AWAKENED LIVES: ABRAHAM AND ST. JOSEPH
There's a saying "I really need a day between Saturday and Sunday." I think that quote resonates with me and many others – given the amount of times I've seen it on Pinterest, Etsy, Amazon and other social media accounts.
To many people, myself included, Monday morning means going back to the grind. Monday means starting our weekday hustle with so many things to do! Some days are pleasant and productive and on other days, work and life can be burdensome. If we are not careful, we fall into routines without purpose, and years can go by more quickly than we thought.
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph who is one of my favorite saint! As a carpenter, he supported Jesus and Mary before Jesus starts his public ministry at the age of 30. While we often don't hear much about their daily encounters, I wonder what it would be like for Joseph to work so closely with Jesus. What graces did he receive from God as he toiled away and supported child Jesus with his daily labor? What a privilege it was for Joseph to spend years of "exclusive time" with Jesus and Mary before the public ministry!
I think Joseph's defining moment to live an awakened life was when he had to choose whether or not he would receive Jesus and Mary. If Joseph did not follow the call of God and receive Jesus and Mary, his life would have probably been okay but without any obviously lasting purpose. We wouldn't be talking about him 2000 years later!
What are our lives' defining moments? What moved our hearts from stagnation to significance? What is currently moving our hearts? Do we say "yes"?
Reflecting upon the life of St. Joseph's Awakened Life, I am reminded that by God's grace I have the opportunity to do that. We all do through the gift of the Eucharist, time spent in prayer, and intentionally looking for the Christ who is in every person we meet. Nevertheless, how many Mondays do I miss that privilege to spend time with Jesus? How many weekdays do I squander because I default to not integrating a vibrant, faith-filled approach to my daily grind?
At the same time, like Abraham in today's reading, perhaps we ache for God's promises to be fully manifested in our lives. Perhaps we yearn for magis – we yearn for more in life. Perhaps our yearning is for a strength for great ideals or the courage to rise up and face the day with energy, grace, warmth and delight even though we're going through life's dark valleys.
Abraham's life reminds us that God looks at our faith. For "it was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith." I hope this clip will encourage your journey of faith today:
James Francis - One Solitary Life
Gabriella Karina