Baby Daddy

Seeing and imitating St. Joseph's compassion

03/19/2025

Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

I want to tell you a little story about sacrifice. You have probably heard of the famous Indian leader and liberator Mahatma Gandhi. He’s one of my heroes. One day a worried mother brought her troubled toddler to him to ask for help.

She said, “I don’t know what to do with him. He runs around the house non-stop. He fights with his siblings and friends. And he won’t listen to a word I say. I’ve tried everything to calm him down but nothing works. Can you help me, please?”

Mahatma Gandhi thought for a moment and then answered, “I think I know what the problem is. Come back in a month and I will tell you what you should do.” The mother left feeling puzzled. Nonetheless, she came back with her son a month later as directed.

She asked, “Okay, now can you please tell me what I should do?” Gandhi replied, “Yes, your son has too much sugar in his diet and you should stop giving him sweets. “ The mother felt relieved but asked: “Why didn’t you tell me this a month ago?” Gandhi answered: “A month ago I had not given up sugar or sweets.”

You see, Gandhi didn’t want to ask the little boy to make a sacrifice he was not willing to make himself first. And by the way, Gandhi demonstrated the true meaning of the word “compassion.” Compassion comes from two Latin words, “cum” meaning “with” and “passio” which means to suffer.

Compassion, in other words, is love for others that desires to suffer along with someone who’s suffering, like Gandhi gave up sweets like the little boy had to. And this is the true spirit of sacrifice: to suffer with others.

Today, March 19, is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary. Incidentally, “solemnity” means it is like a “Sunday” and that is why we said the Gloria, and after the homily we will recite the Creed today.

One of the great virtues of St. Joseph is that he was a man of great compassion and willing to suffer with others, especially his wife, Mary. How so? Well, at first he is troubled when he hears that she is pregnant and he is clearly not “the baby daddy.”

But then an angel inspires him to do what Gandhi did, namely, not to divorce her or kick her to the curb, but to suffer with her. Joseph practiced great compassion toward Mary, solidarity with her in her suffering, a pregnant teenager.

Indeed, they would continue to show great compassion toward each other by being chaste and celibate for the rest of their lives. In other words, Joseph, like Gandhi, was a saint of great compassion, ready to suffer with others.

Boys and girls, have you given up something for Lent? Maybe like Gandhi and that toddler you gave up sweets. Or maybe you gave up Tik-Tok or Snap Chat, or video games. Maybe you are not giving up something but are adding something.

Maybe you are going to an extra Mass, or reading the Bible daily or praying the Rosary. Some of you may be helping the poor by the Rice Bowl program or donating food or clothing to a charity. And those are certainly great things to do for Lent.

But this Lent can I also ask you to practice a little compassion and suffer along with someone else that you know is hurting? I’m sure you have friends, or family, or classmates, or even teachers or coaches who are going through a tough time.

Maybe make a small sacrifice for them and say a prayer for them like Gandhi and St. Joseph. You cannot always stop someone else’s suffering, but you can show solidarity (unity) with their suffering. Let me leave you with a quotation from George MacDonald, a Presbyterian minister who inspired C. S. Lewis.

See if you can catch how this quotation is another way to describe the virtue of compassion: “The Son of Man [Jesus] came to earth to suffer and die not so that we might not have to, but so that our suffering might be like his.”

That is, so our suffering would not be empty but full of meaning, meaning we are becoming more like Jesus. And I might add, “So that Jesus’ suffering could become more like ours.” And that is a little story about sacrifice.

Praised be Jesus Christ!