St. Joseph, my friend

This coming Friday, March 19th, we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I feel compelled to share how St. Joseph has blessed my family with his friendship.

Many in the parish know that our family has suffered multiple miscarriages. Many also know that we are now blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Emmanuela Josefina, praise God! It is no coincidence that we named her after St. Joseph.

The Silent One. There are no recorded words of St. Joseph in the bible, hence this title. Years ago, I read a book called "The School of Nazareth: A Spiritual Journey with St. Joseph", which highlighted how St. Joseph, in this silence, recognized God's voice and allowed God to speak to him. Our last miscarriage was particularly painful as my wife had to deliver our baby Olivia, and the delivery room was completely silent; opposite of what -weeks earlier- we thought we would experience (loud baby cries). And yet, St. Joseph prepared me to know that in the midst of this heartbreaking silence, there was God.

The Faithful one. On the day of Olivia's internment (2 days before the Feast of St. Joseph the worker - May 1st), as we were heading out to Mt. Olivet Cemetery, I received an email from a priest friend with beautiful words of consolation from Our Lord, and this reassurance: "There is always hope in Him! Pray to St. Joseph for thirty days without stopping as a couple for another child. I know that St. Joseph is always faithful". I read the email out loud as soon as we arrived at the cemetery, and after raising my head from my phone, through the tears the first thing I saw was a beautiful white statue of St. Joseph, right there in the parking lot!

A month later the miracles started pouring: Spiritual and physical healing! A year later we conceived a baby girl, and after a tough -but blessed- 9 months, she announced her arrival with a very loud cry! It just so happens that her birthday, January 19th, is being considered by the Church as a new feast day for the "Holy Spouses, Mary and Joseph!"

Today I give praise to God for His goodness and mercy, especially for sharing his father on earth with us. I thank St. Joseph for his true friendship, and I am sure he has plenty more to teach me in the ways of fatherhood, humility and obedience! In this special year devoted to him, I invite everyone, especially fathers, to consecrate themselves to his powerful protection and ask for his intercession. He is faithful!

St. Joseph, pray for us!