THE SILENCE OF ST. JOSEPH - 03/20/23 (Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Matthew 1:20–23

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032023.cfm

Blessed Solemnity of St. Joseph! St. Joseph is the greatest saint after the Blessed Virgin Mary. And yet, in the gospel reading for his solemnity, we do not see any words coming from his mouth. What we can only "hear" is his silence. For other people, being silent means not doing anything or not saying anything. However, for St. Joseph, silence means recognition of the interior presence of God which causes him to be at peace. There are at least two reasons why we should imitate St. Joseph in persevering in our interior silence. The first reason is because through it, we can discern the voice of God better. In today's gospel reading, he discovered that the Blessed Virgin Mary was pregnant, and he had the thought of leaving her. Fortunately, God revealed through an angel that what happened to Mary was miraculous and that he was given a mission of taking care of Jesus, the promised Savior. After waking up from a dream, St. Joseph immediately did what the angel told him. It is in silence that we can hear the voice of God more and be sensitive to His inspirations. Not every thought that we have comes from God. Some come from ourselves while others come from the devil. But, if we reflect on our thoughts in accordance to the Word of God and the teachings of the Catholic Church in silence, we will have the the certainty that we are doing the will of God. 

The second reason why we should practice interior silence is because through this, we will persevere in the virtue of hope. Through this virtue, we will be able to trust in God even amidst the trials and sufferings we experience. St. Joseph is a good example of someone who hoped against hope. Even though he discovered that the Blessed Virgin Mary was pregnant, he did not judge her. St. Joseph remained gentle and at peace in such a way that we did not see him getting angry or dwelling on strong emotions. After he listened to the angel, he did not doubt God. Instead, he immediately did was God was asking of St. Joseph because he trusted in Him. Even in other instances, St. Joseph did not lose hope when King Herod ordered the Killin of the innocent and when Jesus, at 12 years old, was missing. Sometimes, when we face difficulties in life, it's easy for us to lose the peace in our hearts. When other people disagree with us, it may be easy for us to immediately be angry with them and to forget about the presence of God. May we imitate St. Joseph by remaining gentle at all times and by turning to God always. Let us also seek the help of St. Joseph, especially by being more dedicated in honoring him everyday with special prayers to him. Through the intercession of St. Joseph, God will take away the fears in our hearts and fill us with peace as we persevere in silence. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Fasting and Abstinence during Lent:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/56337/fasting-and-abstinence-during-lent

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth