March 19, 2026 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24A or Luke 2:41-51A
Today the universal Church celebrates the feast day of St. Joseph. First, I wish all brothers and sisters in Christ who have St. Joseph as their patron a happy name day celebration. Second, I also wish all parishes that have St. Joseph as their patron a happy parish feast day.
The Liturgy of the Word today offers two Gospel passages about St. Joseph. St. Matthew the Evangelist reveals what happened before the birth of Jesus Christ, while St. Luke the Evangelist depicts when Jesus was twelve years old, conversing with the scribes in the Temple, and the dialogue between Him and the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, who had anxiously searched for Him for three days and three nights. These two evangelists, each in their own appropriate way, present to us a vivid picture of the Holy Family of Nazareth, from which we can also see St. Joseph’s obedience and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s humility.
The world we live in is filled with material pleasures and permeated by individualism and consumerism. People often center themselves, prioritizing the fulfillment of various needs in their lives, without placing God’s Word in their hearts at all, living out the spirit and joy of the Gospel in daily life—still less like St. Joseph, who, though unable to understand God’s will at the moment, out of filial love and trust in God, carried out God’s will. Though he could not understand everything Jesus said and did in the Temple, he did not rush to judge, nor did he directly reprimand Jesus. Instead, he chose to contemplate, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, to see what God’s will truly was.
Perhaps we might think that Jesus would be rebellious, but the opposite is true. He did not disobey the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph; on the contrary, He chose to obey, setting an example for us. Therefore, on this feast day of St. Joseph, let us together offer a prayer to God:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that by Saint Joseph’s intercession your Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
March 18, 2026 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Gospel: John 5:17-30
Today, the passage from the Gospel according to St. John depicts a dialogue between Jesus and the Jews. I wish to offer some reflections here: Christ the Lord, rich in mercy, clearly reveals His relationship with the Father. Perhaps we find it difficult to comprehend the words Jesus spoke to the Jews. Yet when we look back on our earthly pilgrimage, we can more easily understand the connection between us and Jesus, and between Jesus and the Father. When we are born from our mother’s womb, God invites us into the world He created. He gives us parents of great kindness, so that we may grow under their careful care. When we are still children, we can do nothing according to our abilities, for our minds are not yet mature and unable to distinguish good from evil. Our loving God sends His servants—the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, all clergy including priests, deacons, and those in consecrated life—to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom and bear witness to the truth through their own lives. We listen to and observe all they do for us, and in their thoughts, words, and actions, we perceive God’s infinite mercy. After receiving the Baptism of Christ and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, we often immerse ourselves in God’s holy love. For in the Eucharist, we hear Jesus speak to us again through His Church, founded upon St. Peter. He offers His Body and Blood as our food. Receiving this food from the hands of the priest, we are fully united with the Word of God. He dwells in our hearts, converses with our souls, and points us to the path of eternal life.
May the venerable exercises of holy devotion shape the hearts of your faithful, O Lord, to welcome worthily the Paschal Mystery and proclaim the praises of your salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
March 17, 2026 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Or Optional Memorial of Saint Patrick, Bishop Gospel: John 5:1-16
Today the Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop. The account of his life tells us: the Saint was a fifth-century Romano-British missionary and Bishop of Ireland. He is called the “Apostle of Ireland,” the principal patron saint of Ireland, and also the patron saint of St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Columba, and Nigeria. In his autobiography Confessio, he wrote: “At the age of sixteen, I was captured by Irish pirates from my home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland. I lived there for six years, tending flocks, until I escaped and returned to my family. After being ordained a priest, I returned to preach the Gospel in the main part of Ireland and its western regions. In my later years, I served as a bishop, though little is known about where I carried out my work.”
Today, the passage from the Gospel according to St. John describes Jesus’ healing at Bethesda:
We often see beggars along the roadsides—many of them, like those gathered around the five porticoes of the Pool of Bethesda, suffer from various ailments: the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, all waiting for assistance (Jn 5:1-3). Yet when we encounter them in life, we often dismiss them as professional beggars and refuse to offer aid.
Before we knew God, we too were like the man paralyzed for thirty-eight years, longing for His mercy (Jn 5:5-7). By reason of original sin, we are stained with sin from birth. Though we may move freely in the world, our souls remain under the power of the devil and his minions—bound by the slavery of sin and death, yearning for God’s redemption. The moments we encounter God are often unexpected: when passing by a church, our hearts are moved by the prayers and sacrifice of praise offered by those who worship the Father in spirit and truth (Jn 4:23). At such times, our souls impel our bodies to draw closer to God. Christ, rich in mercy, then heals us with His infinite compassion, just as He did the paralytic of thirty-eight years (Jn 5:8-9), freeing us from the bondage that sin inflicts upon our souls.
Today, let us imitate the paralytic healed by Jesus no longer be bound by the logic and rules of this world, which often hinder our journey to God. Only the words of Jesus Christ and the world of God He reveals to us can grant us true freedom.
May the venerable exercises of holy devotion shape the hearts of your faithful, O Lord, to welcome worthily the Paschal Mystery and proclaim the praises of your salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
全属于祢 
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