Issue link: http://archden.uberflip.com/i/1366114
In the aforementioned letter, Pope Francis reminds us that "our lives are woven together and sustained by ordinary people, people often overlooked. People who do not appear in news- paper and magazine headlines, or on the latest television show, yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history." Thus "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 shad- ows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation." Joseph lived the mystery of his wife Mary and the mystery of his son Jesus without seeing wonders or witnessing miracles, praises and crowds. He lived in the presence of God, incar- nate in his son, fulfilling his duties as a husband and father. This was his indispensable service to the work of salvation. St. Paul VI says that Joseph "made a total gift of himself, his life and his work, by making his human vocation of domestic love a total sacrifice of self, a sacrifice of his heart and of his full capability to love at the service the Messiah born under his care" (Homily, March 19, 1966). His vocation was "domestic love," that is, the vocation of loving the child who played and grew under his pater- nal gaze with his whole self. Referring to the book The Shadow of the Father by Jan Dobraczyński, Pope Francis says that the author "uses the evocative image of a shadow to define Joseph. In his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father: he watched over him and protected him, never leaving him to go his own way." A shadow is not something that usually catches our attention – it's simply something we enjoy. Rarely do we lift up our eyes to see where a pleasant shadow is coming from. But when a child lifts up his eyes, he notices that the shadow comes from his father. Many of us love St. Joseph very much and have great devotion to him. Perhaps what the Gospel refers to when it describes Joseph as a just man (Mt 1:19) is precisely his humility, which defines him as a good man, an excellent husband and a wonderful father. St. Joseph is our brother, who, in the ordinary and everyday life, shows us the purity, beauty and holiness of fatherhood and married life in God's plan. E N C O U N T E R T H E R I S E N J E S U S Archbishop Aquila is inviting you to pray with seven foundational Scripture passages. Each focuses on an encounter moment with Jesus Christ and captures key themes regarding our calling to build a culture of apostolic mission in our diocese. Will you join us? archden.org/easter2021 E N C O U N T E R T H E R I S E N J E S U S Archbishop Aquila is inviting you to pray with seven foundational Scripture passages. Each focuses on an encounter moment with Jesus Christ and captures key themes regarding our calling to build a culture of apostolic mission in our diocese. Will you join us? archden.org/easter2021