Joseph: a man on a journey -- from contemplation to action
After the birth of Jesus and the visit of the shepherds who told Mary and Joseph what they had heard from the angels, Luke’s Gospel tells us that that Mary “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) Mary reflected. But no doubt Joseph did, too.
In the Gospels, no words of Joseph are recorded; Joseph never speaks, but he does have dreams; he listens to the voices in his dreams, and then he acts to protect Mary and Child Jesus. Joseph must have been, like many men, the “strong, silent type.” He, too, kept things in his heart and reflected upon them. And his deliberations led him to act. He was a man of both contemplation and action.
Pope Francis has dedicated this year to St. Joseph. During this 2021 Lenten season, we invite you to reflect with Joseph, on the amazing grace of God at work in our lives. May St. Joseph accompany us during this Lenten season. We can invite Joseph to teach us about what he did so well: how to reflect, to dream, to contemplate, and to act in faith.