Joseph and Mary

You never know what the future might hold. Joseph R. was a bachelor at 43. Holding only a low-ranking civil service job, he had no success in and little hope of interesting any woman in becoming his wife.

Finally, he tried running an ad in the newspaper, seeking a “good Catholic girl who can cook and sew a bit … to marry as soon as possible.”

No replies.

He tried again four months later, in a magazine for young women.

This time he received one response, from Maria P.

They married three months later. Eventually, they had three children.

The youngest became Pope Benedict XVI.


There are too many lessons to be learned from that to mention.