The Mother Church acknowledges St Joseph as her Patron Saint and the Custodian of Christianity. St Joseph is the One called at that time by God the Father Almighty to guide and safeguard the Holy Family, the budding Christianity, and now called again to guard the triumphant Christianity, which manifests itself in the Little Cradle of Baby Jesus. By his fatherhood, St Joseph guides every Christian Family that acknowledges the presence of the Child Jesus descended to this Land of Love, where the Son of the living God, He who is the Way, the Truth and Life (Jn 14:6), guides the hearts of His sons along the right Path, leading everyone towards “the” ultimate destination, that eternal goal so awaited by the sons of God (Phil 3:13-14), the final Fulfilment of the Plan of Salvation of God the Father for the whole humanity (Gen 2:8).
In the arms of this great Saint – who is “Father” (Mt 1:12) -, Jesus became a Man (Lk 2:52), experiencing in St Joseph, the warmth of a father, the strength of a father and the wisdom of a father, that is what this humanity lacks today. Why? Because this humanity has strayed from the Way, has sold off his fatherhood and has forsaken the sonship in Him who saves (1Jn 3:1), thus losing its spirit essence. And humanity, although seeing the precipice before them, instead of repenting and returning to the right Path, prefers to plunge into the abyss, an abyss of no return.
In St Joseph, humanity should recognise his strength of heart and of faithfulness; the example of wisdom and obedience (Mt 2:13, 19-23); the example of gratitude towards the Father and furthermore, in his humbleness, they should recognise his greatness (Revelation of Jesus to Maria Giuseppina Norcia, “St Joseph“, March 19, 1998).
The world is collapsing because it has forsaken these virtues and this example of holiness. And this is what humanity has become today: pure humanism, a spiritual desert. Humanity no longer considers God to be omnipotent, but rather thinks man to be omniscient (Job 21:14-15). This is the abyss that humanity is hurtling towards: a darkness that will lead to its ultimate demise.
On one side, there are the shadows of the world (John 1:5), while on the other, there is the Light (John 1:9) and its sons who, having understood, loved and recognised the Light (John 1:12), clothe themselves with that Light (Is 60:1) so as to be flaming torches of the only Light that gives Life: Christ (2Cor 4:6).
Behold “the” Sun is born and shall never set again (Is 60:19-20). And behold, its rays enlighten the Way for those yearning to meet the Truth (Jn 16:13), to take hold of their lives again and to join Him who is Life (Jn 17:3), so to live eternally the true Countenance of God (Ps 41:3; 79:4).
