The Church, following an ancient custom, prepares the feast of St. Joseph March 19, and dedicates to the Holy Patriarch the seven Sundays preceding that feast, with the consideration of the principal joys and sorrows of the life of St. Joseph. This last Sunday, it is suggested as devotion the meditation of 'The Child lost and found in the temple', reflected in the fifth joyful mystery of the Rosary.
Letter 'Patris corde', from Pope Francis
"When, during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, they lost Jesus, who was twelve years old, he and Mary searched for him in anguish and found him in the temple while he was arguing with the doctors of the law (cf. Lk 2:41-50)".
This is how Pope Francis sums up this pain and joy in his Apostolic Letter 'The Joy and Sorrow of the Church'.Patris corde(With a Father's Heart), dated December 8, 2020, and made public by the Holy Father "on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the declaration of the Declaration of San Jose as patron of the universal Church".
Various texts and meditations can be found around this pain and joy, among which are formulations such as thisSeventh sorrow: They sought him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him (Lk 2:44-459). Seventh joy: At the end of three days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions (Lk 2:46).
Previous Popes
"After Mary, Mother of God, no saint occupies as much space in the pontifical Magisterium as Joseph, her spouse," writes Pope Francis in his 2020 Letter.
"My predecessors have deepened the message contained in the few data transmitted by the Gospels to highlight his central role in the history of salvation: Blessed Pius IX declared him 'Patron of the Catholic Church'; Venerable Pius XII presented him as 'Patron of Workers', and St. John Paul II as 'Custodian of the Redeemer'. The people invoke him as 'Patron of the good death'",
For this reason, on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Blessed Pius IX, on December 8, 1870, declaring him 'Patron of the Catholic Church,' I would like - as Jesus says - that "the mouth may speak of that with which the heart is full" (cf. Mt 12:34), to share with you some personal reflections on this extraordinary figure, so close to our human condition".
And the Pope begins with this central consideration: "The greatness of St. Joseph consists in the fact that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. As such, he 'entered into the service of the whole economy of the incarnation', as St. John Chrysostom says".
Catechesis on St. Joseph
In the aforementioned Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis contemplates St. Joseph as a beloved father, a father in tenderness, obedience and welcome; a father of creative courage, a worker, always in the shadows.
Ramiro Pellitero commented on Omnes Pope Francis' teachings on St. Joseph in his twelve catecheses. His aim, according to Prof. Pellitero, was to present him as "support, consolation and guide", to "allow ourselves to be enlightened by his example and witness". The Roman Pontiff's catechesis on St. Joseph covered three main areas: the figure and role of the saint in the plan of salvation, his virtues and his relationship with the Church.
Some readings
On the occasion of the anniversary of Pius IX's declaration of 1870, Pope Francis established a Year of St. Joseph, especially dedicated to him, which concluded on December 8, 2021, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
The Letter 'Patris Corde' is thus the first document that can be cited when suggesting some reading on St. Joseph, next to 'Redemptoris custosby St. John Paul II. Others are 'The Shadow of the Father', by Jan Dobraczyński, 'The Silences of St. Joseph', by Henri-Michel Gasnier, etc.
St. John Chrysostom
It is not easy to resist the temptation to mention St. Chrysostom, one of the four great Fathers of the Eastern Church, when referring to St. Joseph.
In addition to being cited by recent Roman Pontiffs, including Pope Francis in 'Patris corde', other authors have also quoted him. For example, St. Josemaría, in his homily 'In Joseph's Workshop,' included in the book 'It is Christ who passes', and also Francisco Fernández Carvajal, in his meditations of '.Talking to God'.
This is one of the best known and most quoted quotations of Chrysostom: "When Joseph heard this (he refers to the words of the Angel, who orders him to flee from Herod and take refuge in Egypt), "Joseph was not shocked and did not say: this seems to be a riddle. You yourself made it known not long ago that He would save His people, and now He is not even able to save Himself, but we need to flee, to undertake a journey and suffer a long displacement: this is contrary to your promise. Joseph does not think in this way, because he is a faithful man".
