With a Father's Heart

In his Apostolic Letter to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis described how St Joseph loved Jesus: patris corde, with a father's heart. The Holy Father then focused on four aspects of this great saint's fatherhood: 1) a beloved father, 2) a tender and loving father, 3) an obedient father, 4) an accepting father, and 5) a father in the shadows.
Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has given us the impression of his closeness to St Joseph. In his inaugural Mass (19 March 2013), he recognized St Joseph as a protector - first, of Jesus and Mary, and second, of the Church. He said, "Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power...Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important...Only those who serve with love are able to protect!"
On 1 May 2013, St Joseph's name was inserted in Eucharistic Prayers 2, 3, and 4. Before that, his name was only mentioned in Eucharistic Prayer 1 (a.k.a. Roman Canon) during the pontificate of Pope John XXIII. The decree Paternas Vices explains "(St Joseph) stands as an exemplary model of the kindness and humility that the Christian faith raises to a great destiny, and demonstrates the ordinary and simple virtues necessary for men to be good and genuine followers of Christ. Through these virtues, this Just man, caring most lovingly for the Mother of God and happily dedicating himself to the upbringing of Jesus Christ, was placed as guardian over God the Father's most precious treasures." 
On a more personal level, the Pope has a statue of the Sleeping St Joseph on his desk, a practice he has for decades. During his papal visit to the Philippines in 2015, he told people “Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the church! Yes! We know that he can do that. So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: Pray for this problem!...Do not forget St. Joseph who sleeps! Jesus slept with the protection of Joseph.”
Apart from these proclamations and devotion, Pope Francis has led a life of service inspired by the humble carpenter of Nazareth: he lives not in the papal apartment, but in the hostel of Santa Marta; he reaches out to all peoples regardless of race, culture, creed, etc; he has been instigating reforms in the Church. Of course, there are still issues and challenges that the Church has to face and the Pope cannot do this on his own. He needs our support through prayers and works of mercy and justice.
By proclaiming the Year of St Joseph, the Pope seems to be putting the Church into the direction of paternal care, humble service, wise discernment, and generous obedience - qualities of the Church's Universal Patron. By proclaiming this holy year, the Church - once exposed to the malaria of being judgmental, exclusive, and legalistic - is given a breath of fresh air from the gentleness of Joseph.
Pope Francis wrote in Patris Corde,  "[I]n every exercise of our fatherhood, we should always keep in mind that it has nothing to do with possession, but is rather a “sign” pointing to a greater fatherhood. In a way, we are all like Joseph: a shadow of the heavenly Father, who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt 5:45). And a shadow that follows his Son."
Indeed, we too are called to be another Joseph in our times. As we celebrate the Year of St Joseph, let us ask his help so that God would transform our hearts to be like that of St Joseph. Each one of us exercise a 'fatherhood' in our lives. This is the perfect time to be aware of and celebrate that - through how we care for our own families, our communities, our workplaces, our Church, our world.
A blessed Year of St Joseph!