Friday January 15, 2021 Year of St. Joseph
Take a good look at this picture of a stained glass window in Youngstown..St. Pat’s on Oak Hill to be exact. Take a good long look at it. (PAUSE: I mean it!)
Mary is on the left; Joseph on the right, and Jesus in the middle. Mary pondering. Joseph wondering. Jesus focusing. (Interesting that Jesus is being held, not by either of his early parents, but by the angel.) As Mary pondered all things in her heart, and Jesus focused on the work of the Heavenly Father (even in this window, embracing the tiny cross with his arms), Joseph seems to be wondering. “What is the mission? What is my mission? What am I supposed to do? How can I do what I have to do unless I know what it’s all about?” “Come on…give me the details, would ya!?” Joseph is just like us!
Last night, DeAnna and I watched another episode of our latest NetFlix series. As it came to a conclusion for the night, one of the characters is exasperated and blurts out: “Why didn’t I know the whole story? Why didn’t I know the whole plan?” The response of her partner is classic. “You didn’t need to know everything. All you needed to do was your part. And you did it.”
We are just like Joseph and Joseph is just like us. I am sure going to Egypt was not cake walk. The trip to Bethlehem must have seemed like one compared to that rugged journey. Then, years later, to be told in a dream no less, to go home. I am sure, even doing his duty, Joseph must have wondered, “what’s the plan?”
After the return from Egypt, there is no mention of Joseph in the Gospels, other than his connection to Jesus, as father. (Mt 13:55, Mk 6:3, Lk 4:22 and Jn 6:42). So critical and pivitol was Joseph to the incarnation and the economy of Salvation, you would think that there would be more. But no. That’s it. And not even a word. Joseph has no lines in the Cosmic Salvific Play.
But I return to the line from Netflix: “You didn’t need to know everything. All you needed to do was your part. And you did it.” All Joseph needed to do what his part. And his part was essential.
We have heard that word used a lot this year. Essential Jobs…essential workplaces…essential businesses…and essential workers. WELL..we are just like Joseph. We don’t know the whole plan. We don’t know all the details. But we do know this. Jesus Christ has come in the Flesh and He preached the Kingdom of God, suffered for all of our sins and rose triumphant from the grave…ascended to HIS Heavenly Father and sending the Holy Spirit, He calls us to do our part. To proclaim that He is the way and the truth and the life.
Like Joseph, we have an essential part in the Plan of Salvation. Just do it.
St. Joseph, Pray for us