Contemplating The Person Of St Joseph

The Carpenter with child Jesus by Georges De La Tour

T

he so-called Preface that the priest recites during the mass is a prayer addressed to the Father in Heaven who is no other than the true Father of Jesus. The priest usually makes the gesture of turning one's gaze towards heaven which is a signifier that the prayer is being addressed to the Father. The following is the Preface of Eucharistic Prayer II that is used by most priests like me:

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy,

through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,

your Word through whom you made all things,

whom you sent as our Saviour and Redeemer,

incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin.

There is another Liturgical Preface, no longer in use today, that was written by St Ambrose that describes a Father who is so intimate and down-to-earth. It goes like this: “You bent down over our wounds and healed us, giving us a medicine stronger than our afflictions, a mercy greater than our fault. In this way even sin, by virtue of your invincible love, served to elevate us to the divine life” (Sunday XVI per annum). St Ambrose captured in this prayer Jesus's very intimate knowledge of his heavenly Father who is full of mercy.

But for Jesus, before he could even recognize God as his true Father, a certain relationship must have existed first. This is where the pivotal role of St Joseph the carpenter comes in. Just like in any human relationship between parents and their children, there is a strong bond that started from a person's childhood—the bond between parent and child. For Jesus it was not his Father in heaven whom he first addressed as Abba or 'Daddy' in Aramaic—it was Joseph. By virtue of this fact it was Joseph who first gave that loving and merciful Father image to the child Jesus when he was growing up.

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Let us look at some instances in the New Testament when Jesus spoke about his Father in heaven which, most certainly, were the same qualities that he saw in his earthly father. For example, when Jesus makes very bold statements like "do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear." Immediately Jesus would invoke his Father's action by saying "for your Father knows that you need all these things." Joseph must have been a very good father to Jesus. At another time Jesus said "do not fear little flock for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." A look at Jesus's parables, especially those devoted to mercy, and we can see how the fatherhood of Joseph must have left a lasting mark in the heart of Jesus. These are the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the father with two sons (cf. Lk 15:1-32). Joseph too must have been a very happy father because in these parables, the Father is always joyful, especially when he pardons. Lastly, Joseph must have modeled to Jesus how to be merciful that is why Jesus was able to testify: “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36).

Jesus, throughout his lifetime, had constantly revealed God's nature as loving and merciful as it was first exemplified at home by the earthly fatherhood of Joseph. When it comes to prayer, we have the "Our Father" as Jesus's very personal prayer to his Father who is also our Father and Mary' s and Joseph's Father too. As a child we first learned how to pray from our parents. They may have not taught us in the formal way like the way it is done in our religion class but, they taught us nevertheless through their deeds. The powerful teaching moments happened when the parent never gives up until he or she has overcome usual rejections from the child and forgiven the wrong with compassion and mercy.

One favorite painting that I have of Joseph is the one by Georges de La Tour. The experience of beholding a La Tour is like looking at the sunset; your eyes are glued to the dimming sun. Sit down and quietly gaze and marvel at this masterpiece created by someone who went through a similar crisis. Ten years after painting this in 1652, Georges and his family perished in an epidemic in Lunéville France. Let us pause at this point to contemplate the person of St Joseph.

GUIDED MEDITATION USING VISIO DIVINA (Seeing with the eyes of the heart)

The Carpenter with child Jesus—1—Does the painting above mirror or evoke any feeling of the darkness surrounding you these days? Focus on your breathing and feel your own heart beat; LISTEN.—2—Move your attention towards the candle light. Feel in your eyes the warmth. Look at those dirty fingernails which may tell us that Jesus was busy at work too. Ask to be cleansed.—3—Notice too the straight flame unperturbed by Joseph's gentle breathing. Imagine the heart of the Father beating and aflame with divine love for you.—4—Join in! The light leads the way as you enter the scene. As you move closer towards Jesus's glowing face you likewise move away from the cast shadows. Look at that face with a bright smile. Thank him briefly.—5—Now, tell Jesus quietly your heart's desires. Imagine his gaze shifting on you. Jesus says "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD" (Ps 46:10). Use this image as a screen saver.

Fr JM Manzano SJ