Page 124 - Reflections on St. Joseph
P. 124

In  interior  solitude,  he  examines  the  options  which  come  to  him  and  matures  his
         decision.  His  discernment  and  interior  struggle,  marked  by  the  obscurity  and  the
         uncertainty as to what steps to take, concludes with the words  revealed to us by the
         angel: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because that
         which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1,20).4.4  The unique synthesis of
         Joseph: a life unified

         To harmonize the interior life of a person with its necessary external activities is one
         of the greater problems and challenges of our times. Yet, Joseph of Nazareth presents
         himself as one capable of harmonizing both the daily routine of a worker with the
         consciousness  of  living  in  the  presence  of  the  Son  of  God.  His  daily  work  is  in
         harmony with his contemplation of the mystery “hidden from the ages”, which “has
         come to dwell in his house” (n.25). In Joseph, the interior life is never separated from
         exterior  life,  but,  on  the  contrary,  guides  and  appreciates  the  concrete,  daily  and
         historical dimension of life.

         The limitless depth of the interior life of Joseph, as the Apostolic Exhortation calls it,
         is the source of his motivation, dedication, his zeal and his service. The text mentions
         some  exterior  manifestations  which  come  from  the  interior:  “the  great
         decisions”(n.25); “the readiness of the will to dedicate itself to those things belonging
         to  his  service”(n.26);  “the  strength  typical  of  simple  and  pure  souls”(ibid);  the
         willingness to do the will of God and his capacity to renounce natural conjugal love
         for an incomparable virginal love which is his foundation and nourishment”(n.27).












































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