The Year of St Joseph
Pope Francis has dedicated this year to St. Joseph, under the title “Patris Corde”: With a Father’s Heart. He concluded this letter stating that its aim was to:
- Increase: Increase our love for this great saint
- Implore: To encourage us to implore his intercession
- Imitate: To imitate his virtues and his zeal
This is a particularly poignant theme as we know that Joseph was Jesus’ step-father; not his actual father – but he was a father to him nonetheless. This reminds us that all family life (in whatever form that takes) is sacred. Due to this reason, amongst many others, Joseph is the patron saint of families. He knows the joys, and the struggles, of what it means to be a family.