“A Creatively Courageous Father” If you were on Jeopardy the question would be: Who was St. Joseph? As we continue with Pope Frances’ Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde” this is the title he gives to the fifth section. One of the things I enjoy about writing these short reflections is it gives me a chance to think a little deeper on the meaning of what it written and then how it applies to my faith life and journey as a member of God’s family.
What does it mean to be “creatively courageous” in our life? Pope Francis writes, “for all the arrogance and violence of worldly powers, God always finds a way to carry out his saving plan. So too, our lives may at times seem to be at the mercy of the powerful, but the Gospel shows us what counts. God always finds a way to save us…who was able to turn a problem into a possibility by trusting always in divine providence.” (#5)

Pope Frances uses the many struggles and dangers that marked the early stories of Jesus’ life and the life of the Holy Family. Joseph did not push back with force or anger rather he discovered and found the different road where the care and protecting of Mary and Jesus became his life’s work and his life’s joy.
I think this is one aspect of Christian courage we can often forget and ignore. Each virtue, including courage, should be underpinned with the joy of serving God. Being a courageous father or mother is a joyful experience in seeing the family grow in faith, hope and charity. “Courage! God asks of us only our good will; His grace does the rest. What I am most afraid of, is let you should be discouraged. The Christian motto is Hope! Hope on! Hope ever!” (St. Theophane Vernard) With St. Joseph we are called to rely on God’s gift of grace trusting when we choose to act with courage he will supply us with the sufficient strength to live out our actions. The good will and joy we should show in not the false sense of “Don’t worry…be happy” but the reality of knowing we are part of something much greater and more beautiful than the momentary flashes of the world.
Each of us is asked to share in the caring and loving one another: to be a guardian of life. “The Son of the Almighty came into our world in a state of great vulnerability. He needed to be defended, protected, cared for and raised by Joseph. God trusted Joseph, as did Mary, who found in him someone who would not only save her life, but would always provide for her and her child. In this sense, Saint Joseph could not be other than the Guardian of the Church.” (#5) And while this is serious business, it is also filled with grace, joy and blessings. I often reflect on this as my role as priest and pastor. We can hear the words of the Church; to guard and care for the salvation of souls as something from long ago and old fashioned but when I was first assigned as pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Morgan Hill and then at St. Lucy Parish the weight of those words are a reality where I am called to care for the souls of all who live in the community. But the reality is, while it is a weighty obligation, the call is also one filled with the relationships and graces of so many wonderful and caring people who fill my soul, and guard my soul and together we act in creative courage in sharing the faith of Jesus Christ.

Growing up I didn’t think of my parents as “creatively courageous” but after reading and praying over this section of the letter I can understand how they were often creatively courageous in raising nine children. This act of courage is often facing the small problems and struggles in life and finding ways of bringing joy. They became guardians of our little souls in sharing and passing on the faith. Their creative courage often came in the form of just figuring out the daily moments of life in the laughter and tears of their children.
And while this obligation was a burden the joy and blessings were also filled with the fruitful love of hope. In the small and creatively courageous acts they lived and taught charity of caring and sharing life. As Pope Frances reminds us, “From Saint Joseph, we must learn that same care and responsibility. We must learn to love the child and his mother, to love the sacraments and charity, to love the Church and the poor. Each of these realities is always the child and his mother.”(#5)
God Bless
Fr. Mark

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-francesco-lettera-ap_20201208_patris-corde.html

As we continue to reflect on St. Joseph using Pope Francis Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde” the fourth section is entitled “An Accepting Father” and this is perhaps my favorite section of this letter. It speaks of a lived faith with each passage and stage of life and how in faith St. Joseph gives us an example of constant and faithful love and service. I would encourage you to pick up the letter, the link is below, and read it. It is short, so don’t breeze through the letter, rather take time and meditate on the beauty and life of St. Joseph.

Pope Francis writes, “Often in life, things happen whose meaning we do not understand. Our first reaction is frequently one of disappointment and rebellion. Joseph set aside his own ideas in order to accept the course of events and, mysterious as they seemed, to embrace them, take responsibility for them and make them part of his own history. Unless we are reconciled with our own history, we will be unable to take a single step forward, for we will always remain hostage to our expectations and the disappointments that follow.” (Patris Corde #4) Life doesn’t turn out the way we always hope. This past year of the pandemic has certainly taught us this lesson. The reality of reconciliation is so very important, not just in forgiving ourselves the past mistakes, but also the willingness to forgive others. We may not understand and should not forget the hurt and sin of the past but it should never become the anchor holding us back from sailing forth into greater love.
“The spiritual path that Joseph traces for us is not one that explains, but accepts. Only as a result of this acceptance, this reconciliation, can we begin to glimpse a broader history, a deeper meaning. We can almost hear an echo of the impassioned reply of Job to his wife, who had urged him to rebel against the evil he endured: “Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” (Job 2:10).” (Patris Corde #4) Pope Francis reminds us of how Joseph chose to listen and then act. He didn’t sit down and make a five year plan and then set up contingency plans and then go to focus groups to figure out his first step. All of these may be prudent but they can also allow the trust we should place in God to be eroded by our plans and not God’s plan for us. In my own life I have seen this play out over and over again and frustratingly realize I am a slow learner as I seek to interrupt God’s great design with my desire for little hills of victory. My story is one filled with the desire for explanations and clear roads instead of the love of the cross and the winding road of a life lived in passionate love of God.

