What Does St. Joseph Mean to You?
What Does St. Joseph Mean to You?
Celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph
March 19 marks the Solemnity of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated around the world, this feast day has special meaning for members of the LMU community as the patronal feast of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. This year, amid pandemic, upheaval, and injustice, St. Joseph has much to offer us as an example of humble service and strength. What does he say to you in this moment? Below, hear from members of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and the LMU community as they reflect on St. Joseph's meaning for them during this year.
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With a Father's Heart: The Year of St. Joseph
With his apostolic letter "Patris Corde" ("With a Father's Heart"), Pope Francis has also declared this liturgical year the "Year of St. Joseph." He calls our attention to the many ways that St. Joseph is a model of holiness for our day and a father with many attributes: beloved, loving, accepting, creatively courageous, working, and largely unseen. Drawing a parallel between St. Joseph's quiet faithfulness and the ordinary people of our own day, Pope Francis writes:
People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines, or on the latest television show, yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history. Doctors, nurses, storekeepers and supermarket workers, cleaning personnel, caregivers, transport workers, men and women working to provide essential services and public safety, volunteers, priests, men and women religious, and so very many others. They understood that no one is saved alone… How many people daily exercise patience and offer hope, taking care to spread not panic, but shared responsibility. How many fathers, mothers, grandparents and teachers are showing our children, in small everyday ways, how to accept and deal with a crisis by adjusting their routines, looking ahead and encouraging the practice of prayer. How many are praying, making sacrifices and interceding for the good of all. Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.
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St. Joseph's Day 2021
A video message for this year's feast day from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange
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