Carmelite homily for Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Carmelites have had a long relationship with Saint Joseph. Some of it fanciful, some of it historical; I will only touch some of the historical here. The Carmelites were founded in the Holy Land, where there was a devotion to Saint Joseph, but not in Europe. So when the Carmelite came to Europe, they brought this feast day with them. We introduced this feast day to the calendar. Now any first foundation like in a new land or a new way is named after Saint Joseph. That’s why Saint Teresa of Avila named the first house of her reform ‘Saint Joseph.’ He is the protector of the Carmelite Order. And we get, I think, this also from Saint Teresa. Here is what she writes in The Book of Her Life: “I took for my advocate the glorious Saint Joseph and earnestly recommended myself to him. It is an amazing thing the great favors God has granted me through the mediations of this blessed saint – the dangers I was freed from both of body and soul. Why? Because Jesus was subject to Saint Joseph while on earth for Joseph bore the title of Jesus’ father. So being the Lord’s tutor, Joseph could give the child any command and he would do it. So in heaven we ask Joseph to give any command to Jesus and he does whatever Joseph commands.” That’s why Joseph is the protector not only of the Carmelite Order but I think of you, me, everyone, everything. Because Jesus has no choice. Joseph is his father; he has to do what Joseph asks.
