St. John Paul II - Redemptoris Custos

<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">“...at the moment of Joseph's own ‘annunciation’ he said nothing; instead he simply ‘did as the angel of the Lord commanded him’. And this first ‘doing’ became the beginning of ‘Joseph's way’. The Gospels do not record any word ever spoken by Joseph along that way. But the silence of Joseph has its own special eloquence..."</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On August 15th, 1889, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the encyclical letter</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Quamquam Pluries</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">on devotion to St. Joseph. 100 years later, on August 15th, 1989—and only two years after the release of his great Marian encyclical,</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Redemptoris Mater</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, "Mother of the Redeemer"—Pope St. John Paul II gave</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">his</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">apostolic exhortation</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Redemptoris Custos,</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">"Guardian of the Redeemer", on the person and mission of St. Joseph in the life of Christ and of the Church.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This being the Year of St. Joseph, and today being the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, we’re pleased to release our reading of this exhortation in its entirety.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is my heartfelt wish,” St. John Paul writes, “that these reflections on the person of St. Joseph will renew in us the prayerful devotion which my Predecessor called for a century ago. Our prayers and the very person of Joseph have renewed significance for the Church in our day.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Joseph the Worker, Guardian of the Redeemer — pray for us!</span></p> <p><strong>Links</strong></p> <p><em>Redemptoris Custos</em> Full text: <a href= "http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_1508