St Joseph Cafasso was born in the countryside in the town of Castelnuovo d’Asti in 1811. In 1834 he was ordained to the priesthood in Turin. He taught at the ecclesiastical college in Turin, which was dedicated to forming diocesan priests. Among his students was another future saint, John Bosco, who had been born in the same town as Joseph, and whom he had known from childhood. While teaching at the major seminary, St Joseph was also known for guiding his flock with kindness and serenity. His fellow citizens had such high regard for him that they suggested he take a place in the legislative assembly. He refused, however, saying, “In the day of judgment, the Lord will ask me if I was a good priest, not a good deputy.” He was known as a model of priestly life. He was particularly drawn to the pastoral care of inmates, especially those condemned to death. He stood by their side as they were lead to the execution, bringing them to repentance by showing them God’s mercy and compassion. He died in Turin on June 23, 1860, at the age of 49. His relics can be found in the Sanctuary of the Consolata in Turin.
In our faith and in our trust of God, we are to find refuge in him. Whenever we are threatened by external forces against our faith, we should not give way to fear and and we should not give way to falsehood. Rather than allowing the threatening message of the Assyrian King to weaken his spirit, King Hezekiah turned immediately to the Lord for security and his heart’s desire was granted. When we prefer the wide gate to the narrow gate, we have not learned to trust in God as King Hezekiah did. Entering through the narrow gate could mean for us to live in loving and holy obedience unto God for the good of others even as we remain steadfast in the face of the temptations and trials of life.
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