded word from the man who raised the Son of God. He is remembered for faithfulness. He listens for God, responds in trust, protects the vulnerable, and quietly does what love requires.
In a world that prizes the loud and the visible, Joseph’s silence is countercultural. He reminds us that sometimes the most faithful response to God is simply to get up and do what love requires, quietly, without fanfare, without needing anyone to notice.
That quiet faithfulness is at the heart of Lent as well. Lent is not only about giving something up or taking on an extra spiritual discipline. It is a season in which we are invited to return to the essentials: prayer, humility, repentance, mercy, and trust in God. It is a season that asks us to look honestly at our lives and to ask where Christ is calling us to deeper faithfulness.
Joseph gives us a picture of what that faithfulness can look like. He does not seek attention. He simply makes room for God’s will and offers his life in loving service to Mary and to the Christ child. His holiness is found in dedication, faithfulness, and obedience.
As I continue in my formation toward the diaconate, I have witnessed Joseph’s kind of faithfulness here at St. David’s. There are people in this congregation who show up week after week to sit with someone who is grieving, who drop off a meal without leaving their name, who make a quiet phone call to someone who hasn’t been seen in a while. They don’t need recognition. They simply, like Joseph, wake up and do what love requires.
One of the gifts of my formation has been the chance to witness this firsthand. I have come to see that some of the most powerful ministries in a parish are often the least visible. It happens in hospital rooms, in phone calls, in quiet conversations after church, in helping to host families in the undercroft, and in the faithful willingness simply to show up where needed. That is not small work. It is the work of the Gospel.
So, here is my Lenten invitation to you, one inward and one outward. Inwardly, try carving out a few minutes each day for silence. Set aside the noise, sit quietly before God, and simply ask: What are you asking of me? Where do you need me to show up? Outwardly, identify one person in your life who is suffering and do one concrete thing for them this week: a call, a note, a meal. Do it quietly, the way Joseph did things, simply because love requires it. The servant heart of Christ is revealed every time one of you notices another’s pain and responds with love.
May God give us grace to follow Joseph’s example: to be steady in faith, gentle in love, and ready to serve Christ in those who suffer.
Peace,
Jonesy Lerch
Pastoral Assistant
Published on March 20, 2026.
Image: Photo detail by Natalee Hill of “St. Joseph and the Christ Child” said to be by the Spanish artist, Francisco Herrera.