The time has come for Saint Joseph
Today, many signs in heaven and on earth show us the special role of St. Joseph as a defender of the Church in our times - in times of confusion for the world and the Church. Just like St. Joseph helped the Holy Family overcome all difficult experiences, so now the Church needs his support in the present trial.
In the monastery of St. Joseph Carmelite Sisters in Pontoise, France, on one of the frescoes from 1617 is an inscription: "In corde Ioseph invenietis me", that is, in the heart of Joseph you will find me. So already at the beginning of the 17th century there is a supernatural intuition that the cult of the Heart of St. Joseph leads to a meeting with Jesus. Literally "to find" Jesus, especially by those who lost Him.
Over the centuries, Popes have indicated the exceptional protection of St. Joseph over the Church, especially in times of danger. To protect Jesus from Herod, an angel comes to Joseph in a dream and says the words: "Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt." We honor St. Joseph as the Patron of the Catholic Church. And here we come to the heart of the mission of St. Joseph for the contemporary Church. In the quoted Gospel passage, Joseph receives the mission of leading Jesus and Mary through the desert to Egypt, which was supposed to be a place of refuge for a while. Today, Heaven gives us signs that St. Joseph, as he once led his family, Jesus and Mary, through the desert - so today he is to lead the entire family of the Church safely through the test of faith in the contemporary desert of a secularized world.
We live in times when the world secularizes the Church faster than the Church evangelizes the world! We wish it were otherwise, but it is not! Reality cannot be enchanted: the crisis of marriage and the family involves many aspects of the Church's life: the number of divorces is increasing, the number of vocations is decreasing, the young generation is moving away from the Church, living as if God did not exist. This problem was not solved by the 2018 synod in Rome devoted to the problems of young people, just as the previous synod did not solve the problems of the family. The desert means a place without water, today the world has become empty without God! And the Church has a problem with bringing "living water" to this desert - and that is, in my opinion, the biggest problem. Joseph knew from whom to protect the Holy Family (Herod) and where to flee (Egypt). Today both are not clear. However, I trust that St. Joseph will lead us through this “desert” again, when Heaven will show the way.
The whole life of St. Joseph was a family life, a hidden life. Silent and full of action and deed. It is a unique role model and intercessor for men, fathers, as well as for entire families. Also, in this aspect we can see the October vision of Fatima: the revelation of the Holy Family. The children in their vision saw Holy Mother and St. Joseph with the Child and St Joseph "blesses the world". And a moment later, "Jesus seemed to bless the world in the same way that St. Joseph did. The words of Sr. Lucia, published by the late Cardinal Carlo Caffara: "The final battle between God and Satan will be fought for marriage and family." We are in the middle of this battle, and although it is a battle between God and Satan, it does not relieve Christian parents of their responsibility for the salvation of their children. This is due to the commitment that the spouses make during the wedding: Do you want to accept and raise children to whom God will give you in Catholic faith?".
Saint John Mary Vianney, in one of his sermons, fervently asked: "Tell me, fathers and mothers, are you so diligent in seeking the salvation of your children?” If parents do not act with evangelical prudence, the children born and nurtured by them will be "devoured" by the Internet anti-culture and liberal education. There are so many dangers that it is impossible to avoid them. We can only build a Nazareth of our own family: hearts united in God's love and mutual closeness.
The strength of St. Joseph in his earthly mission was a life of chastity. Here, too, this great saint can become a helper and intercessor for both clergy and laity. The Scriptures show us St. Joseph as a just man. It is a biblical synonym for holiness, meaning not so much a state but as a path to a clearly defined goal. Chastity as a moral virtue is only one of the components of holiness. Jesus, the Holy One of God, calls himself the way (cf. Jn 14: 6). I think that in the holiness Joseph matured with Mary. Her Immaculate Heart made His heart pure. Why? Because the hearts of Mary and Joseph are united in the search for God's will: at the conception of Jesus, overcoming the fear: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God" (cf. Lk 1,30), "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to join Mary "(cf. Mt 1:20); While fleeing across the desert to Egypt:" Arise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt "(cf. Mt 2:13); Inthe pain of their hearts when they are looking for the 12-year-old Jesus lost in Jerusalem: "Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety " (cf. Lk 2:48), and in the joy of finding him, when “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart "(cf. Lk 2:51). Mary and Joseph discover and fulfill God's will together, and that is why they are always together with Jesus. God's will is God's love, which leads us through human ways to achieve God's purposes. It is the cleansing of the heart. Love based on the truth will purify the hearts of men and women who are looking for true love. This applies to priests, consecrated persons and spouses alike.
We can also look at St. Joseph as the patron saint of the endangered life, the one who was not afraid to take Mary with him. Fear in the hour of trial is something natural, therefore the voice of the angel was necessary: "Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary to you". I am still shocked by the "women marches" when they cry for the right to abortion? Many of them are also mothers. Our women and mothers are calling for the right to kill their children! What if God hears this cry? Here I recall the words from the first letter of St. John: " Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deeds and truth" (cf. 1 Jn 3:18)! Our times may frighten us with the power of organization that spread evil. Meanwhile, St. Joseph and the whole life of the Holy Family show us that great things that change the fate of the world are born in simplicity, without great material means, by the power of devotion and trust. Perhaps this is an extremely refreshing trait in the life of the patron of the Church.
John Paul II in His exhortation on St. Joseph wrote that: "When difficult times came for the Church, Pius IX, wanting to entrust her to the special protection of the Holy Patriarch, proclaimed Joseph Patron of the Catholic Church." Let us remember that the central message of Fatima, is a call for prayer and penance against the dramatic moral situation of the world. However, God does not save the world using the methods of this world. God has a different plan, which is contained in the biblical message of great figures on whom the further fate of God's plans depends. Abraham, Moses, Mary, Joseph, Paul of Tarsus, - their entrustment and obedience to God brought the fulfillment of promises. In this perspective, we can see ourselves today supported by their intercession, for which - as Saint John Paul II adds - we must pray. It is constantly needed by the Church not only to defend itself against emerging threats, but also and above all to strengthen her in undertaking the task of evangelizing the world. Yes, St. Joseph was announced by St. John Paul II, the patron of the new evangelization and the Guardian of the Church. And now Holy Father Francis callsSt. Joseph a Tender Father of all Humanity.
Until Tomorrow
fr. George
Novena to St. Joseph - Day Nine - St. Joseph, Who Died So Beautifully
Dear St. Joseph,
I know I am going to die. When I do, I trust that you will be there to greet me with Jesus and Mary in a special way. Will you please promise me this? I trust you. I believe that you will be there for me. For my part, I will try not to be afraid of my death, and I will live my life in preparation for it. I will maybe even look forward to it as the time when I will get to meet you face to face. Prepare me for my death, whenever it may be. If it is sudden, please make sure that my soul is prepared and please make sure I will not be lost! Dear St. Joseph, obtain this grace for me as I consecrate myself to your fatherly care. Tomorrow, I am fully yours. Probably someday after that, I will die, and I give you permission to take me home to my Father's house when that day comes.
Saint Joseph, who died so beautifully, please prepare my soul for death.