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It is fitting that today, March 19th is the day in the Church's calendar when Saint Joseph of Nazareth is remembered and honored. Joseph was a carpenter but he is forever recognized by the Church as "The Guardian of our Lord."

Having a guardian, one who guards you and keeps you safe, is a very important thing to realize during Lent; during the warfare of Christian life. GOD is your Guardian. God guards you and keeps you. All of the protectors of others found in the pages of Holy Scripture are "types" of the Lord. The pre-eminent guardian of God's people in the Old Testament is David. David was not a carpenter but a shepherd. Being responsible for the life and health of the flock is indeed what being a pastor is all about. David's training in pasturing sheep was his apprenticeship to a life of pasturing the united kingdoms of Judah and Israel. David was chosen by God to be the ancestor of the Christ-God in the flesh-David's flesh, David's blood, David's D.N.A. And like the great shepherds before him, Abel, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, David too pointed to Jesus, and guarded the people of Jesus. But in reality, it was always the Lord Himself guarding His lambs, in, with, and under His chosen guardians.

David, like all of you, did not have an easy life. He had the life that God wanted him to have; a life of faithfulness and attention to his vocation. Like you David had enemies, people who wanted to hurt him. David would have been happy to have lived his days out as a solitary shepherd out in the fields keeping watch over Jesse's flocks. The Lord called upon David to be a guardian and shepherd of more than four-legged sheep. David's enemies tried to kill him with the sword. Goliath tried to impale David on a huge spear (as thick as a weaver's beam). There were other Philistines who also tried to cleave David's head from his shoulders. There were Ammonites, Jebusites, Egyptians and Moabites who tried to slaughter David and his people. None succeeded for David the guardian was in turn guarded by the Good Shepherd-The Guardian Lord God. Even when David's own King turned against him, when Saul, David's benefactor, father-in-law, mentor and friend, tried to kill David, the Great Guardian kept him safe.

Have you felt betrayed? Have your friends and colleagues tried to hurt you? Has a family member "cut you to the quick" even as Saul tried to pin David to the wall with a spear? Do you feel from time to time like you can't go on; everyone, everything is conspiring to crush you, to imprison you, to finish you off in shame and ignominy? Then you know what David felt, what his life was about; what Lent is about. Lent is about not "seeing" GOD but rather seeing the result of sin and decay. Lent is about growing old. Lent is about waiting. Lent is about waiting in constant warfare status-always aware that another attack, another temptation, another attempt on your life will be mounted by the enemies.

Saint Joseph took a Virgin to be his wife. He experienced much ridicule and gossip as his young wife was discovered to be pregnant even before the marriage was completed. He endured, for the remainder of his life whispers about being cuckolded and having taken a fornicating woman into his house as his wife. He also suffered being chased off in the night by those killers of Herod who would have slaughtered the young infant Christ. Joseph did not volunteer to be the Guardian of God, the step-father of Jesus, but the Lord chose him, and bestowed upon him the faithfulness needed to remain steadfast. Joseph is the exemplar, the type, for all you fathers, you brothers, you sons, you men (whether you're married or not, whether you're fathers or not).

And lest women think they have no role-there is Joseph's wife herself: the Blessed Virgin, who serves as "The" type, not of Christ, but of the Church. Saint Mary of Nazareth is also a guardian. She too protected her infant Son; she nursed Him and clothed Him and loved Him. To guard is to hold on to and cherish. All Christians, all gathered her this evening by the Spirit, are guardians. Oh, you do not guard your salvation or your future adventures-those are in the pierced-hands of the Christ-but you do guard that which has been entrusted to you. You guard the Faith poured out into your hearts by the Word of Jesus. You guard the deposit of the Saints, the Message of Salvation by Grace through Faith in the Blood Atonement of Christ Jesus, and in Him alone.

You believe, teach and confess what David was given to write by the Holy Ghost. When David "spake unto the Lord the words of this song" i.e. the words contained in 2nd Samuel the 22nd chapter, he didn't speak it with timidity or intellectual dryness, but he sang it; he chanted it; he let his voice of praise ring forth in genuine Spirit-worked joy and melody! This is the same reason the historic liturgy is sung and chanted and intoned. The Gospel is far too joyous to remain captive to only speaking but must be sung with the heart as well as spoken with the brain. The Lord is my rock and my fortress…He is my shield…my refuge, my savior…" This is your song dear saints. Even before the Reformer, Saint Martin of Wittenberg took these words and penned "Ein' feste Burg" these words of the Son of Jesse were your words because they're not just the words of the King of Judah and Israel but they are the words of Joseph and the words of the Virgin. They are words which when sung (or spoken) are placed into your beings by way of the ears. They are words which are repeated in the Supper when they are placed into your beings by way of your mouths. These words of guardianship, protection, and safety give to you the Word Himself. Sing the snake away: "I will call on the Lord Who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies." You do call upon Him. You invoke your Good Guardian of Grace "In the Name of the Father and of The Son + and of the Holy Ghost." Chant the deceiver back to hell and hold on to forgiveness and life: "When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. In my distress I cried unto my God and He did hear my voice out of His temple."

In Lent, in Advent, at the foot of the Cross on Good Friday, in unemployment, in cancer, in treason by friends, in persecution by evil men, in loss of children, in adultery by cheating spouses, in your trespasses and evil thoughts and desires, in loneliness, poverty, hunger and nakedness, in gulags and gutters you ARE NEVER ALONE: you are NEVER WITHOUT YOUR GUARDIAN.

He Who guarded your obedience in His own desert ordeal; He Who guarded your righteousness and sonship in His own broken body and shed blood on the cross; He Who guarded you in His Ascension to Majesty and in His Pentecost to other guardians for your perpetual care and safety is never absent Himself. He abides. Not the "dude" but God abides. Not the profile of Jeff Bridges on some "hip" tee but the promise "I forgive you" spoken directly to you-the real bodily Guardian made a part of you now and always.

Tonight you sing, you chant, you join your voices with the Archangels and you sing the Virgin's song of deliverance-her deliverance and yours by the Deliverer Himself. Tonight you and David and Saint Joseph-Guardian of our Lord-join another humble Saint, named Patrick in the reality of his own song of salvation. The famous breastplate of Saint Patrick is your own Gospel breastplate of spiritual security and joy:

I bind unto myself today the strong name of The Trinity

By invocation of the same, The Three in One and One in Three

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

The Guardian Christ blesses you-and keeps you

The Guardian Son shines His face on you in His words-and showers you with Grace in His cleansing + and feeding

The Guardian Shepherd Jesus lifts up His countenance upon you (His presence right now; He is here)-and gives you Peace

St patricks breastplate