March 19, 2011
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“’Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:16
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” Luke 2:46-49
Piety
A Parent’s Prayer to St. Joseph
O glorious St. Joseph,
to you God committed the care
of His only begotten Son
amid the many dangers of this world.
We come to you
and ask you to take under your special protection
the children God has given us.
Through holy baptism
they became children of God
and members of His holy Church.
We consecrate them to you today,
that through this consecration
they may become your foster children.
Guard them,
guide their steps in life,
form their hearts
after the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Study
If we had just an ounce of the faith of Joseph and Mary.
Today’s Gospel selection from Luke is like the opposite of the Prodigal Son story. Instead of the father keeping watch and awaiting the return of the Lost Son, the son remains secure in His father’s house while others seek him out.
Mary and Joseph sought out Jesus for a nice Biblically symmetrical three days until they found him in the temple. For three days, they were without Jesus by their side just like we will be without him from Good Friday afternoon until Easter Sunday morning.
When have you sought to have a close relationship with the Lord? How hard have you pursued your side of that relationship?
How will we deal with the absence of Jesus? Will we be seekers like Mary and Joseph? Or will be content to let Jesus find us?
Action
Just because the “Kingdom will endure forever,” does not mean we can take it for granted or that it will come about without a little sweat equity on our part. We must work every day to hold up our end of this critical relationship and build it brick-by-brick, board-by-board, person-by-person, just like Joseph the carpenter did.
Shall we, like St. Joseph and the disciples on the mountaintop for the Transfiguration, willingly erect a house for the Lord? Or shall we passively wait for the Lord to erect his house in our hearts and in our soul? Building the Kingdom will take a lot of both. This is not an either-or choice.
