Then Matthew recounts what happened next:
“Just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife…’” (Matthew 1:20)
Mary’s unconditional “fiat”—her yes to God—opened the way for Joseph to trust as well. Listening to the message carried in his dream, he followed where God was leading. Together they set out on a journey that would be filled with uncertainty and trust.
Later, amid the political turmoil of King Herod’s reign, Joseph again listened to the guidance of dreams. Warned of danger, he protected his family and fled. When it became unsafe to return to Bethlehem because Herod’s son Archelaus ruled Judea, Joseph was once again guided in a dream. He turned toward Galilee and settled in the small town of Nazareth.
Joseph was a man who trusted God’s quiet guidance.
Today, we see the spirit of Joseph alive in those who welcome the stranger, the unwanted, the unrecognized, and the displaced. In their compassion and courage, they reflect the inclusive spirit of Jesus—a spirit that refuses to treat anyone as a stranger.
We give thanks for Joseph, patron of the universal Church, and for the thousands of Sisters of St. Joseph who claim him as their patron. Like Joseph, they continue to listen for God’s voice in the dreams and uncertainties of our time, courageously moving into the unknown territories of today.
-Sister Kathleen Lichti, CSJ
