You need faith before and after you turn to God, to Christ, to the Mother of God, to one of the saints: when asking a particular favor, when receiving it. It is easy enough to ask in faith. Sometimes, when we realize our prayer was heard, we have a moment of doubt. Was it to happen anyway? Was it chance? Coincidence? Especially in some small matter which is nonetheless important: a lost key, a lost wallet, a pair of glasses. When we or someone else finds them, is it the fruit of prayer? Recall the man born blind whom Jesus healed. "You sure it's the same man? Was he really blind?" Pharaoh found it hard to believe that Moses was the agent of all the troubles he knew. After all, the plagues were natural phenomena, experienced many times. We need not assume, either, that they happened in such a rapid sequence as the story implies. Perhaps there was reason to doubt. But he collapsed under the weight of the series, totally when people were involved, human life, his own flesh and blood.

So, too, we may not take too seriously our house being put under the patronage of St. Joseph in 1872, not long after Pius XI named him Protector of Holy Church. Even so, we have had over 2300 enter this community over the years. That is a large number. And does not include how many there were who asked and were turned down. Is it too bold to suggest that St. Joseph tried? The question will arise, though. Did he have a hand in it? Was it his doing? We don't know. It would seem a courtesy to think so. To believe so.

Some 100 New Guinea missionaries were abandoned in World War II in a desolated native village some few miles inland on the north coast. The Japanese who had held them in confinement realized their cause was lost and left them to their lot. A lot that was desperate, quite hopeless. Scarcely any food, no medicine. Many dying or gravely ill. The group turned to St. Joseph and made a fervent novena to prepare for his solemnity. April 22nd, MacArthur's forces, the 24th and 41st division, landed on the beach there at Hollandia. What few older Japanese troops were there fled in panic into the jungle, even barefoot, without weapons, passing by the missionaries in their flight. Two American Fathers climbed trees to look — came down, dumbfounded: "The whole US navy is out there," they said. At great risk contact was made. A few days later troops came in and carried or escorted the missionaries to the beach and to salvation. It was on the solemnity of St. Joseph.

The missionaries never doubted the hand of St. Joseph. I heard the story many times from many of them years later. And noted it in the Louisville paper in 1994 when the daily item 50 Years Ago in WW II, had this: "Today, April 22nd, MacArthur sprang a surprise landing in Aitape and Hollandia, 450 miles behind the Japanese lines: the 24th and 41st division." It was 4 days later they went waist- deep through the swamps to rescue the abandoned group. The solemnity of St. Joseph.

Our union with the saints is very real. With most of them it is a general thing. We are on speaking terms with few of them. When we are, we call that having a devotion to the saint; to St. Francis, St. Anthony, St. Therese, monastic saints. We speak to them. It is personal. Personal response to St. Joseph was late coming. When the Crusaders first went to the Holy Land they visited Nazareth, of course. And the visit led to warm thoughts about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. The place, the scene touched them deeply. Maybe in simple, naive piety they thought they saw his house. But in any case, it all came alive. They built a church in honor of St. Joseph in Nazareth. It was the beginning of a speaking relationship to St. Joseph.

Call it devotion or not. We are on speaking terms with the man. He is friend, patron, protector. We know him and love him. And he, us. We commend the Church to him specially. John XXIII put his name in the Roman Canon of the Mass. We have long since put him in our canon of friends. And do it again today in a formal, explicit, official way. Good St. Joseph, you who led the Holy Family with such courage and fidelity, take care of God's Church, take care of this church. Through Christ Our Lord. That:

    "Day by day there may be an increase in the life, merit, and number of the brethren,
      that those who seek God may never grow less in all good."

Amen.
 

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