We are now more than halfway through the Year of St. Joseph (December 2020–December 2021) proclaimed by Pope Francis in his apostolic letter Patris Corde [With a Father’s Heart] which commemorates the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as patron of the universal Church.
In Hebrew, the name Joseph means “he will multiply” or “he will make grow.” As the husband of Mary and father of Jesus, St. Joseph’s fatherhood was not expressed in the physical fatherhood of children; it was a form of spiritual paternity that is the need of our world today.
Fathers of today should learn from St. Joseph and take him as their special patron saint. He reminds us that true fatherhood is not simply the result of the physical relationship between a man and a woman. True fatherhood is a choice and a commitment that goes far beyond the conception of children. It is a calling that requires humility, courage and no small amount of perseverance. The fatherly attributes of tenderness, creativity, hard work, acceptance and obedience are what characterises the person of St. Joseph whom we know from the gospel.
Fathers should not be controlling or possessive. They should encourage their children to exercise responsible freedom and then be willing to stand back and allow them to learn from their experiences, including their mistakes and failures. Pope Francis wrote in Patris Corde: “A possessive love ultimately becomes dangerous: it imprisons, constricts and makes for misery. God himself loved humanity with a chaste love; he left us free even to go astray and set ourselves against him. The logic of love is always the logic of freedom, and Joseph knew how to love with extraordinary freedom. He never made himself the centre of things. He did not think of himself but focused instead on the lives of Mary and Jesus” (#7).
In God’s plan of salvation, St. Joseph was a loving husband who was kind, considerate, affectionate, and self-sacrificing. St. Joseph had an awesome responsibility with the Blessed Virgin. Joseph and Mary worked as a team. TEAM spells “Together Everyone Achieves More.” Develop teamwork with your wife.
There is a beautiful story of Belgian horses. These huge Belgian horses could pull 8,000 pounds of weight individually. But when they are harnessed together, two horses working together can pull 32,000lbs [around 14,500kg] of weight. Isn’t that amazing? It almost defies every law of mathematics. So when you are joined with your spouse in an effort to move your family towards God, you will accomplish much more than if you were to do it individually.
Ask yourself this question, “Am I a helper to my spouse?”
St. Joseph calls on every dad of the family and reminds him: “Your vocation is to get your spouse and your children to Heaven.” This is your ultimate vocation in life.
May St. Joseph intercede for all fathers that they embrace their vocations and look to St. Joseph as a model for all parents and guardians of children, youth and young adults.
