Year of St. Joseph: Not a Moment Too Soon

If you're like me, a major fan of the adoptive father of the Christ-child, you're overjoyed at the announcement of The Year of St. Joseph, which Pope Francis announced on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this past week! Also, if you're like me, you were a little surprised that this year of St. Joseph started the day it was announced! But I think the Holy Father is realizing the tremendous need we have in the world for the fatherhood of St. Joseph! 

A Crisis of Lost Fatherhood

The Church has been making the truth known for years now that there is a crisis in fatherhood particularly in the United States of America, but also across the world. More than ever, we are missing the presence of authentic fathers. That's not to say that there are none; but rather, to find one or to have an authentically present and faithful father in your life is a rare experience enjoyed only by a few. 

The devastating ramifications of the lack of fatherhood are clear and supported by numerous studies and statistics. We can point to any one result and see how the lack of a strong and steady father figure has impacted thousands and thousands of lives. But above all, for us as Christians and Catholics, where we see the crisis most of all is in the number of those leaving the Church. Young adults are leaving in droves. The consistent factor among those who stay is harrowing: the presence of a father who was authentically invested and leader in the family's Catholic faith. 

I can honestly affirm that this was true for me. My parents, who are heroic parents on many levels, homeschooled my five siblings and me for my whole K-high school academic journey. To hear them tell the story of their initial decision, when they were told that the subjects taught by the father would be prioritized by the children, they both determined that my dad needed to be the one who taught us Religion. That's not to say my mom didn't participate at all in this area of our education, but since my mom was home with us on a daily basis, we saw her faith daily. This made the investment of my dad in catechizing my siblings and I apparent. Mom would frequently take us to daily Mass, but there were plenty of times when Dad would meet us there. The faith was always a shared responsibility in our home, and since it was part of family life as well as school and home life (since they were all integrated in my brain because, hey, homeschooled), my mental image of Church was inseparable from my mental image of family life. 

Sadly, my experience is not the norm for many of my peers. There are plenty of them who hold onto their faith because one parent is invested while the other is not. There are others who are the only person in their family who practices their Catholic faith (and they consider the fact that they've remained in the faith a miracle of its own). 

This is why we need St. Joseph. St. Joseph, even though he was not Immaculately Conceived nor the Son of God, was the leader of the Holy Family. When the family needed to leave Bethlehem, to whom did the angel appear? Joseph! And Joseph took up the responsibility and the challenge, mustered his courage, woke his wife and child, and set out on a journey to a distant and strange land to protect the precious gift that the wise men had come to adore shortly before. Joseph takes the lead. 

Joseph's Silent Strength

We also need St. Joseph more than ever at this time because of the wisdom and strength that he offers. St. Joseph is distinguished as a righteous man in Matthew's Gospel (Mt. 1:19), which means blameless before God due to a desire to keep God's law and covenant. In this way, Joseph is much like his namesake from the book of Genesis - Joseph, whose brothers threw him into a dried up cistern simply because he was their father's favorite, who resisted temptations, who was responsible and wise enough to be made Pharaoh's right-hand man in Egypt, and who ultimately forgave his brothers once they had proved themselves changed men. 

Consider Joseph's position. Joseph is a carpenter, well-established in the community, and betrothed to Mary. He discovers that Mary has been found with child. Joseph knows Mary to be a woman of holiness, and so rather than jump to conclusions, he works to reconcile what he knows of Mary with what he knows of the circumstances. (There are some traditions that say that the overwhelming stress of being unable to mentally reconcile these two truths turned Joseph's hair white within a week.) But Joseph did not let the circumstances convince him that he was wrong about Mary. He knew that he wasn't wrong about her. Therefore, he decided to divorce her quietly so that she would no harm would come to her (and, some sources say, because he felt himself unworthy to be husband to her if what she said was true - that she had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit). 

Joseph, therefore, stayed away from rash judgment. He did not let the circumstances and appearances alter his judgment. He remained righteous in his way of thinking and his way of acting. He intended to do no harm, no matter what, on neither a moral nor a human level. Only an act of God can bring him to the full realization of the truth and/or a change of direction. And God does not disappoint! 

Bam! In a dream, Joseph encounters a messenger from the Lord who tells him:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,

    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home (Mt. 20b-24).

I love that Joseph is addressed by the angel as "son of David", because we often forget that St. Joseph was descended from the line of kings as a descendant of the house of David. We could honestly say that Joseph is the rightful heir to the throne, while Herod is an impostor king, set up by Rome. Yet Joseph is not a resentful, rebellious young man; rather, he is righteous and it is this righteousness that sets him apart as a holy spouse for the Mother of God. 

In an age of "cancel culture" and swift accusations, judgments, and a general spirit of unforgivness in our society, Joseph's response of faith to the miraculous conception of Jesus in Mary's womb stands as "a sign of contradiction" to the present age. He was ready to back away and be compassionate towards Mary, but when called upon by God to step up and be a father and a husband in the Holy Family that needed a protector and a leader, Joseph did exactly that! Joseph responded like the holy man of God that he is and takes Mary as his wife and raises the Son of God as his own son. 

