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The protector of the Holy Family teaches us how to listen to God’s voice and act decisively
By Father Boniface Hicks, OSB3/1/2024
St. Joseph and the Sleeping Christ Child (c. 1668-75), painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo / Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). These well-known words of Mary, which we repeat daily in the Angelus, were Our Lady’s response to the annunciation by the archangel Gabriel. In contrast, Joseph’s response to the angelic annunciation was silent action (cf. Mt 1:24). Mary spoke; Joseph did. “And this first ‘doing’ became the beginning of ‘Joseph’s way,’” St. John Paul II wrote in his apostolic exhortation Redemptoris Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer). “The Gospels do not record any word ever spoken by Joseph along that way. But the silence of Joseph has its own special eloquence” (17).
What can we learn from “Joseph’s way,” particularly his silence, and how can we apply this to our own lives as Knights?
Silence takes many different forms, both positive and negative. Negative forms include the passive-aggressive “silent treatment” or other kinds of absence or neglect. Positive silence, however, can be described in five different movements embodied by St. Joseph — movements that mirror our interior participation in the Mass.
The silence of preparation. Joseph always kept his heart open, pure and receptive, making room for God’s “still small voice” to guide him (cf. 1 Kgs 19:12).
Keeping our hearts pure and receptive is not easy. It is a daily effort to pay attention to what is happening inside of us — not hypervigilance, but gentle, habitual self-awareness. “What am I thinking? What am I feeling? What is happening inside of me?” St. Peter admonishes us: “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Pet 5:8-9a).
For Joseph, the stakes were very high. He was the guardian of the Immaculate Conception and the Incarnate Word. When they were in mortal danger, God informed Joseph and commanded him to take action (cf. Mt 2:13). It was essential for him to be watchful and sober so that he could hear the Lord and resist the devil.
The silence of listening. Listening to God and discerning his will are challenging for all of us, including St. Joseph. The best example of this was his epic struggle… READ FULL ARTICLE HERE