Only 30 or so days into 2021 and we face the Pandemic crisis, insurrections, global unrest, protests, health and financial problems, racial discrimination and so on…. now more than ever we are in need of hope.  

Pope Francis has dedicated this year, 2021, to St. Joseph. As we think about St. Joseph’s role in the lives of Jesus and Mary we find events that required great hope:

Joseph was a dreamer. He had to hope that following the directives he received in his dreams, that they were indeed God’s will for the Holy Family.

He had to hope that he would be successful in doing so.

How shocked and confused he must have been when Mary told him she was pregnant.  Should he have her stoned to death according to the law? No, rather he followed the angel’s advice to take her as his wife. Again, he hoped that he was doing the right thing.

As a husband and father he faced severe trials: No room in the inn; Jesus lost for three days; confusion upon hearing Simeon’s and Anna’s prophesies in the temple.

What is the virtue of hope? At one of his weekly audiences Pope Francis spoke of hope: “As a gift of the Spirit, hope is both an anchor (cf. Heb. 6:18-19) giving us security amid the storms of life, and a ‘sail’ driving us forward towards the safe harbour of eternal life.”

Let us consider St. Joseph, earthly father of Jesus, who had many occasions to rely upon this anchor for security and safety because Mary and Jesus were great responsibilities for him.

Joseph is creative hope; that is, he listened to the messages of his dreams and he acted with faith and hope. Both Mary and Joseph were hope-filled because of their love for Jesus who is hope.

As we live in this world with its challenges during 2021, let us embrace Jesus and follow Mary and Joseph who in moments of difficulty and crises were able to look ahead and live daily lives with hope.