ST. JOSEPH
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| The man who is known as the guardian and
foster-father of Jesus, when he was a child, is someone who shows us
how to live wisely. Very little is said about him in the Gospel
stories, except that he was a man who listened to dreams and
spiritual messengers. In fact, this is what he is most famous for
--- his openness to the will of God as shown to him in these secret
and spiritual ways. To many this is "foolishness", but to
those who believe in God who is the Great Spirit over all and in
all, this is the only way to live wisely. As scripture says:
"Blessed is the man who could have sinned but did not",
and we can say this of Joseph. He could have refused to listen, but
he did not. Because he listened, Mary was not rejected by her family
and neighbors as someone who was pregnant outside of marriage.
Because he listened, Mary and the Christ Child were tucked safely
away in Egypt during the terrible massacre at Bethlehem, known as
the "slaughter of the innocents". Because he listened to
Jesus (in the last recorded account about Joseph), Jesus was allowed
to continue expressing and owning his unique relationship with his
true Father.
Joseph was insane by many standards --- he listened to dreams and spirit messengers. He was a true Dakota in this way, because he was free to be in harmony with the spiritual world, and not afraid to carry out the message he received in the daily life around him. He took this child and taught him all the traditional values and the spiritual way, so well in fact, that he "grew in wisdom" and became the great saving and suffering Servant of all humanity. Then Joseph himself receded into the background like all good teachers. |