Dear Friends,
Because Tuesday is the Feast of Saint Joseph, we pause in our Lenten thinking to praise God for the remarkable gift the Christian community has in Joseph. Pope Francis wrote a few years ago that “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.”
We are, as a world, in times of trouble right now. War, famine, the flight from danger, rampaging illnesses and cruelty give evidence of this reality. The people who rescue, restore and redeem people from their miseries are ordinary people, like Joseph. Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in life and in salvation history. In today’s language, “hidden” often translates into “invisible.” How many people do we pass by each day whom we cannot describe in retrospect. We simply didn’t see them. They were invisible to us. Yet, like Joseph, they have lives which are meaningful. In celebrating them, we reach back to Joseph. Joseph’s story is embedded in the lives of all in our day who enfold Jesus in their embrace, whether they know they are doing so or not. Hidden Joseph, invisible Joseph with work-roughened hands. Our special Joseph.
As we live out this year, let’s all “Go to Joseph!” Let’s consciously include him in the company of all who walk with us.
The words that have come down to us from St. Patrick, whose feast we celebrate today, could have been the very words that Joseph prayed when he was in unexpected circumstances:
“I bind myself God’s power to guide me, God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to teach me, God’s eye to watch over me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to give me speech, God’s hand to guide me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to shelter me, God’s host to secure me…”
Mary and Jesus never doubted the reliability and love of Joseph. As members of the Body of Christ, we too have Joseph as our faithful companion.
~ Sister Joan Sobala
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