Yes, we can say that St. Joseph is the saint of uncertain
times for the simple reason that he carried out his role as spouse of
the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of Christ, taking care of
the most important persons in mankind’s history, no less than our
savior and his mother, with a great sense of fidelity and creativity
amid many trials and difficulties.
Let us recall some of the difficult decisions and tasks he
had to carry out in obedience to God’s will: how he decided to marry
Our Lady when at first he already thought of not pushing through with
the marriage, how he immediately took Mary and the child Jesus in the
middle of the night to flee to Egypt and escape the planned killing of
innocent children by King Herod, etc.
Of course, the most important task was how to bring up the
child Jesus, who though a divine person was also a man who needed to
be taken care of, especially during his childhood, and to grow and
learn many things. It must have been a very challenging duty of his as
well as very rewarding.
St. Joseph may strike us as only a very ordinary
character, a carpenter with hardly any notable accomplishment to his
name. But he was chosen by God to be entrusted with the most delicate
responsibility, precisely that of being the head of the Holy Family on
earth.
His life and his vocation should gladden and edify us who
for the most part may only be occupying humble positions in life,
doing very ordinary tasks, mostly hidden with hardly any great social
impact. But if we follow the example of St. Joseph, we would be
convinced that whatever our status in life, if we do things with
faith, hope and love the way St. Joseph did his, then whatever we do
may not have some social impact, but they would have a great spiritual
and supernatural effect.
That is why it is highly encouraged that we develop this
devotion to him. He is a good teacher in the art of prayer, in having
an intimate relation with Christ and Mary which is so crucial if we
want our spiritual life to really grow, mature and be fruitful.
Let us approximate the sense of proximity and intimacy
that St. Joseph enjoyed in his life with Jesus and Mary. Such sense of
proximity and intimacy would truly help us to live presence of God all
throughout the day, and to maintain a spiritual and supernatural
bearing while being immersed in our daily temporal affairs. It would
turn us into real contemplative souls in the middle of the world.
It would make everything in our life, including the many
trials, difficulties and the many uncertainties, most meaningful. It
would make us realize that everything in our life, whether good or bad
according to human standards, is and should be an occasion to be
sanctified by offering it to God, and to be sanctified by it as well.
St. Joseph’s life and example would help us never to
forget what is truly essential in our life.
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