On March 19th – next Friday – we recall Joseph in the domestic setting of his own home, as husband and father.  In his Apostolic Letter on 150th anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis writes that Joseph loved Jesus ‘with a father’s heart’. Husband of Mary, Joseph had the courage to become the legal father of Jesus, to whom he gave the name revealed by the angel. For ancient peoples, to give a name to a person or to a thing was to establish a relationship.  He placed himself ‘at the service of the entire plan of salvation’, with a love placed at the service of the Messiah who was growing to maturity in his home. Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history, and his plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties, and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.