‘St. Joseph: Patron of a Happy Death’
Fr. Joseph Reminds Us of Our Eternal Home in EWTN Original, ‘St. Joseph: Patron of a Happy Death’
By Debbie Cowden
A “happy” death? How can there be such a thing? Those who have experienced the passing of a loved one might find it hard to believe that death could be “happy.”
But for a Christian, it’s not only a possibility, but it should be a joyful hope.
Fr. Joseph Mary Wolfe, MFVA, provides beautiful insight on what it means to have a happy death in “St. Joseph: Patron of a Happy Death,” an EWTN Original, airing at 5:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, November 26. The encore airs the following morning at 2:30 a.m. ET. In addition to watching on your local EWTN channel, you also can stream live at ewtn.com/tv or on the free EWTN app.
While Catholics celebrate All Saints Day on November 1, the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) on November 2, and pray for souls throughout November, we are reminded of the reality that we all will die one day, and Paradise awaits those who remain faithful to God and who die in a state of grace.
Therefore, our lives should be spent preparing for death, when we enter Eternal Life. Death reminds us that we only have a limited amount of time in which to do God’s will on earth.
But why is St. Joseph the Patron of a Happy Death?
We know that St. Joseph was “a just man,” and God entrusted him with the Son of God and the Mother of God. He raised Jesus in the Jewish faith and protected Jesus and Mary at any cost.
In this special, Fr. Joseph explains that, according to the Church’s tradition, which is based on Sacred Scripture, Joseph probably died before Jesus’ public ministry began - likely in the presence of Jesus and Mary. If we live just lives and ask Jesus and Mary to be present at the hour of death, surely we can experience a happy death too.
Fr. Joseph assures us we do not have to be afraid of death if we love God and strive to be faithful to Him in this life. He tells stories of men and women who have experienced a happy death, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, and some of Mother Angelica’s Sisters. Instead of avoiding the thought of death, we can eagerly anticipate it. As St. Therese is known for saying, “The world is thy ship, and not thy home.”
Let us remember to ask St. Joseph to pray for us and our loved ones at the hour of our death.
And let us also remember to pray for the souls in purgatory, who are awaiting their heavenly reward:
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, Amen.”