On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Bishop William McGrattan reflected on the living presence of the saints and the quiet, faithful role of St. Joseph in God’s plan of salvation.

“The communion of saints… are not historical, but they are present spiritually and active,” he said, reminding the faithful that the saints continue to accompany the Church today. He added that churches named after saints are “not only to be an inspiration, but to be a source of intercession,” especially as the Diocese continues its path of Pastoral Renewal.

Reflecting on St. Joseph, Bishop McGrattan pointed to the breadth of his patronage: the Universal Church, Canada, the poor, workers, refugees, fathers, and those who are dying. “We always pray to St. Joseph for a peaceful and holy death,” he said, noting the continued relevance of this devotion today. 

Turning to the readings, Bishop McGrattan reflected on God’s promise to David as a prefiguration of Joseph’s role.
“We all come from a certain lineage,” he said, pointing to the human dimension of faith rooted in relationships. “That familial relationship is so important… that human dimension that allows God’s grace to work in our lives and in our parishes.”

He noted that in a world marked by division and discord, the Church has a responsibility to witness to unity: “The Church has the important role of being the protector of salvation… allowing the gift of God’s unity to reign in our communities and in our parishes.” This is reflected in St. Joseph, who “built the family and the house of Nazareth, a house in which Christ dwelt for 30 years.”

Though little is recorded in Scripture, Joseph’s role is unmistakable: “It’s not recorded in words, but it is recorded in his actions.”

Faithful, dutiful, and docile

In the Gospel, Joseph faces uncertainty and difficulty, yet responds with openness to God’s will. He “was open and docile to the will of God, even though he didn’t understand what that would entail in terms of the future.”

This trust, Bishop McGrattan noted, is rooted in grace: “Salvation comes through the grace of God.”

Speaking to those involved in Parish Renewal, he acknowledged the challenges many have experienced.
“You… may have possibly been like Saint Joseph at times, faced with adversity, obstacles and even conflicts and misunderstanding.” Yet he encouraged the faithful to continue with trust: “We may not see the completion of the renewal… but that we can have that confidence of trust and docility.”

Like St. Joseph, the faithful are entrusted with a mission: “He was called to this role… of being a protector and a guardian of salvation.” And so too: “You have to be… the protector and guardian and the promoter of the renewal in our diocese.”

The homily concluded with a simple but clear invitation: to imitate St. Joseph’s quiet fidelity. Not dramatic, not visible, but steady and rooted in trust. “Saint Joseph teaches us to be faithful, dutiful, and docile to the will of God.”

As the Church continues its path of Renewal, Bishop McGrattan invited all to turn to St. Joseph, to ask for his intercession and to learn from his example of humble, courageous faith.

Photography: Bandi Szakony for the Diocese of Calgary

St. Joseph is a quiet saint, to whom no words are attributed in the gospels, but whose actions resonate with tectonic effect. Since March is considered St. Joseph’s month, a worthy tribute to this universal saint would be to pray the Litany of St. Joseph. To help you do so, consider using a recently released book, Prince, Patron and Patriarch - The Litany of St. Joseph and the Dogma that Makes it Strong by Ian Mahood (2026 Sceptre Publishing).

This small devotional is extensively researched and rigorously based in Scripture, papal documents and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Despite the weight sometimes associated with the word “dogma,” this book is neither complicated nor boring. Dogma simply refers to truths that the Church holds and proclaims, and it is a relief to know that every word is attested to by Church scholars, some of whom offer glowing testimonials on the book’s back cover.
 
Ian Mahood was formerly a seminarian for the Diocese of Calgary. He now lives with his family in Edmonton. Born in Red Deer, he was raised Evangelical. Ian credits his parents with providing him a solid grounding in the Bible and “for teaching me to love God”. He commended their openness to other Christian traditions as well.

In his late teens, Ian desired a more sacramental life and felt attracted to liturgy. He was baptized an Anglican in 2010 and converted to Catholicism in 2014. While articling as a law student in Calgary, he felt a call to explore the priesthood. So he applied to the Diocese of Calgary, was accepted into the seminarian formation years, and was sent to St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton. It was there his thoughts first took shape as he prayed the Litany of St. Joseph each week. “I didn’t set out to publish a book,” Ian said, “I just wanted to write a devotional that would satisfy me.” His life would be changed by his time at the seminary, an experience he describes as “excellent, very good formation.” In time, however, he discerned that his vocation was to family life, and he is now married to Heidi, and they are expecting twins.
 
