Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Blessed Advent and Christmas Novena! On December 8, Pope Francis gave us the unexpected gift of the Year of Saint Joseph which began on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception to continue until December 8, 2021! What a blessing for the Universal Church as St. Joseph is our Patron and our Father. As Pope Francis wrote so beautifully in his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, “With a Father’s Heart”, St. Joseph is a “beloved, tender, loving, obedient, accepting, creatively courageous and working” father for Jesus Christ. He was a virtuous, chaste husband for the Virgin Mary, guarding her virginity, and a loving, protective father for Our Lord. What a beautiful example for all men, husbands and fathers as they fulfill the crucial role of leading their families!

I was intrigued…