When we hear the words of Jesus who says Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5). in Latin as beati pauperes spiritu.

Joseph was poor, but he was not among the poorest of society of the time. He was not among the totally abandoned, bedraggled, homeless, that lived from hand to mouth. These would have been in the lowest class of society. The Lord gave them hope, some consolation. But Joseph had a trade. He was an expert, and worked for a living, as did so many others. He would have had a heart for these too, by fair work, well done, never over charging.

In the encyclical letter Patris corde, Pope Francis praises Joseph, but underlines his normality, he’s like an everyday guy. As so many normal people are being affected by the pandemic.

We heard about Blessed Guadalupe de Landazuri. At the beatification in 2014 that she was classified among the saints. Not as a virgin, not as a religious, but quite simply as a saint. No real qualifications needed. But when she is described briefly, just to identify her, people said she was a chemist.

Music: Adrian Berenguer, Fall (Album Singularity, 2017)

Thumbnail is St. Joseph the worker, from the altarpiece of Torreciudad in Huesca, Spain.

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