Joseph’s chastity, and his purity of heart, which includes but goes beyond just physical purity, enabled him to embrace God’s will, no matter the apparent cost to himself or the strenuousness of the undertaking. The pure, unadulterated gaze of Joseph’s heart upon God made it extremely sensitive and supple to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, as revealed to him by God’s messenger angels.

Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day celebrates the 18 times the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to 14-year-old St. Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France over a six-month period in 1858. (Catholic News Agency, 2026).

As Catholic women, we often meet Mary not just in prayer, but in the quiet moments of our work — when a project feels impossible, when wisdom is needed in a meeting, or when we must speak truth with grace.

Sharing our faith in a hedonistic culture can be intimidating, even dangerous, and yet we are commanded to do just that by Jesus Himself. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Joy has an elusive quality about it. Intuitively, we know that there is more to joy than a happy moment in time, but we find it difficult to explain and even more difficult to attain.