+JMJ
"Let us allow ourselves to be filled with St. Joseph's silence! In a world that is often too noisy, that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God's voice, we are in such need of it."
(Pope Benedict XVI)
In the age of social media, the clamor for attention is like the deafening thunder of a towering waterfall. The insatiable desire to indulge one's ego is displayed through the broadcasting of all personal details and opinions, illustrated in words or images. Less one thinks himself innocent of the charge of virtual grandstanding because he refrains from those platforms, and haughtily separate himself from his blabbering brethren, he should consider how often he uses subtle devices to attract notice. God has bestowed the tremendous gifts of reason and speech upon man, but unfortunately if the former is neglected when employing the latter, man acts no better than the cackling hens who fill the barnyard with their cacophony.
"O, that a guard were set over my mouth, and a seal of prudence upon my lips that it may keep me from falling so that my tongue may not destroy me!" (Sir. 22:27)
Though the sharing of even the seemingly trivial may seem harmless, the urge to do so is a symptom of a larger disease that plagues the discontented and insecure soul. Modern man refuses to forego any opportunity to publicize himself. No witty remark is left unsaid. Every opinion is erudite and so must be pronounced. Complaints and daily frustrations are chronicled rather than concealed. Altruism may be done in secret but must be subtly alluded to so the doer receives his deserved acknowledgement.
In contrast to this morass of vanity and self-pity, stands the truly humble man who sincerely desires to remain hidden. St. Joseph, the Just Man, is aptly given this title for the virtue of justice demands that one gives others what is due them, and St. Joseph foremost gave God what was due Him- his faithful service and adoration- and trusted that God in His providence would give him and the Holy Family what was necessary for them. The dear husband of Our Lady, provides the essential witness of silent and selfless servitude.
St. Joseph was granted guardianship of the Messiah and His Mother, but not knowledge of how God's plan would unfold. He, of all people, had reason to complain when sufferings came. Why did God not protect the Holy Infant from the harshest elements: born in abject poverty, hunted by a ravenous dictator, ostracized in a foreign land. Why did Mary, the woman he loved so tenderly, have to endure humiliations when she was the Mother of the Savior? Precedence for grumbling about God's designs certainly can be found in abundance when perusing the lives of the Patriarchs and Prophets. And yet, St. Joseph remains ever the steadfast servant: eager to carry out God's will, despite the hardship he and his loved ones must endure.
Modern man abhors hiddenness, but St. Joseph embraces it. The former clings to his complaints while the latter courageously eschews the temptation to self-pity. Attracting attention to indulge one's self takes little effort but the restraint which cultivates humility demands the tremendous strength of St. Joseph. Pray to St. Joseph! Desire to be like him!
“Devotion to St. Joseph is one of the choicest graces that God can give to a soul, for it is tantamount to revealing the entire treasury of our Lord’s graces. When God wishes to raise a soul to greater heights, he unites it to St. Joseph by giving it a strong love for the good saint."
(St. Peter Julian Eymard)
