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Hope cannot be taken for granted. It’s easier to despair, to let ourselves fall into sadness or weariness. How many are discouraged? Consciously or not, we sometimes forget Hope and wonder: “What’s the point? What’s the point in going on?”

Joseph welcomed God’s presence in his life. On his word, he committed himself to the Incarnation of his Son: the most unfathomable of mysteries. He accepted God’s plan without protest or question, and went ahead, happy to walk in the light because God was there.

The work of art “Angels Unawares” that stands in front of the Oratory depicts a large boat whose passengers are migrants from all eras, countries and religions. Among them are Joseph and Mary, carrying the infant Jesus in her arms.

Like every human being, Saint Joseph must have been through hard times and faced many challenges. He is often invoked as the Model of workers, the Support of families, but also as the Hope of the sick and dying. His compassion, strength and protection are qualities that make him particularly close to people facing illness and suffering.

The Gospels tell us very little about Joseph. How do we know, for example, that he was a carpenter in Nazareth? From a single verse from Matthew (13:55) and perhaps another from Mark, suggesting that he passed his trade on to Jesus (6:3). Whatever the case, he certainly had to support his family through his work. Hence why the Church proposes him as the model and patron saint of workers.

Jesus probably always called Joseph “abba,” or “papa.” He would later address God, his Father, in the same way. It’s by the same word—so intimate!—that he invited his disciples to pray to God the Father: “When you pray, say: Our Papa who art in heaven…”

Joseph, as we know, had the privilege of sharing a household with two exceptional people: Jesus and Mary. As Jesus’ “earthly” father, Joseph held him in his arms, helped him through his first steps, held his hand on the way to the synagogue or the market, taught him his Jewish prayers, and had the joy of finding him, as a teenager, after three days in the Jerusalem Temple. What a role Joseph played as protector and educator throughout Jesus’ youth!

The year 2024 marks the 4th centenary of Canada’s consecration to Saint Joseph. As early as 1624, the Recollects, the first European missionaries to arrive in Nouvelle-France, consecrated the young colony and the nascent Church of Canada to Saint Joseph.

Our great country’s patronage would later be formalized by two popes: Urban VIII in 1637 and Gregory XVI in 1834.

With these words, Pope Francis invites us to take advantage of Lent 2024 as a journey where we allow God to guide us towards freedom. “When God reveals Himself,” says Pope Francis, “He communicates freedom: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery'” (Ex 20:2).

At times when hope may be lacking, and we feel powerless to build a more fraternal and solidarity-oriented world, a world where peace and care for the most vulnerable are priorities.

“Lent is the time of grace during which the desert becomes – as the prophet Hosea announces – the place of first love (Hos 2:16-17)… God brings us back to Him and whispers words of love to our hearts.”

150 years ago, on February 2, 1874, Brother André, known in the secular world as Alfred Besset, pronounced his perpetual vows as a religious of the Holy Cross. The newspapers of 1924 highlighted this golden jubilee, emphasizing the figure of the good brother and his dedicated work to Saint Joseph, which was developing on Mount Royal.

One hundred and fifty years ago, on February 2, 1874, Brother André confirmed his commitment to live as a religious of the Holy Cross. Three years earlier, at the end of his novitiate, the superiors had hesitated to accept him into the community. There were concerns that, with his fragile health, he might be unable to actively participate in the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

In the rear of the Basilica, in a small apsidal chapel, rests a remarkable and particularly precious object for the Congregation of Holy Cross: the original tombstone of its founder, Blessed Basile-Antoine-Marie Moreau. The story of its journey is relatively enigmatic.