This morning at Saint Peter’s basilica in Rome, Pope Francis
celebrated a special Mass for the inauguration of his Papal Ministry. In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the
very special mission God entrusted to Saint Joseph: that of protector—protector
of the Holy Family and protector of the Church.
How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? In the words
of Pope Francis, “As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and
bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours
when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the
frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life
of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.”
And just as he watched over and guarded the Holy Family, he
watches over and guards the Church through his prayerful intercession—he is at
OUR side in good dimes and bad, journey with us through our anxieties and joys,
through all the dramas and labors. We do
well to befriend Saint Joseph, and invoke him often.
Saint Joseph’s role as guardian and protector teaches us
something about the core of the
Christian vocation: to protect Christ in our life. Each of us has a responsibility to protect
the divine treasure that God has given us—the gift of grace in our souls must
be safeguarded against the evils of sin.
In eternity I think we will find out just how Saint Joseph was in our
earthly life in our turning away from the allurements of the world.
I also came across
some wonderful words by Blessed Pope John Paul II concerning today’s
feast. “Saint Joseph is great in the
spirit. He is great in faith, not
because he uttered any words of his own but above all because he heard the
words of the living God. He listened…and…he
became…a witness.”
You won’t find a single word in the Gospels uttered by Saint
Joseph. But actions speak louder than
words. And his greatness, his sanctity,
consisted of listening…obedience…to the will of God. As we heard in the Gospel, out of obedience
the pregnant Virgin Mary into his home and named her Son, Jesus.
Gathered with us today are all those who have taken part in
our parish’s bereavement group. How
fitting, that we gather on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, who is also known as
the patron of a peaceful death.
What does it mean to die a peaceful death? I think those two traits of Joseph teach us
the essence of a peaceful death.: to have guarded the divine life of God
within, and to be listening and obedient to the words of the living God. The essence of a peace death is to die in a
state of grace knowing God’s closeness—hearing his words of comfort and promise
of eternal life, hearing the words of Jesus saying “do not be afraid, but enter
in to the joy of your Father’s kingdom,” that is the essence of a truly
peaceful death.
No doubt, many who are gathered here have followed the
example of Joseph, helping a loved one die in the peace of Christ: by praying
with them, encouraging them to fear not, calling for a priest to administer the
last rites of the Church.
But it is important to recall God’s comfort extends to those
who grieve as well: and the essence of peaceful grieving? Again to be in a
state of grace, and to listen to the comforting promises of God.
May Saint Joseph come to our aid and come to the aid of all
those who will die today, and assist us in guarding our souls unto heaven for
the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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