This year, today’s Feast Day of St. Joseph takes on special meaning. Pope Francis has instituted the Year of St. Joseph from Dec. 8, 2020, to Dec. 8, 2021. The occasion is the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church, declared by Pope Pius IX in 1870.

I highly recommend that you read Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter about St. Joseph, Patris Corde, which means With a Father’s Heart. The insights he provides about Joseph are profound.

When we think of Joseph, it is his faith, courage and, actually, his silence that we recall. We don’t hear/read his words, but we observe many of his actions, all of which are rooted in faith. Faith in God, faith in God’s promises, faith in his role as Jesus’ father, faith in his wife, faith in his son. We have no record of God communicating with Joseph other than through dreams, so when things became difficult for Joseph and the dreams seemed faded and far away, he undoubtedly had to dig deeper and rely on his faith, and let that faith feed his courage.

There are two Gospel readings offered today, both of which give us insights into this man who played an important role in salvation history. Pope Francis writes, “Joseph was the man chosen by God to guide the beginnings of the history of redemption. He was the true ‘miracle’ by which God saves the child and his mother. God acted by trusting in Joseph’s creative courage.”

In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear the everyday words describing Joseph as Mary’s husband and she as his wife. How simple and normal those words are, describing a relationship we are so familiar with. Yet an angel had appeared to Joseph in a dream, allaying his fears and his plans to divorce Mary, and he woke with new determination and most likely peace. And history would never be the same.

In the second Gospel, Luke’s, we get that glimpse into the Holy Family that makes the three members of that family so relatable to us. First, Joseph and Mary are called Jesus’ parents. To all those watching, that is what they are, simply parents, not saints or anyone special. As parents, they go from fear and anxiety over losing their son to being “astonished” by his actions.

In the past when I have read this account, I was drawn to Mary’s complaint to Jesus, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” But this time, I noticed the words “your father.” She calls Joseph his father. That’s how she viewed him, and until that moment in time, that is probably how all three of them had viewed Joseph. Jesus is introducing a new paradigm by talking about his “Father.” That must have been a momentous and confusing time for Joseph.

Once again, Joseph must rely on his faith. Faith that he is doing the right thing by taking Jesus home and continuing to be a father to his son even though he knows things are changing. Joseph was a righteous person and as Paul says in the second reading, from Romans, “righteousness … comes from faith.”

I am not proud to say that I have too often overlooked Joseph, or only thought about him at Christmas and on March 19. I am inspired to follow Pope Francis’ lead and immerse myself this year in learning much more about this special man and to reflect on the meaning, example and courage his faith and fatherhood offer all of us.