Saint Peter tells us in his First Epistle (v, 5): "Be ye humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in the time of visitation: casting all your care upon Him, for He hath care of you. Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will Himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you."
"Blessed are they that trust in Him" (Ps. ii, 13)." They that hope in the Lord, " says Isaias, "shall renew their strength.... They shall walk and not faint" (xl, 31).
We have a perfect model of this abandonment to divine providence in Saint Joseph, in the many difficulties that beset him at the moment of our Lord's birth at Bethlehem, and again when he heard the mournful prophecy of the aged Simeon, and during all the time that elapsed from the flight away from Herod into Egypt until the return to Nazareth.
Following his example, let us live our lives in that same spirit, fulfilling our daily duties, and the grace of God will never be wanting. By His grace we shall be equal to anything He asks of us, no matter how difficult it may sometimes be.
Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
"From the example of Saint Joseph, it comes to us all a strong invitation to proceed in faithfulness, simplicity, and modesty in the task Providence has given us."
Benedict XVI, March 19, 2006