A professor of mine once reflected to the class that he believed this role of Joseph was more the role of a protector than we might realize. Consider this - the Evil One knew the prophecy of Isaiah, too: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel.... Therefore, he would have been on the prowl - looking for a woman, a virgin, who was pregnant and alone. Therefore, the presence of Joseph as husband and father would have "thrown off" the devil's scent. Perhaps this is why we refer to Joseph by another title: Terror of Demons. This same professor, a Scotsman by birth, was adamant that Joseph's quiet strength is something that we can imagine being silent yet terrifying: "You shall not lay a hand on this woman or this child, and if you even try you'll have to go through me first."

Embrace Your Spiritual Father

In this year of St. Joseph, I've determined to finally read a book that's been on my shelf for years: Meet Your Spiritual Father, by Mark Mirevalle, PhD. As you've probably guessed, it is all about St. Joseph. I've also felt a tug towards asking St. Joseph to intercede for me as I continue to discern my own call to the vocation of marriage. I know he is a powerful intercessor, so I know I can trust him with the hopes I have to find a holy spouse. :) 

How will you get to know this spiritual father of ours, good St. Joseph, the terror of demons? Think about it. Pray about it. And let's enter into the Year of St. Joseph with faith and joyful expectation. 

St. Joseph, pray for us!

the Itinerant Catechist

Perfect Joy in a Pandemic-Stricken World

Today is Gaudete Sunday! The third Sunday of Advent is known as "Gaudete!" or "Rejoice!" Sunday because it is considered the "past-the-halway-point" Sunday of Advent. We are so close to the end of Advent, which means we are so close to Christmas - the celebration and remembrance of Christ's first appearance in the world after 9 months in His mother's womb. We rejoice because we know that the Messiah is near - He is close, closer than ever as we accompany the Israelites awaiting Him through the readings of the Liturgy from the Old Testament. 

My pastor gave another stirring homily today, and its major theme was the belief that we have as Christians that joy does not mean the same thing as happiness. That is to say, joy can be present and real, even in the midst of sorrow. How? Well, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. As such, it comes in our lives as a result of our communion with God and lived relationship with Him in the life of grace. Joy is rooted in grace - it is determined by our closeness with the Lord, rather than by our feelings in the present moment like happiness is. My pastor connected this (as I was already doing in my brain, haha!) with the movie "Inside Out" and the way the film culminates in Joy and Sadness realizing that they do not have to compete; but rather, their cooperation actually makes for the most authentic and true memories and moments in the life of their person (Riley). It is good. It is so good to recognize that joy and sorrow do not exclude one another. Think of Our Lady - in the midst of her sorrow of sorrows at Calvary, she had the hope of the Resurrection still somehow alive in her; and in the moment of the Resurrection, her joy was more complete because she had embraced the sorrow of Calvary and its memory still was with her clearly. 

As I reflected on this theme of authentic joy in the Christian life that is so often riddled with both joy and sorrow, a few favorite members in the Communion of Saints came to mind. 

St. Francis of Assisi

There is a story about St. Francis of Assisi and one of his brothers, Brother Leo, who were on a journey as they were traveling a great distance in the middle of the winter and enduring terrible weather conditions as they went. Consider, they would have been barefoot, and going with little warmth but what their habits could provide. Yet, as they walked, Francis spoke often to Brother Leo, outlining numerous scenarios that would seem to us to be very favorable: (1) giving a great example of holiness, (2) performing great healings both spiritual and physical for many people, (3) having tremendous wisdom and understanding of the natural and supernatural, and (4) preaching so effectively as to convert all unbelievers. After this mode of conversation went on for a span of about 2 miles, Brother Leo finally ventured to ask: "Father Francis, teach me then: what would be perfect joy?" St. Francis replied: 

"If, when we shall arrive at Saint Mary of the Angels, all drenched with rain and trembling with cold, all covered with mud and exhausted from hunger; if, when we knock at the convent-gate, the porter should come angrily and ask us who we are; if, after we have told him, "We are two of the brethren", he should answer angrily, "What ye say is not the truth; ye are but two impostors going about to deceive the world, and take away the alms of the poor; begone I say"; if then he refuse to open to us, and leave us outside, exposed to the snow and rain, suffering from cold and hunger till nightfall - then, if we accept such injustice, such cruelty and such contempt with patience, without being ruffled and without murmuring, believing with humility and charity that the porter really knows us, and that it is God who maketh him to speak thus against us, write down, O Brother Leo, that this is perfect joy." 

St. Francis went on to describe how if they knocked a second and a third time and were finally driven away by their own brethren, even to the point of beating them and sending them away wounded and cold and miserable, that would be perfect joy if they were to bear these wrongs patiently and without grumbling. The reason? Through such sufferings they were united with Christ, and, Francis concludes, this is perfect joy. 

