Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Homily for Mass for the 2026 Fiesta of St Joseph
Readings: 2 Samuel 7:4-16; Romans 4:1322; Matthew 1:16. 18-21. 24
14 March 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
It gives me great joy to celebrate this fiesta of St Joseph with you, the Filipino faithful by birth and by adoption. I am proud of the fact that we have perhaps the largest concentration of Australian Catholics of Filipino heritage in the country. If you were an eparchy, that is, a diocese in your own right like the Maronites or the Syro-Malabar Indians, you would no doubt be the largest and most vibrant group. Fortunately for the Latin Rite bishops in Australia, myself included, you are the integral part of the local church and our parishes are all the more vibrant thanks to your active participation.
The Church in Australia owes a great debt of thanks to you who enrich us with your deep devotion and faith. Here in the Diocese of Parramatta, we are blessed with your strong presence and rich contribution. In celebrating the fiesta, we seek do more than repeating what we would always do back in the Philippines. In a less religious environment, we need to solidify and deepen our faith; we are called to evangelize not simply through popular devotions but also through credible witness of a deep and mature faith.
Today’s scriptural lesson is also about the courage to act outside our instincts and to follow divine directives instead. It challenges us to live our lives with radical openness to God’s plan that may come not only without clarity and certainty but also often at a cost to ourselves.
Like Joseph and Mary, we ought to be ready for divine interruptions; we are ready to adjust to life’s constant changes. Growth and transformation can occur if we learn to discern and act on what God requires of us in the light of lived experience. St Joseph is a model for us to learn and prioritize God’s will over against our own ambitions and desires.
In the first reading, Nathan was sent to David to instruct him not to proceed with the planned construction. You see David had a plan to build the temple in order to house the Ark of the Covenant and to honour the God who had brought the Israelites into the land of promise. David had made preparations when he was told that it was not he but his son Solomon who would build the temple. It was a humble experience for David to have to put aside his plan. In obeying God, David was reassured of his legacy as the greatest king. I remember many years ago, I had a similar experience. I had plans to build a new church where I was a pastor of. I had everything approved and set to go when an unexpected call came. I was asked to go to Rome and work at my Order’s headquarters. Once again, I had to learn to leave everything and follow God’s call.
It is this ability to trust God and surrender to his will that Abraham too became the ancestor in faith of all the believers. St Paul tells us that Abraham believed and acted on God’s command even though it was difficult for him to do so. He put his faith in God even when it cost him everything. Abraham abandoned every form of human security and placed his trust solely in God. In the end, he became the great icon of our Judeo-Christian tradition of going beyond the known horizons. He epitomizes the pilgrim faith.
St Joseph stands in the line of the heroes of faith like Abraham and King David. We are told that it was not all so smooth sailing for either he and his wife Mary. Even at the very outset, their involvement with God’s plan was riddled with unexpected crises. The Gospel tells us that upon discovering that Mary was already pregnant, he planned to divorce her. However, he was assured in a dream that Mary was with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as Mary had done, Joseph too learned to submit to God’s plan and live it out with a vulnerable trust.
Dear friends,
In the uncertainty, chaos and confusion that we find ourselves, such as this time, let us be inspired by their example. Let us not be overwhelmed with fear but renew our commitment to live by the light of our faith.Iin St Joseph we see a person dedicated entirely for others; when human beings put self-interest above everything, in St Joseph we see a person who put aside one’s own ambition in order to do God’s will.
As we honour St Joseph at this annual Fiesta, let us strive to imitate his example of constantly discerning and doing God’s will for us. May we have the wisdom to know what God asks of us and courage to put it into action. May our faith grow beyond all human limitations and like Joseph and his spouse Mary, we may become humble instruments of God for others.
