During his General Audience, Pope Francis referred to the figure of St. Joseph as a model of fatherly love, which he says 'renews and redeems broken relationships.'
The love of God the Father, says the Pope, 'helps us to see the truth about ourselves, in order to make us grow to spiritual maturity in Christ.' He then underscored the value of regularly receiving the sacraments, in particular Reconciliation.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our continuing catechesis on the figure of Saint Joseph, we now consider his example of fatherly love and its importance in the life of Jesus. In the Gospels, significantly, Jesus always appeals to the image of an earthly father when speaking of his heavenly Father and his love. We see this especially in the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:11-32), which speaks not only of sin and forgiveness, but also of the love that renews and redeems broken relationships. Like the prodigal son, we too are invited to acknowledge our sins and failings, but also to let ourselves be changed by the loving embrace of the Lord. God’s tender love is also seen in the trust he places in us to carry out his will by the power of his grace, which works even through our human weaknesses. As a loving Father, God helps us to see the truth about ourselves, in order to make us grow to spiritual maturity in Christ. That is why it is so important to encounter his merciful love in the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of Reconciliation. Through Saint Joseph’s intercession, may we learn to follow Christ and to be witnesses to the transforming power of his divine love.
