THE WORD AND THE SAINT

St. Joseph - As the Word projects him!

Solemnity of St. Joseph: Silent, Simple and Sleeping!

2 Sam 7: 4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a.

St. Joseph occupies a huge space in the climax of God's salvific plan which was accomplished in Jesus - still he remains a quiet, noiseless and unassuming person! In a noisy world of today which claims recognition for every little thing and clamours for attention, his mode of living his life, carrying out his mission and responding to his call is a lovely lesson. Apart from this, there are three dimensions of this saint that we can notice emerging from the Word today.

Silent Protagonist:

He had a very important role to play within the historical events that were unfolding  in time, and he played it to perfection. The extraordinary quality that we see in this personality is the silence - how he remained recollected in his depths, to receive the directions from the Lord and execute them to the letter. The prefigurement of this image is seen in Abraham, presented to us in the second reading - how he spoke very little too! He listened and obeyed! St. Joseph too listened and for that he chose to remain silent!



Simple Person:

He was simple as a person... this does not mean he had just an old fashioned dress and no sandals on feet - that is how 'being simple' is understood these days! Simple is opposed to complicated! He was not complicated in anyway - an yes meant yes and a no meant no. He thought of rejecting Mary, he was told to accept and he accepted. He thought of returning to Judea, but was told not to and he went to the district of Galilee. He was a simple man who had no air of ego around him nor any self-interests to hang on! The figure of David is presented to us in the first reading drawing our attention to a way of life that was simple. Though the man had limitations within him, he had no ego absolutely. When he was pointed out, he immediately repented. He was called to be a servant of the Lord and even as a King he remained so! St. Joseph never complicated his role or his person, he remained as simple as he was called.

Sleeping Prophet: 

Sleeping St. Joseph is a popular devotion by now...a renewed perspective reminded by our Holy Father. It is not a mere novelty of thinking but a perspective of faith: the Lord provided for God's beloved even as they sleep (Ps 127:2). It is one lifestyle to spend sleepless nights thinking about something. It is completely a different life style to leave it to the Lord and sleep over it, for the Lord takes care of me even if I am asleep! It is a choice. It is a prophetic sleep when it is out of total surrender to the Lord - Joseph of the Old Testament, the namesake of the saint we celebrate, is a beautiful example of this lifestyle. He surrendered himself totally to the Lord and lived his life like a dream. St. Joseph too was so surrendered to the Lord that even as he slept, he felt protected and directed. 

FRANCIS' FIVE - #5

FIVE YEARS OF POPE FRANCIS 

March 13, 2013 - the day Pope Francis took on the divine mandate of leading the People of God. It has been five years and there are FIVE strong orientations that this wonderful person of God has given the Church and the world. 

5. YOUTH - the lifeline of the Church 

Youth are the point of attraction for the Holy Father. He refuses to believe the theory of the world today: that youth feel the Church is irrelevant; and he says he cannot believe it because a million young voices keep shouting to him something different - that they need God, that the need real faith experiences, that they need relevant spirituality, that they need to make a difference in their world! 

Pope Francis has become a friend of the young! He speaks their language, he likes what they like and he admires what they enjoy and he believes in their capacity to build an all new world, a transformed Church and a passion filled humanity! Not just himself, he has challenged the rest of the Church to change their mentality, shirk their prejudices and listen to the young. 

The present preparation towards the Synod of the Young - he prefers to call it not 'Synod for or about the Young' but 'Synod OF the young'. He has invited the youth to speak out their minds; say things without fear and challenge the Church towards transformation. The extensive survey that has been done among the young, the various meetings that he has had with groups of them, and the Presynodal Meeting that he is planning to have with over 300 youth from various parts of the world on 19th March, 2018 are just a few highlights of the importance that he gives to the youth and their participation in the Church. 

The Papal Stations of the Cross, which is celebrated every Palm Sunday at the Colosseum, this is year is being written by the youth! A simple message that the Holy Father is giving them in this - that he wants their voice be heard by the Church! That does not mean he does not challenge them: he says, enough of burying yourself in the fake identities of your social network, stand and speak up. He has time and again instructed them : do not be afraid to love, do not be afraid to commit yourself, do not be afraid to serve! The Church is in need of courageous youngsters. 

Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment - is a project that he has given the young, calling their attention to their life of faith and their call to live their life to the full and play their role to the utmost. He incites them to create a chaos where they are, so that something new and fresh, alive and attractive can be born. He invites the youth, as he writes to the Canadian Youth: "flood the places where you live with the joy and enthusiasm typical of your youthful age, to irrigate the world and history with the joy that comes from the Gospel, from having met a person: Jesus, who has enthralled you and has drawn you to be with Him."

Certainly the Holy Father does not consider this merely his special charism to relate to the Young, but wants the entire Church to trust in the Youth, to respect them and listen to them and confide in them the responsibility of leading the Church on in this new millennium.