Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Known and unknown Saint
We know about him from the Gospels, although they only devote a dozen sentences to him. We venerated him twice a year: on March 19 - as the Spouse of the Mother of God and on May 1 as the patron saint of working people. He is called the Guardian, the Bridegroom. Saint Joseph has always fascinated Christians who have great devotion to him. Today, He is rediscovered as a model of fatherhood, love and care for the family, diligence, listening to the voice of God, and acting by following this voice. Therefore, today we can speak of him as a "Saint for the Third Millennium," a Saint for our time.
We know so little about him from the pages of the Gospels. He appears suddenly, without prior introduction; we do not know his place of birth, and we know nothing about his youth or the circumstances of his death. The evangelists did not record a single word he said. Therefore, most often, we think about Joseph as an older man leaning on a long cane, wrapped in a brown coat, necessarily with a long gray beard and his head hanging in the pose of a plaster figurine, staring at the radiant face of Mary or the Child placed in a manger. Meanwhile, it is worth considering who he was when he accepted God's will and who he is today for the Church community.
What can be said about a man who did not leave a single word?! Can he teach us something today? Let us look at him as someone that God gives us, firstly on our Lenten conversion path and, secondly, at a specific moment in our lives, in the history of the world in which we live.
Let us go to our lives.
Holy Father Francis recently wrote: Prayer unites us with God, Mercy with our neighbor, fasting with ourselves. I like to say that true spirituality - not necessarily religiousness, but spirituality - presupposes the ability to connect with oneself. I can perform various pious practices, including ascetic ones, be very zealous in this, and at the same time, unfortunately, I can never touch the bottom of my entanglement, my sin, and pride. I will always have something to explain myself: because… I go to Church, I deny myself this or that, and I say prayers… but I do not meet God, other people, or myself.
Recently, I was struck by this thought: You can join a convent, get married, and… never trust another person. You can live in a role but not a true vocation, trust in God, trust other people and perform authentic service. However, we can still control everything - that is how most people live.
And here we come to Saint Joseph, who ... lost control when he found out that his spouse was pregnant. His world probably collapsed. Yet it did not collapse. How is it with us? When is our world collapsing? What do we do then? Let us look at Joseph and ask him: Joseph, where did you find the strength and power to accept your spouse and trust God's secret? Listening to today's Gospel, one can say that it is simple: God told him in a dream what to do! Yes, really, is it simple?
You remember some essential dreams when you wake up and say to yourself, "It is just a dream, it is nothing!" From our experience, we know how difficult it is for us to accept God's Word. Why? Because it does not find empty space in us. Everything in us is filled with thoughts: those about the past, those about the future, experiences, memories, needs, feelings, information, text messages, e-mails, websites, devotional articles, and conferences. Joseph: what do you say? And Joseph, in response ... is silent! This is his answer and clue for Lent, for this particular moment in our life, and maybe more - an invitation to change our way of functioning. Someone offended us: a superior, a confrere, a spouse, a random person. Do we need to complain to others immediately or have bad feelings about it? Why not be silent? Why not enter the sanctuary of our hearts and, like Saint Joseph, remain silent in God's presence?
The world today has gone wild. In pursuit of happiness and having modern means of communication, wants to know everything, have all the answers, and comment on everything. Even if we do not know anything about it or if a given thing does not concern us, we must comment and destroy it often! How many unnecessary and sometimes even poisonous comments. And the temptation is great: it is enough to click and to send even a pious text message. After all, it is enough to open our mouths.
Silence at the right moment is a sign of humility and spiritual maturity. It takes a lot of courage. Joseph is silent because he allows God to act. When we talk too much, we limit God's action. St. Paul will say that the first quality of love is patience. The ability to wait and be patient is some form of suffering inflicted on our false selves. And without this cleansing suffering, we cannot convert. Holy Father Francis reminds us that fasting connects us with ourselves. It teaches us to be in the silence of the heart. In a sanctuary where God himself lives. By silence, Joseph could be the guardian of the Word. He didn't drown it out.
Patron of our times
So, you cannot see Joseph as an old-fashioned Saint from a provincial town who worked centuries ago in a dark workshop and has nothing to say to modern man. He has a lot to say to the people of our time who sometimes lack with prudence, courage, bravery, modesty, obedience to God ... and other virtues.
In the world of a rush for money, pleasures, and fame, where the crisis of masculinity and paternity becomes so visible, Joseph is a model of bold decisions, taking responsibility for another human being for the family he has established.
Joseph teaches that man's true greatness is service to God and others and that a worthy life, in God's eyes, consists of fulfilling daily duties with love and faithfulness. Finally, Joseph teaches us that it is not important to achieve success in life or to gain new titles but to live each day doing what God expects of us.
Joseph's life is a constant reminder, so relevant during our time, that it is worth opening up to God's suggestions and plans for our lives. This may bear more fruit than anything you do on your own. Even more so today, as Pope Francis said, "We must cry out to St. Joseph to watch over the Church and each of us, just as he once watched over little Jesus." In various difficulties and life experiences, the intercession of the Saints is a great comfort for us.
At the most significant times and the most trying times of my life, St. Joseph has been there as the " Pattern of patience,” the " Terror of evil spirits,” and the " Comfort of the troubled," making up for my failings through his most generous and powerful intercession. St. Joseph has always, always been there. For me, he is the holiest human after his wife and an all-enduring, never-tiring, forever-loving spiritual father and friend. For this, I could never offer him proper thanks and praise.
As I was preparing for today’s meditation, I realized that the silence that Jesus often referred to, even when questioned by the high priest about the accusations made against him, was the silence that St. Joseph taught him.
If Jesus learned silence from Joseph, why shouldn't we? St. Joseph, be our patron of a wise and patient silence that will lead us to meet God, other people, and ourselves in the sanctuary of our hearts. Let us now pause for a moment of silence.
Saint Joseph, Pray for us.
Until next time
fr. george