St.Joseph, Monday – 20th March 2023– Gospel: Mt 1,16.18-21.24
Chasing Dreams in Faith
Devotion to St.Joseph became popular from the 12th century onward and in the 15th century the feast was fixed to celebrate on 19th March every year. Special devotion spread for Joseph, as foster father of Jesus and husband of Mary in the 19th century. An emphasis was given by Pope Francis dedicating a “year of Saint Joseph” from 8th December 2020 to 8th December 2021 to mark the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church by Pius IX.
St.Joseph is a responsible father who takes directions from his dreams. The Gospel of Matthew describes four dreams, in which Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is visited by an angel of the Lord and receives specific instructions and warnings of impending danger. Each of these dreams were different and difficult calls from God. After each dream, Joseph had to change his plans and take a risk, sacrificing his own plans. With a prophetic gaze, Joseph knows how to look beyond what he sees and recognize the mysterious designs of God. By guarding the fragility of the child Jesus and His mother, Joseph became an instrument for the realization of God’s plan, in his silent, generous and tireless hiddenness. His steadfast belief in his dreams and his courage to act on those dreams, or chase them dreams, made all the difference, in which not only the Son of God was led to safety, but salvation was offered for the whole world.
