11 powerful quotes from Pope Francis about St. Joseph and his ‘father’s heart’
Thursday, 1 May 2025
Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on May 1, 2020, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Staff, May 1, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis, who died last month, was well known for his devotion to St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus.
The late pope announced a Year of St. Joseph in December 2020 in honor of the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as patron of the universal Church. In making the announcement, Francis issued an apostolic letter, Patris Corde (“With a father’s heart”), dedicated to the foster father of Jesus.
On today’s feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1), here are some of the most beautiful and powerful quotes from Francis’ document of personal reflections on St. Joseph.
*Praise for the ordinary ‘hidden’ but vital people*
“Each of us can discover in Joseph — the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet, and hidden presence — an intercessor, a support, and a guide in times of trouble. St. Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.”
“Our lives are woven together and sustained by ordinary people, people often overlooked. People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines or on the latest television show, yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history. They understood that no one is saved alone.”
*An invitation to courage*
“Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history, and his plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties, and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.”
“Just as God told Joseph: ‘Son of David, do not be afraid!’ (Mt 1:20), so he seems to tell us: ‘Do not be afraid!’ We need to set aside all anger and disappointment, and to embrace the way things are, even when they do not turn out as we wish. Not with mere resignation but with hope and courage. In this way, we become open to a deeper meaning. Our lives can be miraculously reborn if we find the courage to live them in accordance with the Gospel.”
*God is greater than our hearts*
“God can make flowers spring up from stony ground. Even if our heart condemns us, ‘God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything’ (1 Jn 3:20).”
*God works in our weakness*
“All too often, we think that God works only through our better parts, yet most of his plans are realized in and despite our frailty.”
*The gift of one’s self*
“Joseph found happiness not in mere self-sacrifice but in self-gift. In him, we never see frustration but only trust. His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust.”
*Earthly fatherhood points higher*
“In every exercise of our fatherhood, we should always keep in mind that it has nothing to do with possession but is rather a ‘sign’ pointing to a greater fatherhood. In a way, we are all like Joseph: a shadow of the heavenly Father who ‘makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust’ (Mt 5:45).”
*Introducing children ‘to reality’*
“Being a father entails introducing children to life and reality. Not holding them back, being overprotective or possessive, but rather making them capable of deciding for themselves, enjoying freedom and exploring new possibilities.”
“When fathers refuse to live the lives of their children for them, new and unexpected vistas open up. Every child is the bearer of a unique mystery that can only be brought to light with the help of a father who respects that child’s freedom.”
*A prayer to St. Joseph*
“Glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome. My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.”
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