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March 20, 2023Meister Eckhart is known to have said, “What good is it to me that Mary gave birth to the Son of God fourteen hundred years ago if I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and in my culture?” As I have pondered today’s Solemnity of St. Joseph and the two options for the Gospel, I have found myself asking a similar question, “What good is it for St. Joseph to have been guide and protector of Mary and Jesus twenty-one hundred years ago if I do not do the same in my own time and in my culture?”
This question has given me much to reflect on. St. Joseph’s witness teaches me that:- when life is difficult and confusing, we trust in God – with faith and confidence that all will be well;
- we belong to one another – out of unconditional love for the other, not because of the blood running in our veins;
- we have responsibility for one another – freely chosen, not obligated;
- we welcome others into our home – across our thresholds and into our thoughts, our hearts, our church, and our land;
- when someone is lost in any way, we search for them – until they are found, and we hold them close to our hearts;
- we protect one another from tyrants and tyrannical behaviors that seek to oppress and demean the people of God and desecrate God’s creation;
- we have our dreams – and make room for God’s dream for us and for our world.
St. Joseph, we ask you to accompany us as we make this journey through the season of Lent. Be our protector and guide. May our efforts be marked by the courage, care, and confidence that marked your life. In your companionship, may we learn to make space for the Christ and Mary in our midst as you did in your midst. Amen.