March 28th - The Two Josephs
Joseph of the Old Testament, the youngest son of Jacob and Joseph, the husband of Mary were the two people Christine Dodd chose for her Lenten reflection at St. Joseph’s, Moorends on March 18th.
Dividing her talk into three sections, Christine considered three aspects of their characters and how their experience was relevant to us as we journey through this Lent and through life. The young lad Joseph was a dreamer, as was Mary’s husband in a different way. From the musical “Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat” as well as the original biblical account, his story is familiar to us. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, this quality of being a dreamer enabled Joseph to have insights into the situation whereby he could make more informed decisions. This openness of heart and mind to what God was revealing to each man, despite the appearance of the situation, allowed both to take on their responsibilities. Think of St. Joseph – a young man in the prime of life – about to marry – and his betrothed wife tells him she is pregnant. The shock and bewilderment he must have felt are humanly understandable. Yet after a dream from God, he is able to take on the enormous responsibility of caring for Mary and her unborn child. Without his protection she could not have carried on.
Both men were compelled to flee from their homeland – young Joseph as a slave, St. Joseph with Mary and the new-born Christ child, to escape the murderous vengeance of Herod. They both fled to Egypt – a foreign land, leaving all the security that meant home for them, behind. Not knowing at all what lay in store for them there, their courage and trust in God are both examples for us as we face an uncertain future. Especially now, as war again rages in Iraq, we need to renew our faith in God – that this is God’s world and we are here to show the way forward to a lasting peace based on justice and truth rather than on force and lies. However the way is not an easy one – it requires great faith to carry on trusting when it looks as if there is no way things are going to get better. Yet they do.
A new start in Egypt allowed young Joseph to become rich, respected and powerful. When his brothers came as beggars, he had them at his mercy. He could easily have disowned them and had them killed but instead he forgave them, cared for them and gave them food for survival. His generosity and forgiveness are a model for us in our own lives as we try to come to terms with the harm that even our own families inflict upon us. St. Joseph cared for Mary and Jesus allowing the infant Christ to grow up safely away from harm before returning to their own country after Herod’s death. The refugee camps of the Middle East still house people fleeing from persecution. St. Joseph ensured the survival of Jesus who grew up to offer himself for the eternal survival of the human family.
Both Josephs trusted God, accepted the insights which God gave them and treading dark ways in faith, through slavery, fear, poverty – they came to be channels of salvation. By their faith, the acceptance of God’s word in their hearts and lived out in their lives, they followed a safe path through the darkness. They knew they were never alone, for God was with them as He is also with us as we journey through the dark in our own lives. We thank God for giving us these two men as guides for our journey and pray for the genuine openness of heart which enabled them to hear the word of God and follow it. This Lent we pray for the grace to be able to hear the word of God and keep it and thereby become channels of God’s grace to our fellow human beings.
Each year the first warm days of Spring surprise us with the warmth of the sun. We see afresh the colours of the flowers and feel the surge of hope and new life.
For the second of her Lenten reflections Christine Dodd asked us to look and see, not just from the outside but at the inner reality of these final days of Passiontide.
Look at the crucifix. Not a quick glance but a long careful look. St. John's Gospel is a constant call to look, to see. If we do, then what will happen? As we see Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross, we see that he is dying so that we can return to the place we were made for - to be enfolded in the arms of God. In the arms of God is where we are meant to be. Believing that, our lives are transformed. See how God loves you - a call that we must respond to.
We are free to accept or reject the love God offers us - and in the course of our lives we do both . Accepting God's love brings healing. It gives our life new meaning. We are restored, made whole by love. Love removes barriers and enables us to start afresh, to renew our relationship with God and with one another.
Finally, let the cross of Christ challenge you. Will you choose to reject the love God offers and live in darkness? That way there is no healing. By that choice we have condemned ourselves to misery. God's love is always there; always offered. In these final days of Passiontide, let us walk more closely with Christ. Let us look at the cross to see how we can live more fully the way of life Jesus gave us. We pray for the grace to really see, to accept the love of God and in that find freedom and joy.
We offer our grateful thanks to Christine for the insights she has given us into living Lent with Jesus and we hope the great joy of Easter will fill us all with renewed strength and light to see where our real life is to be found.
If you wish to comment on anything please do so, either in person, by phone or by e-mail. to Kate Heywood
