Luceat!

Let us enter Joseph’s Workshop in Nazareth, where we find him working hard and a little lad by his side. This youngster is our Lord Jesus. He is holding the lamp for Joseph and handing him the proper tools when Joseph sticks out his hand. From time to time Joseph would hand Jesus the saw and say, “Now you try.”

They would pause for lunch together and while working they would sing many of the psalms. Joseph, being the spiritual head of the holy family, would have led many prayers for them during the day, teaching Jesus the traditions of their forefathers. It is here in the workshop of Nazareth that we find the ordinary life that Jesus lived for 30 years. His glory was hidden from the world, yet Joseph knew of the greatness of the little lad that he raised in that workshop.

Joseph never grew too anxious; he was confident in the call he had to be the foster father of Jesus. He loved his wife, Mary, and treated her with great dignity and care. He never said much. We see this from Sacred Scripture: He never says one word in all of Scripture, but in his silence, we find the wisdom of peace and joy.

We need a saint like Joseph today. In our busy and fast-paced world, we get caught up with the many distractions. We are thrown off guard by a little mishap. Look to Joseph as he led his family to Egypt, away from those who sought to kill Jesus. He was calm, directed, and full of trust. It was his strength in silence that led the holy family to safety.

We should cling to St. Joseph, so that we can become contemplatives in the midst of the world. Most of us are not called to abbeys and monasteries, but to be mystics and saints in the midst of our brothers and sisters in the affairs of daily life. It is these affairs that we must continue offer to God each day.

St. Joseph is our model. He is known to be the patron of the interior life. We should find ourselves praying daily, “St. Joseph, increase my love for the interior life.” This will give us the strength to be those contemplatives in the midst of the world that God desires us to be. St. Joseph is our guide, trust in his silent presence and follow his humble example.

How can we foster this example of St. Joseph in our daily lives? Tomorrow when you check your email, study for your next exam, or meet up with a friend to chat, remember St. Joseph. Remember your call to be a saint like him! He is praying for you.