ST. JOSEPH, FATHER OF HOPE - 03/19/22 (Solemnity of St. Joseph)

Matthew 1:20-21,24

20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins." 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife,

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Blessed Solemnity of St. Joseph! There are many reasons why we should seek the powerful intercession of St. Joseph, and one of them is for us to trust more in our God. St. Joseph is a just man who puts all of his hope in God. In our lives, there are at least three ways where St. Joseph will help us to increase our hope in our Merciful Lord if we ask help from him. 

First, St. Joseph will help us to hope against hope. What does this mean? When we encounter some problems that seem humanly impossible to solve or too difficult to face, we may fall to despair and discouragement. These are some instances when we can say that it's easy to give up because our situations seem hopeless. Even St. Joseph was given difficult tasks by God. When an angel appeared to St. Joseph, he could simply dismiss the revelation because it seemed impossible for a virgin to bear a child. What seemed more humanly impossible was the fact that God became man. When Herod was looking for the Messiah to kill Him, it would be difficult for St. Joseph, who was a carpenter, to protect the Holy Family. And yet, in all of these, he trusted in the plan and purpose of God. As proof of his unshakeable trust, St. Joseph immediately did what the angels told him after waking up without any signs of doubt. When we always pray to St. Joseph, we will receive the grace to face our challenges and trust in God's plan for us. 

Second, St. Joseph will help us in our hope of becoming more faithful Catholic. The mission why Jesus became Man is for our salvation. At the same time, He had a mission of establishing the Kingdom of God here on earth through the Catholic Church. But, before Jesus Christ even preached the gospel, God chose St. Joseph to protect and take care of Him. Jesus Christ, in His humanity, was growing in wisdom under the guidance of His earthly father. The Catholic Church would not be present today without the role of St. Joseph in the life of Christ. In heaven, St. Joseph is more powerful. Just as how he protected Jesus from Herod and from the dangers in Egypt, he will also protect us in our spiritual journey as Catholics. At the same time, we can also hope that more people will find the fullness of truth in the Catholic Church if we always seek his intercession for conversion of sinners. 

Lastly, St. Joseph will help us in our hope of entering heaven. After listening to the revelations of the angel, St. Joseph took his wife, the Blessed Virgin Mary, into his home. At this time, she was already bearing our Lord in her womb. This is important to reflect upon because our true home is in heaven. In reality, we are living here on earth as if we are on our spiritual deserts. The trials that we encounter here purify us and prepare us to be with Jesus in our eternal home. By being devoted to St. Joseph, he will lead us closer to Mary and to our Lord. If we want to experience everlasting happiness with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in heaven, we need to be devoted to the Holy Family, even in the most bitter moments of our lives, here on earth. 

Let's ponder on how we can deepen our devotion to St. Joseph. Do we have a relationship with our spiritual father? Do we pray to him and ask graces from God through the intercession of St. Joseph? No matter how difficult our struggles in life are, St. Joseph is there to guide us and protect us. By the help of his prayers, we can serve the Lord and glorify Him throughout our whole lives. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic