“Faith can move mountains”:
3 nuggets of wisdom from Saint Joseph’s Oratory | Historia Vitae

Louisa Florentin

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Katia lighting a candle in the Votive Chapel at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal (Salt + Light Media).

Airing this weekend: episode 7 of Historia Vitae: Treasures of Our Faith! We bring you to Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal.
Tune in Sunday, February 26th at 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT, only on Salt + Light TV and Salt + Light Plus.

“Faith can move mountains” It is a phrase we hear every now and again. Perhaps we receive it with just a shrug of nonchalance, or a half-hearted “sure.” Although quite cliché, the expression is an invitation to hope for something bigger than ourselves, something greater than what we ever thought possible. Canadian Catholics can look to Brother André for inspiration. His strong faith and persistence created the largest shrine dedicated to St. Joseph.

It is fitting that both St. Joseph and St. André Bessette were but simple instruments in God’s greater plan. They didn’t know what was ahead of them, but they still said yes and remained faithful to Him. Their examples teach us what can happen if we allow God to take our five loaves and two fish and multiply it.

We can learn so much from spending a day at the Oratory. I have only been there twice since writing this, but no two visits are the same. I always leave with something new to receive and ponder.

Here are three nuggets of wisdom we can receive and witness at Saint Joseph’s Oratory:

Radical healing can happen in our lifetime

BIG, life-changing miracles were not just reserved for Biblical times. They can still happen to us, in our lifetime. In fact, Brother André was still alive when people started flocking from around the world to see him and be healed from their conditions. Check out the wall of crutches at the Votive Chapel to see just a small sample of the people he helped heal:

Faith requires humility and patience

The Oratory was completed after Brother André died in 1937: it took half a century more for major parts of the Oratory to be fully built. While this may seem discouraging at first, think of how much more potent and united to Christ his prayers were and are after his death. He could have fretted over the timeline when he was still alive, but instead he was humble enough to wait and trust that it would all be taken care of in the end.

Beauty rooted in Christ welcomes people from all walks of life

Different aspects of beauty draw different kinds of people into the Oratory. The magnificent 6000-pipe organ, the floor-to-ceiling fresco depicting the life of St. Joseph, the mounds of candles lit in the chapel, and many more. Most importantly, we see people from all backgrounds come to behold the beauty of the Oratory: Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, single people, religious. This diversity is as colourful as the stained glass windows of the Oratory Basilica itself.

Are you thinking of going to the Oratory? See the official Saint Joseph's Oratory website to plan your visit.

You can learn more about the history of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Brother André, and the miracles that took place during and after his death in the latest episode of Historia Vitae: Treasures of Our Faith, airing this Sunday, February 26th at 8:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm PT.