Feast of St. Joseph today

UPDATE: Brigid just reminded me - here name is Brigid Margaret Josephine Theresa Dent ...

My father was Joseph. My oldest son is Joseph. Below is a nice column by a young woman about St. Joseph.

http://vultus.stblogs.org/Anton_Raphael_Mengs_-_The_Dream_of_St._Joseph_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

The Feast of St. Joseph did not become an important feast day for me until I began teaching at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in Brighton, MA sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston [1]. As I became more familiar with the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph and their dedication to service to the “dear neighbor,” I also became more aware of the important yet often unnoticed earthly father of Jesus.

The story of Joseph’s dreams and encounters with the angel of the Lord give us critical insight into another important side of the carpenter Joseph. Today’s Gospel story recalls how an angel of the Lord visits Joseph in a dream and tells him the truth about Mary’s pregnancy and the expectant birth of Jesus. The angel then tells Joseph God’s plan for Joseph’s role in this unfolding narrative. Perhaps what should be most alarming to us in this story is that, upon waking, Joseph trusts this dream and then responds to this encounter with the angel. In this surprising encounter with God’s messenger, Joseph proclaims his own fiat to God’s salvific plan—not through words, per se, but through his action. Upon waking, he responds and “did as the angel had commanded him.” He takes Mary into his home and loving, caring, protecting, and providing for her and their new son Jesus—in spite of the seemingly scandalous circumstances.

The level of trust Joseph exhibits indicates his strong relationship with God. Now, as many spiritual writers with far more experience than I have recognized throughout history, this level of trust and openness to the Spirit of God’s word does not happen immediately. It comes out of a long, disciplined, attentive practice of prayer. We don’t just immediately “learn to pray.” Rather, we live into the rhythms of prayer and contemplation. It is an ongoing, often uphill, process. The fact that Joseph is not only able and willing to pay attention to the dream, but is also willing to trust the dream tells us something important about him: He is not just a carpenter, father of Jesus, husband of Mary. Joseph is a man of great prayer and faith; he is a contemplative-in-action.

 

Comments

[Ellen Mullin]

My Father was John Joseph. The best of men. He was more of a Father to my Son than anyone. The Josephites taught me in Grammar School and in High School. Sr. St. Anne was my CCD teacher in Kindergarden. She made me feel so special that I had the one and only tantrum I ever had in my life to go to Catholic School, and my parents did send me. I went to St. Agnes Seminary then to Fontbonne Hall HS. Sr. St. John Fontbonne was the foundress of the Josephites. Thank you for this one.

[tom faranda]

Very nice Ellen. Thanks for posting.