Francis Speaks about St Joseph

Feast Day: 19 March
God’s Dream

Today I would like to ask that St Joseph grant all of us the ability to dream because when we dream great things, good things, we draw near to God’s dream, what God dreams about us. That he might give to those who are young people — because he was young — the ability to dream, to take risks and to take on the difficult tasks seen in their dreams. And that he might give to all the fidelity that generally matures in upright behavior, since he was just, which grows in silence—in few words–and grows in that tenderness which is capable of safeguarding one’s own weaknesses and those of others.

Source: vaticannews.va, morning homily, Casa Santa Marta, 20 March 2017

The ‘power’ of St Joseph

I like Saint Joseph, he emanates so much ‘power’! For over 40 years I have recited a prayer that I found in an old French missal that says of Saint Joseph: “…dont la puissance sait rendre possibles les choses impossibles” [“whose power makes impossible things possible”]. The power of Saint Joseph. He never, never said ‘no’. We must take courage from this. … He lived his vocation of safeguarding Mary and Jesus with fidelity and simplicity. He was close to his bride in joyous and difficult moments, and he established with her a wonderful intimacy with Jesus, whom he kept constantly under his gaze.

Comforting good news

… Enriched by the industrious simplicity of Saint Joseph, you are called to be witnesses in the world to a distinctive message, to a comforting good news: which is that God makes use of everyone, with a preference for the least and the humanly ill-equipped, in order to sow and cultivate his Kingdom. … Thus, I encourage you to continue to live and work in the Church and in the world with the simple and essential virtues of the Bridegroom of the Virgin Mary: humility, which attracts the benevolence of the Father; intimacy with the Lord who sanctifies all Christian action; silence and hiddenness, together with zeal and hard work to further the Lord’s will.

Source: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, www.w2.vatican.va, To those taking part in the General Chapter of the Oblates of St Joseph, 31 August 2018

Great love for St Joseph

I have great love for Saint Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table I have an image of Saint Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! Yes! We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath Saint Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: pray for this problem!

Next, rising with Jesus and Mary. Those precious moments of repose, of resting with the Lord in prayer, are moments we might wish to prolong. But like Saint Joseph, once we have heard God’s voice, we must rise from our slumber; we must get up and act (cf. Romans 13:11). In our families, we have to get up and act! Faith does not remove us from the world, but draws us more deeply into it.

The gift of the family

Just as the gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph, so the gift of the family and its place in God’s plan is entrusted to us. -- like Saint Joseph. The gift of the Holy Family was entrusted to Saint Joseph so that he could care for it. Each of you, each of us – for I too am part of a family – is charged with caring for God’s plan. The angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the dangers which threatened Jesus and Mary, forcing them to flee to Egypt and then to settle in Nazareth. So too, in our time, God calls upon us to recognise the dangers threatening our own families and to protect them from harm.   

Source: vaticannews.va, Discourse to families in Manila, 16 January 2015