Friday of the Second Week of Lent in the Year of St. Joseph
With an eye toward the Scriptures that will unfold for us on Sunday I find myself again looking at Jesus through the eyes or influence of his foster father, Joseph. Here is a handy link to the readings:
( https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030721-YearB.cfm) Where did Jesus learn the 10 commandments? Where did he learn to be zealous about God’s Temple? Where did he learn that it was the Lord’s way that was perfect? It had to be in the house of Nazareth…where else.
Where did you learn right from wrong? That God loved you? That his name is holy and his way is the only way that truly satisfies? At home? From your mom or dad?
Several years ago there was a country song that echoed both the good and bad we teach children. Rodney Atkins song “Watching You” portrayed the exchange of habits between a father and young song. At first, the words coming out of the boy’s mouth betrayed the father as their origin. But later in the song, that same father has a graced moment, when he observes his little boy praying:
“ He crawled out of bed and
he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes,
folded his little hands
And spoke to God like
he was talking to a friend
And I said, “Son, now where’d you
learn to pray like that?”
He said, “I’ve been watching you, dad.
Ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you”
I am convinced, deep within us is the desire to be an influence on others…to truly be a good and positive influence on others. That is what holiness is all about. St. Joseph is a model of Holiness. His life was not as a marble or plaster statue holding a lily. His was one of day to day testimony to the truth of the Godhead in the midst of a needy world. He needed a savior. His sinless bride
needed a gateway to heaven. His people needed redemption. The commandments, prophets all lead to fixation with God’s movement in their life. This was salvation history. Most likely, he had no idea, that the child he held, protected and adopted was that salvation history in the flesh.
We are called to influence others with GOOD NEWS…Jesus has come…Christ has died, risen and will come again…to take us to his father’s house. Good News huh?
St. Joseph Pray for us!