Posts Tagged ‘Luke 2:41-52’
The Obedience of Saint Joseph – Br. Jack Crowley
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Feast of Saint Jospeh
Occasionally we Brothers are asked which of our three vows is the hardest to follow. Most people think we are going to say celibacy. The correct answer, in my experience, is obedience.
Obedience is always harder, more nuanced, and more unpredictable than you think it will be. Obedience lives in that tricky intersection of listening for God’s will, searching your own conscious, and then living your life as best you can. Saint Joseph, whose feast we keep today, lived in this intersection.
One of the most mysterious parts of Saint Joseph’s obedience is that we really do not know how he felt about it. We literally never hear from Joseph. He doesn’t have a single word of dialogue in scripture. Although we never verbally hear from Joseph, his life and his obedience speaks for itself. As our collect of the day says, Joseph is known for his uprightness of life and his obedience to God’s command. Saint Joseph knew what his vocation in life was, to be the guardian of God’s incarnate son, and he did just that. Read More
Joseph’s Yes – Br. Luke Ditewig
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Br. Luke Ditewig
St. Joseph
We frequently remember Mary for saying “yes” to God’s invitation. Joseph also said “yes” though none of his words are recorded in scripture. His life is his word. Joseph’s actions speak loudly.
Joseph was a righteous man. Quiet Joseph resolved to do the right thing, to dismiss Mary quietly, to save her from disgrace. Then God told Joseph to do something different, to take Mary as his wife and name their child Jesus. Joseph listened and followed.
The righteous are attentive to listen, with a detachment and freedom to change their ideas—even, especially, of what they understand to be right—and being righteous means action, doing God’s will. Through the gospels, Jesus continually confronts those who cling tight to what they sense is right including who to eat with and how to worship.
When God spoke, Joseph listened and changed his plans. He took Mary as his wife. Later God told him to flee to Egypt with his family, and Joseph did. Further on, God told him to return to Galilee, and Joseph did. Read More
An Extraordinary Boy – Br. David Vryhof
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Luke 2:41-52
I suspect that many of you will remember the 1990 movie classic, “Home Alone,” in which a frantic family jets off to Paris for Christmas only to discover that they have left their youngest child behind. The movie’s plot is, admittedly, a little difficult to swallow.How does a family leave their house, ride all the way to the airport, hang out in the waiting area, board the plane, and only then, midway over the Atlantic Ocean, realize that one of their children is missing? If you can get past that question, you still have to believe that this very clever eight year-old boy, entirely on his own,is capable of successfully defending his home against two adult burglars, using a series of ingenious traps and gimmicks;and all without losing his composure, even for a moment. Extraordinary child, to say the least.
The gospel story today may also stretch your imagination a bit. How did Mary and Joseph travel an entire day before discovering that their son wasn’t with the group? And how did a 12-year-old Jesus survive three days in the city on his own, apparently without any sign of anxiety or stress, all the while successfully matching wits with Temple scholars, most of whom had likely spent their whole lives studying the Torah? Read More