Following St. Joseph's Lead
"Stay quiet with God. Do not spend your time in useless chatter."
These wise words are from a sermon given by St. Charles Borromeo back in the 1500's, but I thought them a timely reminder for our present day.
There's definitely a lot of "chatter" in our modern lives - in the news, in social media, in our own heads. We're living through turbulent times, and all the change and uncertainty can amplify the "noise" of anxious ruminations, contributing to feelings of overwhelm.
Being surrounded by this constant noise and amplified uncertainty makes it incredibly difficult to "stay quiet with God." We can have so much trouble hearing His voice that we end up deaf to His call for us in our daily lives.
We're in desperate need of an example of how to maintain peace and quiet recollection amid a world full of turmoil; of how to trust in God's plan amid deep uncertainty. (And if that example happened to be a model of humility, chaste love, and a powerful protector as well? Definitely couldn't hurt.)
Enter St. Joseph - the quiet, humble leader and protector of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
St. Joseph is an example of someone born like we are (with concupiscence) yet who attains great holiness - that radical holiness and sainthood to which we are all called. He shows us how it's possible to become holy through the normal means of a normal life: being part of a family, in and through our daily work, by living out a simple, quiet life, daily receiving the Word of God into his heart.
"The greatest male Saint who ever lived was not a deacon, not a priest, not a bishop, not a pope, not a hermit, not a monk... he was a husband, father, and a worker." - St. Josemaria Escriva
St. Joseph has been the silent, humble protector of the Church since the beginning, and is a sure guide to bring us to Jesus, the only place where we find true peace and quiet rest for our anxious minds and hearts.
As we navigate through these crazy times we're living in, let us place ourselves under the care, protection, and leadership of this guardian of the Holy Family!
"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... St. Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation." - Pope Francis
Image by @pax.valerie
The two major feast days on which we celebrate St. Joseph are March 19th and May 1st. I'd like to invite you to consider making the 44-day preparation for consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph this year. A start date of March19th will have you prepared for consecration on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker - May 1st!
Resources:
In this book, the psychological dimensions of family life
and human formation are explored in light of the Holy
Family and the education they can give us in their School
of Love! This 44-day preparation for consecration is
written in a way meant to draw you into the process with
your body, mind, and spirit.