Page 157 - Reflections on St. Joseph

had told him to do: he took his wife to his home; he had not had intercourse with her when she gave
birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.”

Reflecting deeply on the vocation story of St. Joseph, we can truly say his vocation is a mystery.
A simple man called to be the “foster father” of the Son of God. He is a carpenter chosen to handle
a complicated masterpiece. And the manner of how St. Joseph responded to this call is another
mystery. No ordinary human being can fully comprehend the mystery of God’s calling. No
ordinary human being can fully understand the manner on how to conduct himself and
respond to the call. Indeed, this calling put St. Joseph in a most difficult situation. He had his
plans already when the angel of the Lord spoke to him. God’s plan was revealed, and it was
totally different from what St. Joseph was planning to do. But his response and his character
made the situation appear easier. He just did what the angel had told him. He just did as simple
as that: he obeyed. This is how he responded to the call. But simple as it may appear, self-denial
or total self-giving is very difficult. St. Joseph just made it seem very easy. But it was really easy
for St. Joseph. Remember, he was in the state of deep prayer, in which he had a vision, and the
will of God was revealed. Obedience is only difficult when you do not know what the will of
God is. St. Joseph knew and understood his vocation through prayer and so, he responded
perfectly. He submitted himself totally to the will of God.

In the case of our founder, St. Joseph Marello, we know his story: that he fell ill and his condition
worsened to the point that his relatives feared for his life. They prayed to Our Lady of Consolation
for him to obtain the grace of his cure. And Joseph Marello heard something like a voice within him
that said: “If you go back to the seminary you will be cured.” He told this to his father who agreed

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Reflections on st. joseph