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Saint Joseph and the Child in a painting by Guido Reni (detail) – Archive
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the The decision as, with which Blessed Pius IX declared Saint Joseph Patron of the Catholic Church. “To perpetuate the entrustment of the whole Church to the powerful patronage of the Custodian of Jesus, Pope Francis – reads the Vatican decree – has established that, as of today, the anniversary of the proclamation decree as well as a sacred day for the Blessed Immaculate Virgin and Wife of Chaste Joseph, a special Year of Saint Joseph is celebrated until December 8, 2021. “
For this occasion it is granted plenary indulgence to the faithful who recite any lawfully approved prayer or act of piety in honor of Saint Joseph, especially in the recurrences of March 19 and May 1, on the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on Saint Joseph Sunday (according to Byzantine tradition), on the 19th of each month and every Wednesday, day dedicated to memory. of the Saint according to the Latin tradition.
THE APOSTOLIC LETTER
In the background of the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde – With the heart of a father “There is the Covid19 pandemic that – Francis writes – has made us understand the importance of ordinary people, of those who, far from the center of attention, exercise patience every day and instill hope, sowing co-responsibility. Like Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, the man of daily presence, discreet and hidden”. However, his is “an unrivaled role in the history of salvation.”
Saint Joseph concretely expressed his paternity “by having made his life an oblation of himself in love placed at the service of the Messiah”. And because of his role as “hinge that unites the Old and New Testaments”, “he has always been very dear to the Christian people.” In it, “Jesus saw the tenderness of God”, that which “makes us welcome our weakness”, because “it is through and despite our weakness” that most of the divine plans are carried out.
“Only tenderness will save us from the work” of the Evil One, the Pontiff emphasizes, and it is by finding God’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that we can have “an experience of truth and tenderness”, because “God does not It condemns us, if not it welcomes us, embraces us, supports us and forgives us. ” Joseph is also a father in obedience to God: with his ‘fiat’ he saves Mary and Jesus and teaches his Son to “do the will of the Father”. Called by God to serve the mission of Jesus, “he collaborates in the great mystery of Redemption and is truly a minister of salvation.”
The Pope’s letter then underlines the “creative courage” of Saint Joseph, which arises above all in difficulties and which gives rise to unexpected resources in man. “The carpenter of Nazareth – explains the Pontiff – can transform a problem into an opportunity, always placing trust in Providence first”.
He deals with “the concrete problems” of his family, exactly as do all other families in the world, especially those of migrants. In this sense, San José is “truly a special patron” of those who, “forced by misfortune and hunger”, have to leave their homeland because of “wars, hatred, persecution, misery.” Guardian of Jesus and Mary, José “cannot but be guardian of the Church”, of her motherhood and of the Body of Christ: all needy, poor, suffering, dying, stranger, prisoner, sick, is the “Child” that Joseph keeps and from him we must learn to “love the Church and the poor.”
“The world needs parents, rejects masters, that is, rejects those who want to use the possession of the other to fill their own void; rejects those who confuse authority with authoritarianism, service with servility, confrontation with oppression, charity with well-being, strength with destruction. ” In the Apostolic Letter, Pope Francis emphasizes that “every true vocation is born from the gift of self, which is the maturation of the simple sacrifice. This type of maturity is also necessary in the priesthood and consecrated life.”
“Fatherhood that renounces the temptation to live the life of its children – the Pontiff emphasizes – always opens spaces for the new. Every child always carries with him a mystery, an unknown that can only be revealed with the help of a father who respects his freedom. A father conscious of completing his educational action and fully living fatherhood only when he has become ‘useless’, when he sees that his son becomes autonomous and walks alone on the paths of life “.
