March 15, 2022
The great feast of St. Joseph
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On Saturday, March 19, we will once again have the opportunity to celebrate the feast of the good and great St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church. It is an opportunity to remember how this humble servant of God was tested many times in the crucible of trial, as gold is refined in the fire, in order to bear much spiritual fruit for the good of the Church and for the greater glory of God.
Following the example of Saint Joseph, we too are often and mysteriously visited by suffering or misfortune throughout our lives. These trials almost always seem incomprehensible and useless to us, and some people go so far as to question or even reproach God for sending them. But for the man or woman who welcomes them with faith, God does not distance himself from us in these difficult moments. On the contrary, he becomes even closer and accompanies us with even more affection and compassion, just as he accompanied his only Son during his life, and more particularly during his passion and crucifixion, which brought him to the brink of death. But then, three days later, the resurrection of his Son was to indicate to all future generations that moral and physical suffering and death would not have the last word on these inevitable realities. In this regard, St. Paul gives us a very important teaching in his letter to the Romans: “For I believe that there is no comparison between the sufferings of this present time and the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18).
In remembering the great St. Joseph, let us learn to accept the trials and challenges that are beyond our understanding and that trouble us so deeply. Like him, let us accept and abandon ourselves to the mysterious will and providence of God. In this way, we will discover, in an unusual manner, how to make sense of those small and great misfortunes that so often occur unexpectedly. Let us pray to St. Joseph and ask him for the grace to imitate him and to persevere to the end of our spiritual journey. And who knows if this filial affection and unshakeable trust that we will show him throughout our lives, could incite him to approach us at the moment of death, in order to open the gates of heaven for us and invite us to enter into that beatific joy that God has prepared for all his chosen!
Happy feast of Saint Joseph, dear friends and supporters!
Your brother in Jesus the Redeemer,
+ Guy Desrochers, C.Ss.R.
Bishop of Pembroke