I wrote this fictitious letter to St Joseph, whose feast we celebrate today. We especially pray today for all those named Joseph and Josephine, those nearing death and those searching for work.
Dear Saint Joseph,
Today being your feast day, I thought of writing you a few lines mainly to show my gratitude for all you did for Jesus and Mary, and for us all. Very few people are greater than you are! Because being so close to Jesus and Mary, you are also the most blessed and full of grace. Well, if you weren’t so special and blessed, God would not have trusted you with his two most priceless possessions, marrying Mary, in spite of all the gossiping that was going on before your engagement, and then taking the role of a foster father of Jesus, protecting him, educating him and raising him from infancy to adulthood. You are fairly unknown around the world, but at least at Christmas time your image explodes all around the world with the millions of religious Christmas cards exchanged between families and friends.
We read in the Gospels that God always conveyed his messages
to you in dreams and during sleep. This doesn’t mean that He wanted you to be
passive, as if you didn’t know what was going on. We never see you in dialogue
with Mary, or giving your opinion in stressful situations. But you let Mary
handle all situations, as she dialogued with the Angel Gabriel, at the wedding
at Cana, or when Jesus was lost in the temple - she spoke, and you were silent.
You receive the message, and made sure it was worked out and implemented. That
was your divine mission and vocation - to be a silent instrument in the hands
of God. I bet you enjoyed teaching Jesus the carpenter’s trade and other duties
and chores around the house at Nazareth.
But like any other boy, I’m sure he had his moments which made you laugh.
Did He obey you and Mary? Was He helpful with some household chores? Did He
always say His prayers? What did He like to eat? Which vegetable did He dislike? Which toys did He fancy playing
with? Did He keep His room clean and in order? What hobbies did he have as a
child? Did He always show respect to you and other relatives? Did He ever date
any girl as a young man? And like every child you must have been overjoyed hen
He grew His first tooth, made His first step by himself, when He said His first word, even when He
learned how to pee by himself, when He started school, when he got his first
bump on his forehead and His first scratch on his knee, like all boys do, and
many other spontaneous situations.
Please Saint Joseph, just as
you protected Mary and Jesus, I ask you to protect our church, of which you are
its special patron saint. Give us more vocations because we need priests and
nuns to continue the work in parishes, schools, orphanages and hospitals. Give
us good parents, responsible and loving, ready to sacrifice their lives for
their children and families, just as you and Mary did. Please pray for all
workers, that they may honestly give their share of labor and be dedicated in
their mission, always admiring you as their patron saint, another feast of
yours we celebrate on May 1st. Be patient with us, dear St Joseph, because we
tend to be hard-headed and spoiled at times. Remind us always to be grateful
for all the blessings that you and your Son and wife give us, day by day.
Signed - a friend and an admirer.
No comments:
Post a Comment