Pope Francis highlights the nature of the saint of Saint Joseph next door, or rather from everyday life. A note that also links to the Covid emergency, recalling that he is an “extraordinary figure, so close to the human condition of each one of us. This desire has grown during these months of pandemic, in which we can live, in the midst of the crisis”. which calls our attention, that “our lives are woven and sustained by common people – usually forgotten – who do not appear in the headlines and magazines or on the great catwalks of the last parade but, without a doubt, they are writing the decisive facts of today.of our history: doctors, nurses and nurses, supermarket workers, cleaners, caretakers, transporters, law enforcement officers, volunteers, priests, religious and many, many others who have understood that no one can save himself day by day. patience and instills hope, taking care not to sow panic but co-responsibility. How many fathers, mothers, grandparents and grandmothers, teachers show our children, with small and everyday gestures, how to face and go through a crisis readjusting habits, looking up and stimulating prayer. How many people pray, offer and intercede for the good of all. ”Everyone can find in Saint Joseph, the man who goes unnoticed, the man of daily presence, discreet and hidden, an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of difficulty. Saint Joseph reminds us that all those who are apparently hidden or in the “second line” have a unique role in the history of salvation. A recognition and thanks to all of them ”.
Francis defines Saint Joseph as a “beloved father” (due to the great popular vote towards him), a father in tenderness “(capable of leaving room for God also through his own fears and weaknesses) and a” father in obedience “( because he hears the voice of God manifested in a dream through the angel).
Saint Joseph and the Work
The Pope dedicates an entire paragraph to the subject. “Work becomes participation in the very work of salvation, an opportunity to accelerate the coming of the Kingdom, to develop potentialities and qualities, putting them at the service of society and communion; work becomes an opportunity to fulfillment not only for oneself, but especially for that original nucleus of society that is the family.A family where there is no work is more exposed to difficulties, tensions, fractures and even to the desperate and desperate temptation of dissolution. How could we speak of human dignity without committing ourselves so that each and everyone has the possibility of a decent livelihood? The person who works, whatever his task, collaborates with God himself, becomes something creator of the world around us. The crisis of our time, which is an economic, social, cultural and spiritual crisis, can represent for all a call to rediscover the value, importance and necessity d of work to give rise to a new “normality”, in which no one is excluded. The work of Saint Joseph reminds us that God himself made man did not disdain to work. The loss of work that affects so many brothers and sisters, and which has increased in recent times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, should be a call to review our priorities. We pray to Saint Joseph the worker so that we find ways that commit us to say: neither young people, nor people, nor families without work! ”.
ALL THE CONDITIONS TO FULFILL THE PLENARY INDULGENCE
The plenary indulgence is granted “under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father) to the faithful who, with their soul detached from any sin, will participate in the Year of Saint Joseph.”
“The plenary indulgence is granted – the decree reads – to those who meditate on the Lord’s Prayer for at least 30 minutes, or participate in a spiritual retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on Saint Joseph”;
“Those who, following the example of Saint Joseph, carry out a corporal or spiritual work of mercy, may also obtain the gift of plenary indulgence”; “Plenary indulgence is granted for the recitation of the Holy Rosary in families and among the bride and groom” may achieve plenary indulgence “who entrusts their activity daily to the protection of Saint Joseph and any faithful who invoke the intercession of the artisan with Nazareth prayers, so that those who seek work find employment and the work of all is more dignified “the plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite the Litany to Saint Joseph (for the Latin tradition), or Akathistos to Saint Joseph, in its entirety or at least in part (for the Byzantine tradition), or some other prayer to Saint Joseph, typical of other liturgical traditions, in favor of the Church persecuted ad intra and ad extra and for the relief of all Christians who suffer from any form of persecution ” plenary indulgence is granted “to the faithful who recite any prayer or act of piety legitimately approved in honor of Saint Joseph ppe, for example ‘To you, oh Blessed Joseph’, especially in the celebrations ions of March 19 and May 1, on the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on Saint Joseph Sunday (according to Byzantine tradition), on the 19th of each month and every Wednesday, dedicated day to the memory of the Saint according to the Latin tradition “;
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