By Sister Rita Therese, O.C.D.
December 8, 2020 marked the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pius IX’s proclamation of St. Joseph as “Patron of the Universal Church.” In his apostolic letter Patris Corde, Pope Francis dedicated the year 2021 as the “Year of St. Joseph.”
Patris Corde begins: “With a father’s heart…” which describes how Joseph loved Jesus. In God’s loving providence, we are being called by the Holy Father to ponder St. Joseph’s life more deeply so that we may come to know him better, honor him as our father, too, and turn to him as our greatest intercessor next to Mary – something we greatly need during these challenging times.
Every March we celebrate the glorious Solemnity of St. Joseph. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Joseph was a righteous man. Not one word spoken by Joseph is recorded in the Gospels, but his silence and actions speak volumes of what it means to be “righteous” in the eyes of God. Upon learning of Mary’s pregnancy and unwilling to expose her to shame, he decides to divorce her quietly, that is, until he learns in a dream that he has nothing to fear in taking Mary into his home. Upon waking, he immediately obeys. How much we can learn and strive to imitate in St. Joseph’s prompt obedience which reflects his ardent love, deep faith and humility, and total trust in God.
What strikes me the most about St. Joseph is that he lived an ordinary life just like you and me. His life teaches us his secret – to do all the ordinary things of everyday life with great love for God and those around us. Of course, there is no love without sacrifice.
That is what this Lenten season is all about, and Joseph is a perfect model for us of the importance of growing in our union with God through daily prayer, and in charity through self-denial – going out of ourselves for the sake of others. St. Joseph, please pray for the grace of our deep conversion.
Lord Jesus, we know how much you loved St. Joseph. He had You in his home, in his care. You grew up learning from St. Joseph. May we learn from him what it looks like to live life obedient to the Lord and all His promptings.
