“When I have a problem or a difficulty, I write it on a piece of paper and put it under Saint Joseph, so he can dream about it”
The Pope Francis revealed who helps solve problems and overcome difficulties: St. Joseph , the foster father of Jesus and patron of the Church. At the meeting with Filipino families in Manila in January 2015, the Pontiff told how he entrusts himself to the intercession of the saint:
“I’d like to tell you a very personal thing, too. I like San José very much because it is a strong man and of silence. In my office, I have an image of Saint Joseph sleeping , and sleeping, he cares for the Church. When I have a problem or a difficulty, I write it on a piece of paper and put it under the image of Saint Joseph, so that he may dream about it. That means: for him to pray for this problem, “he said.
The Pope spoke about this habit during speech to families, citing the saint as a model of silence, abandonment in God, but also of action. St. Joseph is quoted in the Gospels as he rests as the divine will in his dream is revealed to him.
To prevent love from being lost, the Pontiff asked families to never forget their ability to dream, and to be attentive to three things: to rest in the Lord, to rise with Jesus and Mary and to be a prophetic voice. He stressed that God manifests himself to the man in the moments of rest and that it is essential to find time to pray in the midst of daily chores.
“These precious moments of rest, of rest with the Lord in prayer are moments we would like, perhaps, to prolong. But like Saint Joseph , when we hear the voice of God we must awaken, stand up and act, “he said.
The image of St. Joseph sleeping was one of the few items that the Pope asked to bring him from Buenos Aires, according to material published in the Vatican Insider . The habit of entrusting to the saint his prayers is in addition to other signs of devotion. The parish of the Flores neighborhood, in the Argentine capital, where Francis at the age of 17 confessed and realized for the first time that God called him to the priesthood, is dedicated to the saint. The Mass at the beginning of the pontificate was providentially celebrated on a special date for the devotees of the patron of the Church: March 19, liturgical memory of Saint Joseph .
