COVID-19 pandemic: Catholics turn to St Joseph for protection

KOTA KINABALU – On the Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the Universal Church Mar 19, Archbishop John Wong of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu urged the faithful to ask for the saint’s protection from the global pandemic, Covid-19.

            “We are in the midst of this pandemic; let us ask St Joseph to protect each one of us, our families, communities, our state and country, as well as the whole world,” urged the prelate.

            As Masses and other gatherings are suspended in the Archdiocese following an order of Movement Control by the Malaysian government from Mar 18-31, Archbishop Wong presided the Mass broadcasted live from the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, made available at the Sacred Heart Facebook page. The live broadcast was assisted by two sign language interpreters.

            In the midst of this pandemic, Abp Wong said St Joseph should be a model of faith for each person:

“This celebration speaks to us about having an unshakable trust and faith in God. Many of us find it easy to say “I trust in God” and we find it even much easier to tell someone who are in need of help or advice, “We have to trust in God”.

“As for St Joseph, he put his trust and faith into practice. His motto in life is to trust in every event, whether in hardship, happiness or sorrow, joy or suffering; and in everything, to leave in the hands of God.”

“Many a time, we tend to trust anyone or anything, other than trust in God. So when we face difficulties in life, we tend to look somewhere or someone for solution rather than turning to God. At times, we are inclined to trust in our own judgment, opinion or desires. No doubt we say we believe in God but to trust Him is a different issue altogether.

“Ask yourself today, how can you imitate the faith and the trust of St Joseph in this difficult time?”

The Archbishop concluded with a prayer to God that He will grant the people of God a repentant heart and the humility to learn some lessons from the pandemic, in particular for the protection of the ecosystem. In addition, prayers for the healing of the sick due to Coronavirus, and to sustain the frontline medical workers were offered. – Linda Edward