Pope Francis gave the Church a Christmas present this year in a very special way. As he marked the 5th anniversary of his Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris Laetitia: The Joy of Love” he declared the next year to be devoted to the family…this on top of his earlier gift of the year devoted to St. Joseph.
In Pope Francis’ own words, “As of now, I invite everyone to take part in the initiatives that will be promoted during the Year and that will be coordinated by the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life. Let us entrust this journey, with families all over the world, to the Holy Family of Nazareth, in particular to St. Joseph, the devoted spouse and father.” (taken from the CNA article dated 12/27)
Pope Francis reminds us of how St. Joseph within the blessing of the Holy Family offers us a vision of a man of faith and the call to journey together united in the obedience of love. The Year “Amoris Laetitia Family”, which will begin on March 19th, the Solemnity of St. Joseph Husband of Mary, is a year dedicated to remind us of the need and foundational blessing the family is to society as God has called us to be in unity with Him as the family of the Church.
I’m a big fan of both families and St. Jospeh. I fell in love with St. Joseph fairly early in my life. We of course celebrate the March 19 Solemnity with great joy but my birthday, May 1, is the smaller feast of St. Joseph the Worker and the more I read about him I also discovered the other names and patronages he has, such as of a “Happy Death” and then there are other titles like “Terror of Demons”.
Pope Francis points out in the below quote the reality of the battle of good and evil and how the evil one seeks to exploit our weaknesses and drive us away from God. “The evil one makes us see and condemn our frailty, whereas the Spirit brings it to light with tender love. Tenderness is the best way to touch the frailty within us. Pointing fingers and judging others are frequently signs of an inability to accept our own weaknesses, our own frailty. Only tender love will save us from the snares of the accuser (cf. Rev 12:10). That is why it is so important to encounter God’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we experience his truth and tenderness. Paradoxically, the evil one can also speak the truth to us, yet he does so only to condemn us. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us. That truth always presents itself to us like the merciful father in Jesus’ parable (cf. Lk 15:11-32). It comes out to meet us, restores our dignity, sets us back on our feet and rejoices for us, for, as the father says: “This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (v. 24).” (#2 Patris Corde)
One of the unique ways we see Joseph is in his silence. We never hear or read a word spoken by him in the Gospels, he simply listens and then leads by following the will of God in his life and the life of the Holy Family. This is not a passivity but rather the courageous desire of doing God’s will. In the face of evil, Joseph stands as the silent sentinel protecting and guarding our Blessed Mother and the child Jesus. His holiness, his virtue and his courage enable him to tune out the cacophony of lies, hatred and slander thrown at him by the evil one and to be able to simply hear the love and joy of God’s tender whisper drawing him closer and closer in love.
I can only imagine the fury of the devil at this quiet and peaceful rebuke with the confidence of God’s abiding presence with him. I believe this is one of the great lessons I continue to learn from St. Joseph…words are important but living the virtue of holiness shows greater strength and trust in God’s will and plan for our lives against the snares and temptations of sin. It is in tenderness, the care for the frailty of the other, where we live the true gift of our Christian vocation in the call to holiness. We embrace the cry of the poor, the wounds of the afflicted and the pain of the brokenhearted no matter the origin or those who are carrying this cross. It is in the silent witness to faith where we discover the vocation of service and care for the other.
During this year of St. Joseph and the overlapping Year “Amoris Laetitia Family” we are all called to witness and join in the virtue St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Protector of the Catholic Church, Patron of a Happy Death, Patron of Workers, Terror of Demons and the many other titles he holds, shares with us daily and through his prayers and intercessions we may grow in the sacred virtues.
St. Joseph…pray for us.
God Bless
Fr. Mark
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.
Text to Patris Corde