Page 58 - Reflections on St. Joseph

provide. He chose the latter, and one word at a time, firmly led the groom through the
vows.

Twenty-five years later, that same couple invited my former professor to celebrate an
anniversary Mass to commemorate their wedding day. I’m sure he had plenty to say in his
homily at that anniversary Mass.

Gratefully, most weddings are less dramatic and less stressful than that one. Yet who can
blame the groom for such a profound reaction to the grandeur of his vocation? Indeed, the
vocation to matrimony is a profound commitment, a sharing in the cross of Christ, and a
true imaging of the relationship between Christ and his Church. Marriage as a vocation
should make the bride and groom tremble at the dignity and august nature of their call.

Even our patron, St. Joseph experienced fear
at the prospect of his vocation, as alluded to
by the angel’s words to him in Matthew 1:20.
When St. Joseph was faced with the sublime
call to fulfill the singular mission entrusted
to him, to be not only the husband of Mary
but also the guardian of the Redeemer, he
naturally experienced trepidation. And why
not? Not only did he discover that his bride
had been chosen to be the mother of the
Savior, but he was confronted with the
possibility of being the earthly father of the
long-awaited Messiah. St. Joseph
recognized the wonder of that moment in
salvation history and he was keenly and
humbly aware of his own limitations and
weaknesses. Truly in the face of such an
awesome vocation, one couldn’t help but
tremble, even one as holy as St. Joseph.

Although our own vocation as Oblates of St.
Joseph is different from that of marriage, we
will no doubt experience uncertainty and
trepidation in our lives too. When we cannot see the entirety of God’s plan, we may become
fearful of what our role in that plan might be. When we are given a new assignment by our
superiors, a new ministry in the Province or Delegation, or when we are asked to serve in
ways far outside of our comfort zone, we might tremble and imagine that surely such a task
is not meant for us. Like St. Joseph, we might even question the nature of our vocation and
mission before us. But instead of becoming paralyzed by fear, we are called, like St. Joseph,
to place our trust in the Lord and to find peace in knowing that God’s grace will accompany
us along the way.

34 Reflections on st. joseph