In his apostolic letter “Patris Corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis announced the “Year of St. Joseph” on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church. The Year of St. Joseph began on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2020, and will continue to the same feast this year on December 8.

In the wake of the pandemic, perhaps we have not given due attention to this great grace in honor of St. Joseph. Pope Francis highlighted some attributes of Saint Joseph in his apostolic letter. “The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the foster father of Jesus.” St. Joseph “employed his legal authority over the Holy Family to devote himself completely to them in his life and work.” He lovingly placed himself at the “service of the Messiah who was growing to maturity in his home,” noted the Pope. Arising from his role in salvation history, St. Joseph has been revered as a father by all Christians around the world.

“In Joseph, Jesus saw the tender love of God,” affirmed Pope Francis. In light of these challenging times, the Pontiff urges the faithful to follow the example of Joseph 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.” The Holy Father pointed out that the faith Saint Joseph displayed was not one that looked for “shortcuts” but rather one that “confronted reality with open eyes and accepted personal responsibility for it.”

The Holy Father also shared in his letter a prayer to Saint Joseph,
which he personally has been praying for 40 years:

Glorious Patriarch Saint 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.

He concluded his letter by adding another prayer to St. Joseph,
asking for his intercession to obtain grace, mercy and courage:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you, God entrusted his only Son;
in you, Mary placed her trust;
with you, Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.

At Mass today, the Lector began by saying, “Today is the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time.” I am not a big fan of the expression “ordinary time” because we think, in America, that the word means plain or unimportant. But there is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time.

The term “ordinary” does not mean common or plain but is derived from the term ordinal, or "numbered." The weeks in Ordinary Time are numbered, although several Sundays are named for the feast they commemorate: Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost); the Feast of Christ the King (the last Sunday in Ordinary Time); and, for American Catholics, the Feast of Corpus Christi (the second Sunday after Pentecost). From now until the end of November, we will hear and read the numbered (ordinal) week until the 34th Week in Ordinary Time. With the exceptions marked above, green is the liturgical color of Ordinary Time.

Ordinary Time comprises two periods: one following Epiphany, the other following Pentecost. They do not fall under the "strong seasons" of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.

Spiritually, the weeks of Ordinary Time give us the scriptures that have us learn at the feet of Jesus. We become like His first disciples and listen to the teachings, miracles, and healing as we walk with Him through His earthly ministry. We go back to school – the school of the Master. During the Festal weeks of the year, we focus on a Mystery of Our Lord, like His birth, death, resurrection and ascension. During Ordinary Time, we walk with Him through Galilee down to Jerusalem and learn.

May the weeks of Ordinary Time be extraordinary weeks in our spiritual growth.

A Prayer for Ordinary Time

Creator Redeemer Sustainer God,
How extraordinary is Your “ordinary time.”
How uncommon is the commonplace in Your Kingdom.
The mundane is made miraculous, full of holy opportunities.
The smallest joy a jubilee!

Created anew, may we grow tall and “grace-full” in Your likeness.
Redeemed by Your sacrifice, may we come to know the depths of Your love.
Sustained by Your Spirit, may we be steadfast and shining in Your service.

We humbly ask that You continue to bless us with all we need
for the living of these days — these wondrous ordinary days — that our everyday lives
may be gifted to experience the vitality of Christian community,
to share Your message of hope, reaching out to the poor and hurting,
and bringing glory and honor to You, our God. Amen.

-- by Deborah Harris, Sacred Seasons, Pentecost/Ordinary Time 1999