These last two years have been filled with many trials and with suffering in various ways. In the wake of the struggles of 2020, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, set the tone for 2021 in declaring it the year of St. Joseph. This year of St. Joseph comes 150 years after Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, which is a beautiful image of entrusting ourselves and the Church to the fatherly care of St. Joseph. I have been reflecting on this fatherly image of St. Joseph recently, especially in preparing to begin this new school year.
St. Joseph is the patron saint of many different people and things, including some of those who have been the most effected throughout the challenges and sufferings of the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the more common patronages of St. Joseph is his patronage of workers. Over the course of the pandemic, unemployment numbers reached a high that had not been seen since the great depression, leaving so many people without any income and in very challenging and worrisome situations. During this year of St. Joseph, we turn to him, the patron of workers, praying through his intercession that all those workers affected by the ongoing pandemic are protected and given the opportunities to earn a living through their work and to provide for themselves and for their families.
One of the things that bothered me the most throughout the pandemic was that so many people have suffered and died alone. St. Joseph again shines a light on this darkness, as he is too the patron of happy and holy deaths, as he died peacefully in the presence of Jesus and Mary. Perhaps the example of St. Joseph’s death and his intercession and protection can bring comfort to those who are suffering and facing death and those who have lost loved ones during the pandemic. Those who are alone in their suffering and dying can find comfort in seeking the intercession of St. Joseph and through recognizing the presence of Jesus and Mary at their side, just as they were at the side of St. Joseph at his death. Those who have lost loves ones can find consolation in the death of St. Joseph, knowing that their loved ones did not die alone, but died as Joseph did, surrounded by Jesus and Mary. St. Joseph provides an example for all of us as we continue through the rough waters of the pandemic, regardless of what our situation is. The visit of the angel to Joseph in the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel has spoken to me in different ways, moving me to focus on this year of St. Joseph. St. Joseph has a sense of fear when he finds out that Mary has conceived a child through the Holy Spirit, fear that Mary would be exposed to shame and possibly even death. So, Joseph’s fear is actually charitable concern, loving concern. We are all filled with some sense of fear in the current climate of the world, but I would like to try and follow the example of St. Joseph and be concerned about the well-being of others, rather than selfishly being filled with fear and concern about my own well-being. Further, I hope to overcome all of the fears which we face, just as St. Joseph did: in obedience to and trust in the will of God. Fear is a very clearly a tool of Satan, so we turn to the intercession of the “Terror of Demons,” St. Joseph, as we combat the power of evil working through the various forms of fear which are ruling our world. So, as we continue in this year of St. Joseph, maybe we can put our fears aside and place our trust in the Lord and work to follow His will as St. Joseph did as he prepared to become the foster father of Jesus, the protector of the Holy Family.
Nickolas Naticchione
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