During his General Audience, Pope Francis referred to Joseph's reactions to his dreams throughout Scripture as symbolic of his “ready response to the Lord.”
Joseph's example of interior openness to the Lord's voice, says the Pope, “can help us to find wisdom in responding to the uncertainties in our lives, courage in facing threatening situations, and confidence in entrusting even our fears to God’s providential care.”
The Pope also asked for prayers for peace in Ukraine to close his remarks.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
In our continuing catechesis on Saint Joseph, we now consider the four dreams by which God spoke to Joseph and revealed his will to him. Joseph’s ready response to the Lord can serve as a model for our own efforts to hear God’s voice in our daily lives.
In the first dream, Joseph is helped to overcome his distress at learning that Mary was with child, and he responds immediately by taking Mary as his wife. In the second dream, Joseph is told to flee with the Holy Family to Egypt to escape King Herod’s wrath. While in Egypt, Joseph learns in a third dream that they can safely return to their homeland. During the journey, he is told in a fourth dream to settle in Nazareth.
Joseph’s example of interior openness to the Lord’s voice can help us to find wisdom in responding to the uncertainties in our lives, courage in facing threatening situations, and confidence in entrusting even our fears to God’s providential care. May Saint Joseph’s intercession assist all those who find it difficult to pray, and encourage us to cultivate an interior life that draws us ever closer to the Lord, makes us ever more docile to his will and ever more open to the needs of our brothers and sisters.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from the United States of America. Today, I especially ask you to join in praying for peace in Ukraine. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you!
