Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. In one of his homilies, Pope Francis spoke of St. Joseph’s role as protector of Mary and Jesus (especially fleeing from Herod to Egypt) but also taking his example to heart as inspiration for us to consider what needs protecting around us.

“The vocation of being a “protector” is not just something involving Christians alone; it also has a dimension involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families… It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it.

Be protectors of God’s gifts!” Pope Francis (19 March 2013)

Protecting all creation means protecting the trees…

…protecting the oceans…

…protecting our furry friends (my niece’s dog BB)

…protecting our environment…

…and protecting all people, especially children!

As we honor St. Joseph’s role protecting Mary and Jesus in perilous times, let’s learn from his example and become better protectors of God’s gifts in our uncertain times!

grace, peace & protectors

Virginia : )