His Holiness – Pope Francis on St. Joseph

Posted in: St. Joseph

St. Joseph is the reflection of God the Father, Guardian of God the Son, Friend of God the Holy Spirit, and Spouse of the Immaculate Handmaiden. In his youth, he prayed for the coming of the promised Messiah. In his adult life, not only were his prayers answered, but he loved and upheld the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And now, in the Court of Heaven, St. Joseph intercedes for the Church before the throne of Christ. Although he has the status of protodulia (venerated above all saints, excepting the Virgin Mary), St. Joseph is easily written off by people with the same excuse “we know very little about him, the Bible does not record a single spoken word by him”, when in truth we do know a lot about him – we just need to search for him.

HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS Angelus 22 December 2013 Joseph was a man who always listened to the voice of God, he was deeply sensitive to His secret will, he was a man attentive to the messages that came to him from the depths of his heart and from on High. He did not persist in following his own plan for his life, he did not allow bitterness to poison his soul; rather, he was ready to make himself available to God’s plan. And thus, he was a good man. He did not hate. Yet how many times does hatred, or even dislike and bitterness poison our souls? This is harmful, never allow it: he is an example of this. Joseph thereby became even freer and greater. By accepting himself according to God’s design, Joseph fully finds himself, beyond himself. His freedom to renounce even what is his, the possession of his very life, and his full interior availability to the will of God challenges us and shows us the way (Francis, 2013).