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February 16, 2021St. Joseph “is the one I go to whenever I am ‘in a fix,’” revealed Pope Francis in talking to people at a homeless shelter when he visited Washington, D.C. in 2015. These remarks did not receive the same attention as others on his Apostolic Journey, but they communicated a very powerful message, especially for the time in which we live.
Pope Francis reflected on the serious predicaments St. Joseph endured: the scandal of his betrothed found to be with Child before marriage; their homelessness when it was time for Mary to give birth to Jesus; and when the Child was threatened, emigrating to Egypt which forced them to become refugees. He was the father of a family that suffered rejection, homelessness, and the indignity of fleeing to a foreign country - a far cry from people’s expectations for the Messiah. The long-awaited Messiah was envisioned to be like King David, one who would reunite the two kingdoms of Israel, creating a powerful nation liberated from the oppressive Roman Empire.
In spiritual teaching, a carpenter is one who puts together pieces of life to fashion a home, building a response of love in a broken world. This exemplifies the deep faith of St. Joseph, bringing a message of love to a darkened world. St. Joseph was able to discern God’s will for the Holy Family in very difficult situations, even through dreams.
In this way he shows us that God’s love and forgiveness are present in all people and in all situations. By declaring the Year of St. Joseph, Pope Francis gives us a wonderful guide to help us through the COVID-19 pandemic. Let us entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, asking him to guide us, our families and our parish through this challenging time, as he guided the Holy Family through difficult times. As Pope Francis underscored, “Faith gave Joseph the power to find light just at the moment when everything seemed dark.”
Fr. John Trout
