Providence

“Saint Joseph will teach you how to be detached from earthly things and abandoned to Divine Providence.” (Donald Calloway in “30 Day Eucharistic Revival” at page 129).

Saint Joseph Embracing the Infant Christ (Norton Simon Museum)

I have been reflecting on Saint Joseph the foster father of Christ.

What a life that man led.  The woman that he married was the spouse of God Himself.  I mean, when you stop and think about that alone it would be enough to cause any man to be terrified.  How could a mere human man compare with God Himself?  How could a mere human man offer any sort of support or protection to the handmaid of God Himself?

God was already involved with the Blessed Virgin, no wonder Saint Joseph planned to call off the betrothal quietly.  How could he be expected to try to take the place of God as the husband of the Virgin?  And all of this is BEFORE we even stop to consider that the Blessed Virgin was carrying the Son of God.  This is before we stop to consider that the Blessed Virgin was the Mother of God Himself.

Just thinking that she was the Handmaid of the Lord (much less the Spouse and Mother of the Lord) would have been enough to send any sane man running for the hills.  How could he be expected to protect and provide for a woman such as she?  She is Queen of Heaven.  He was a humble carpenter.  How could a humble carpenter be expected to provide for the QUEEN?

And yet, he slept.  He did not pace the room at night and wonder about all the possible scenarios.  He did not stress himself out and worry that he was going to get himself into trouble that he could not resolve.  He did not worry that it was all hopeless and that he would never be able to provide for that family in the capacity that God had placed him in.  He slept.  And in sleeping, he dreamed.  And when he dreamed of the angel, he did not wake up and talk himself out of the dream.  He did not wake up and try to justify his dream in another way.  He did not wake up and consider that he had done the wrong thing.

Instead, he woke up and took action relying on the providence of God.  And when he listened to the prophets in the temple, and when they told his wife, “(And a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:35), he did not panic or run away.  He did not doubt God.  Instead, he listened and prayed and continued with the task that he had been assigned and relied on the providence of God.

“Saint Joseph lived on Divine Providence. Had Baby Jesus not been given gold, frankincense, and myrrh by the Wise Men in Bethlehem, it is likely that the Head of the Holy Family would not have had money to purchase food and other necessities for his family when they fled to Egypt. After all, when they journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill the census, they did not bring many things with them because they expected to return to Nazareth from Egypt. The Holy Family lived for almost 30 year in a house in Nazareth that was simple and small. ...Saint Joseph will teach you how to be detached from earthly things and abandoned to Divine Providence.” (Donald Calloway in “30 Day Eucharistic Revival” at page 129).

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.