By Sr. Molly Fernandes SFN –
“The man of dreams who journeyed the path making his dreams a reality” is my thought about the most adorable man.
Each year, the month of March brings to mind special days which we love to celebrate and one of them is 19th March, in association with St. Joseph, the foster Father of Jesus.
Since last 2021 we reflected on St. Joseph and his life, mentioned in the Pope’s Apostolic Letter – Patris Corde, which taught us to bend low and be doers of the Word. We see Joseph as a beloved Father, tender, loving, caring, accepting, courageous, working and obedient as if working behind the screen –being a shadow.
The word shadow – has many connotations. The special one’s our own shadow and other one working behind the scene being a shadow. However, though there are also moments when we are threatened or frightened by our own shadows!
But, Pope Francis upholds St. Joseph, being a man who shadowed Jesus with a Father’s heart. Indicating the need for all fathers to be merciful and not dictatorial or autocratic! For very often we see children holding the ‘pallu’ of their mother! Not to disregard any father’s but a reality seen in most of the families.
This brings to my mind: as a religious, I reminiscence, before I did my perpetual profession, we had small boys in our hostel. At times as a boarding mistress there were moments whenever they were admonished, they would look at our face and then act. In the class, too the little one would gaze at my face to see the impression!
St. Joseph is a courageous person, whose abilities are seen in the problems he faced, who gracefully turned them into possibilities. An invitation to imbibe his traits precisely the tragedies he turned into triumphs. A role model, indeed! Who ought to be called the beloved, the most beloved earthly father with a father’s heart ‘Just and Righteous’! He is also a man of holy righteousness which I perceive when he learns that Mary is with child.
A personality who also inspires the clergy, men and women religious to live our lives radically, to have a soul searching of our own hearts!. When it comes to responsibility, uncertainties, doubt, panic, as migrants especially in terms of our transfers as our placement.
Yes, our transfers to unknown places like Joseph who had to take Mary and the Babe, to leave for Egypt. Our placement can be a litmus test of our acceptance, obedience and resignation to the Will of God that comes through the Hierarchy and our legitimate Superiors.
March 19th can be celebrated as a “father’s day” in honour of St Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. His life should be emulated by every married man, who should follow his goodness, dedication and responsibility towards their wife and children. Current circumstances like joblessness have made it difficult to finance families. Nevertheless, in these times, turning our eyes to God and looking for solutions would show us multiple possibilities in which hard labour could turn them into success.
Precisely, a calling to live together and participate generously in sharing not only our joy but, the difficulties we are facing by listening to each other, to empower, to uphold the dignity of every labour or work, to associate with the labourers without discrimination and being a shadow with a father’s heart like St. Joseph. The man with that empathy!
The carpenter is a one who can be termed as an interior designer, an architect with the skills of mind, imagination and hand, he portrays on the given piece of wood. It is just his imagination which simultaneously brings forth the unseen picture in the wood or the piece of wood. The silent hidden images which the carpenter brings out through his tools are amazing. Yet, we find in the Bible, the demean attitude shown towards Jesus, in the quote: “is not this the Carpenter’s Son?” Mt 13: 55.
As Pope Francis desired through, ‘Patris Corde’ that our love for St Joseph increase and implore through his intercession simultaneously imitate his virtues and zeal let us intercede through him that we be real shadows with a fathers heart working behind the screen. Also value every work a man does with the sweat of his brow!