Ian works full-time as a corporate-commercial litigator but still found time to write this book in three months, working for an hour early each morning. “I would think about the Litany throughout the day and focus on one of St. Joseph’s titles at a time,” he said, “It’s meant to be a devotional, a slower read.” Slow perhaps, but deep.

The book is rich in spiritual insights, e.g., “Obedience is the best sacrifice because obedience is a sacrifice of the will.” Each mini-meditation is based on one line of the Litany and unpacks its meaning in plain language. I particularly enjoyed the way Ian brings Bible passages to life when retold in a novel-like or story-like manner. The meditations close with ways one can practice that quality in everyday life.
 
Ian's years in seminary are evident in his liberal use of Latin - albeit followed by English translations - and the technical overtones. However, his sense of humour defuses any stuffiness, e.g., “We love chastity the way a fat man loves his weight-loss program.” Ian readily admits his book is “a bit dense,” but says it’s not intended as a scholarly work and will appeal to anyone seeking a more reasoned and doctrinally sound handbook.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Renowned offspring of David, pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most strong, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of artisans, pray for us.
Glory of home life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of families, pray for us.
Solace of the wretched, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus.
He made him the lord of his household
And prince over all his possessions.

O God, in your ineffable providence, you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever.

St Joseph, pray for us.

Written by Alice Matisz for Faithfully.

Let us spend the National Week of Family and Life (NFLW) 2023 united in prayer, reflection, and action, demonstrating our active support for family and life. Indeed, families are “guardians of life” when we love one another within our families and in wider society when we show kindness toward and care for the vulnerable and marginalized.

Note: Day 1 can begin anytime! We want to ensure everybody has the opportunity to join in and take part in this wonderful experience. Don't worry if you missed the start of NFLW, you can join in and start participating in the daily prayers and activities from any day.

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Source: National Life & Family Week Daily Prayers & Activities, CCCB, 2023

​Hope — St. Joseph must have had a lot of it, leading his very pregnant wife through the hill country from Nazareth to Bethlehem to give birth to his son. I imagine it was an arduous journey filled with uncertainty. Sometimes amidst hard times, I’m tempted to let discouragement steal my hope; I forget that my circumstances will change in time.

I crawled over the 2020 finish line, exhausted and tired, only to be met with the dead of winter. January is an isolating month in the best of times, nevermind government sanctions restricting social contact. 

The reality is that life is hard for a lot of people right now; so much change and instability due to the ongoing pandemic. But what is unchanging is that our faith always gives us reason to hope. As Catholics, we carry the Good News of the Resurrection within us. With the eyes of faith, no time is wasted to perfect ourselves in love. And we can look to the great examples of the saints to help guide our path. 

In a special way this year, Pope Francis invites us to renew our hope by placing an emphasis on Our Lord’s foster father. He has declared Dec. 8, 2020 to Dec. 8 2021 — The Year of St. Joseph. 

What St. Joseph represents in my life is a husband and father who is a faithful, patient, humble, courageous protector. Joseph didn’t utter a single word in the Bible, rather he communicated volumes through his attentive presence.  

The Holy Father Pope Francis encourages each of us with these words found in his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde: “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.”

My hope is to seize this opportunity to take a deeper dive into what St. Joseph’s secure, strong, safe, steadfast fatherly presence means in my life and the life of my family.

Our family has set a few goals for the coming year to get to know St. Joseph better, and grow in relationship with him. I hope a few of these ideas will inspire you to think of ways to discover the presence of St. Joseph in your life and keep you anchored in hope.  

• Read the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter Patris Corde 
• Make a pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Church in Calgary and/or St. Joseph’s Church in Vauxhall
• Visit the St. Joseph Chapel at Our Lady Queen of the Rockies in Canmore.
• Make a 33-day consecration to St. Joseph using the book Consecration to St. Joseph by Donald H. Calloway
• Receive an indulgence 
• Attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 as we mark the beginning the Year of the Family 
• Attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1
• Reflect on the importance of St. Joseph in the life of Canadian Saint Andre Bessette. 
• Prepare a St. Joseph Table, according to the old Italian tradition. To find what this is all about and for more inspiring ideas visit: yearofstjoseph.org  

Written by Sara Francis for Faithfully