These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

SOLEMNITY OF SAINT JOSEPH, March 19

The faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God.
(Rom 4:13,16-18,22)

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
a righteous man . . . .
(Mt 1:16,18-21,24)

In the recent apostolic visit of Pope Francis to Iraq, he visited the birthplace of Abraham, our father in faith, for Jews, Christians, and Moslems. Today is the feast of Saint Joseph, a righteous man in the faith of Abraham.