The story concludes thus, as St. Francis says: 

"And now, brother, listen to the conclusion. Above all the graces and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ grants to his friends, is the grace of overcoming oneself, and accepting willingly, out of love for Christ, all suffering, injury, discomfort and contempt; for in all other gifts of God we cannot glory, seeing they proceed not from ourselves but from God, according to the words of the Apostle, "What hast thou that thou hast not received from God? and if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?" But in the cross of tribulation and affliction we may glory, because, as the Apostle says again, "I will not glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Amen." (taken from: http://www.missa.org/joie_parfaite_e.php) 

G.K. Chesterton

Every Advent, I enjoy using my Advent devotional titled Advent and Christmas Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton, which always begins with a quote of the great philosopher and theologian, followed by a Scripture, a prayer, and a suggested action for the day. I've especially noticed this year how focused on joy Chesterton is in many of these quotes. 

On the second day in this devotional, in reflecting upon the fascination that every child possesses with the world around him/her, Chesterton marvels: "...within every one of these heads there is a new universe, as new as it was on the seventh day of creation." This quote reminds me very much of another quote by Chesterton, which follows along the sentiment of thought that perhaps every daisy is like those around it not because of some boredom of God's, but rather out of childlike delight - the kind that says: "Again! Again!" after any delightful experience. Thus, it is joy that marks our Creator's work of giving life, rather than any kind of monotony...which seems so much more fitting! 

Another wonderful quote of his begins with the familiar phrase: "Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly. This has always been the instinct of Christendom, and especially the instinct of Christian art. ...The tattered clock of the beggar will bear him up like the rayed plumes of the angels. But the kings in their heavy gold and the proud in their robes of purple will all of their nature sink downwards, for pride cannot rise to levity or levitation. Pride is the downward drag of all things into an easy solemnity. One 'settles down' into a sort of selfish seriousness; but one has to rise to a gay self-forgetfulness...." 

But it was the reflection for the 13th day, which I read on Friday morning, that really stuck in my memory this morning on Gaudete Sunday: 

"You cannot be too solemn about golf to be a good golfer; but you can be a great deal too solemn about Christianity to be a good Christian. You may put into your neckties solemnity and nothing but solemnity, because neckties are not the whole of your life - at least, I hope not. But in anything that does cover the whole of your life - in your philosophy and your religion - you must have mirth. If you do not have mirth you will certainly have madness." (emphasis mine)

Chesterton is adamant that joy is indeed the mark of authentic Christianity, for joy is frivolous to the one who lacks faith, fleeting to the one who has no hope. Which leads me to our next friend.... 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

"Where joylessness reigns, where humor dies, the love of Christ is assuredly absent." -Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

I remember I first encountered this quote on Facebook, a shared post from "The Catholic Gentleman" page, with a background black and white image of two men in suits riding skateboards down a sidewalk. I put it up on my bulletin board at work to remind me that my naturally joyful disposition was a strength and a gift, not a sign of shallowness. 

Our Emeritus Holy Father also once said: 

"The Holy Spirit gives us joy. And he is joy. Joy is the gift in which all the other gifts are included. It is the expression of happiness, of being in harmony with ourselves, that which can only come from being in harmony with God and with his creation. It belongs to the nature of joy to be radiant; it must communicate itself. The missionary spirit of the Church is none other than the impulse to communicate the joy which has been given." (emphasis mine)

Indeed, the fruit of the Spirit that is joy is a sign of harmony - harmony with God which leads to harmony with self, with each other, with creation. To be in the grace of God is to have these relationships, lost by original sin, redeemed and restored to us in and through Christ our Savior, who came at Christmas especially to reconcile us with God and with one another through the reconciliation He accomplishes in the Incarnation and ultimately at the Paschal Mystery. 

The Rebellious Nature of Joy

In this year of 2020, it has perhaps been harder than ever to maintain a sense of joy in our hearts and minds. But it is precisely for this reason that we need to cultivate joy more than ever in our lives. Now, by joy, I do not mean a false sense of positivity or happiness that is simply a mask for the challenges we are going through. No, for Christ is never inauthentic. But rather, joy chooses to be joyful and hopeful, even in the midst of struggles and pain. Therefore, it is good to embrace the truth that this year has been a truly challenging and painful year and the prospect of being far from people we love this holiday season is truly an occasion for sorrow. But let us remember also that we are "an Easter people," as another great saint, St. John Paul II, said once, "and Hallelujah is our song." Therefore, even as we walk the sorrowful, wet, and snowy roads of the winter of 2020-2021, may we walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, who knew that uniting our sufferings to the suffering of Christ is perfect joy. May we follow the example of G.K. Chesterton, who knew that joy and wonder are part of authentic human living and the essential mark of a Christian. May we learn from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI that suffering does not necessitate an absence of joy, but calls us to a deeper understanding of what it means to be joyful - that is, to be dependent on Christ alone for the joy and meaning that we ache for as human beings. Joy can be present in our hearts even in the absence of good feelings and great circumstances if we continue to look to Christ, who came to bring true and lasting joy to the world when He was born in the humblest of circumstances on a cold night in Bethlehem. So, be a rebel. Embrace joy in the face of sorrow. Root your joy in the person of Christ and you discover a foretaste of the joy of heaven - a joy which no sorrow or pain can touch or diminish.

Joyfully yours,

the Itinerant Catechist