“Joseph is certainly not passively resigned, but courageously and firmly proactive. In our own lives, acceptance and welcome can be an expression of the Holy Spirit’s gift of fortitude. Only the Lord can give us the strength needed to accept life as it is, with all its contradictions, frustrations and disappointments.” (Patris Corde #4) This is an “AMEN” moment of joy. The gifts of courage and fortitude from the Holy Spirit are part and parcel of our lives and Christians and to pray for these gifts and use them with joy and love is so very important. The way of faith is always bound by the desire to serve and the freedom to love. Service of our brothers and sisters isn’t drudgery nor is the gift of loving forgiveness a surrender to hopelessness but rather the call to conversion and transformation. We see this in St. Joseph’s life but also in the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters who choose to act in following the will of God in life and in death.
“Our lives can be miraculously reborn if we find the courage to live them in accordance with the Gospel. It does not matter if everything seems to have gone wrong or some things can no longer be fixed. God can make flowers spring up from stony ground. Even if our heart condemns us, “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 Jn 3:20).” (Patris Corde #4) I have witnessed this transformation and conversion so many times in my short time as a priest and can now recognize this blessings in so many steps and stories of my whole life from my childhood in Idaho, my time in the Marine Corps, my wandering in the desert searching for the path to follow until my missionary work in New Mexico, my teaching career and finally my call to serve God as a priest. I often thought everything had gone wrong and life had filled my basket with rotten fruit but God was always there. This is a lesson we must hand on to others. It is, as the quote below reminds us, a journey without shortcuts. Each and every step we take with Jesus is a moment of growth in faith, hope and love and we are each called to share them with one another in the peace and reconciliation of life.
“Nor should we ever think that believing means finding facile and comforting solutions. The faith Christ taught us is what we see in Saint Joseph. He did not look for shortcuts, but confronted reality with open eyes and accepted personal responsibility for it.” (Patris Corde #4)

God Bless
Fr. Mark

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
To you God entrusted his only Son; 
in you Mary placed her trust; 
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father 
and guide us in the path of life. 
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, 
and defend us from every evil. Amen.

“Now this is faith: you must believe in God the Lord of all who made the heavens and the earth and the seas and all that is in them; and he made Adam in his image; and he gave the law to Moses; he sent his Spirit on the prophets; moreover, he sent his Christ into the world…This is the faith of the church of God.” (Araphat from “Demonstrations on Faith”)

This early description of faith helps us to understand the blessing St. Joseph shared and how this faith helped him to say yes to God’s will and divine providence in this life as husband of Mary and father of Jesus our Lord. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde” gives us this insight, “In every situation, Joseph declared his own “fiat”, like those of Mary at the Annunciation and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.” (#3 Patris Corde) Pope Francis has been reflecting on the dreams of Joseph and the willingness to St. Joseph accepting and acting on God’s call to serve, first in fulfilling his call to be husband and second to the caring for and becoming the Holy Family in the flight to Egypt and the subsequent time in Nazareth.

This focusses us on St. Joseph’s willingness to listen and act. He was called and responded with a generosity of love. Venerable Fulton Sheen remarked, “No husband and wife ever loved one another so much as Joseph and Mary.”
Focusing on the mission of loving and caring for another is a grace filled calling in life. I always imagine the laughter and joy that must have filled the house even during the trials and tribulations that surround them in their life as husband and wife. Did they suffer as husband and wife, mother and father? We can answer yes. But their response would have been peace and the continued reaching out to others. This is the grace filled mission.
We are also invited, by God, to follow the example of Joseph in this mission of love, caring and peace. Our world which is so often filled the strangling fear of sin the reality of this mission of love, caring and peace seems only to be a dream. But God calls us to enact the dream in the example of St. Joseph in moving out of the doubts and fears and enter into the grace filled peace of serving and participating in the life of Jesus Christ.
What does this look like? For me it begins with an act of service. When was the last time we chose to serve another? And did we choose to make it an act of love? It may be a simple as a check in phone call with an elderly friend or family member. It may be the bringing dinner over for someone who just needs a home cooked meal. It may be a thank-you and have a nice day comment to someone you meet in the grocery store or on you walk about the neighborhood. Or it could be within you family to choose to love, simply because we are called to love.

“All this makes it clear that “Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood” and that in this way, ‘he cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation and is truly a minister of salvation.’” )#3 Patris Corde)
To become like St. Joseph, “a minster of salvation” we must choose to serve daily those around us. Whether it is with a family member, a friend, neighbor or the stranger we meet, choosing to share in serving “the person and mission of Jesus” participate in our invitation to be brothers and sisters in Christ.
God bless,
Fr. Mark,

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 
To you God entrusted his only Son; 
in you Mary placed her trust; 
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father 
and guide us in the path of life. 
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, 
and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Most of the time my writings are not very topical and don’t follow the current event timeline too closely, especially with the news. But I am making one of my exceptions today as I share with you my thoughts, prayers and hopes for the future in this land we call home. This has been a hard 10 months with the pandemic, the lock downs, the fear and anxiety, the protests, riots and destruction during the summer culminating with what occurred at the Capital Building in Washington D.C. on January 6th.
All of this has brought great sadness to my heart but has not diminished my hope. As Catholics we must be anchored in the peace of God that is founded on the knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ. I don’t understand what is occurring but I also do understand my ultimate goal, in life and in death, as well as my mission that God calls me to share with each and every breath I take. I and we as Christians, must be firmly placed on the rock of Jesus Christ.

I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan River looking out towards a destination he knew God desired for His people. Joshua didn’t know what was going to happen. He didn’t know what obstacles he would face. He was unsure of almost everything that the future held for him and God’s people. He knew one thing: God was with him no matter what. In the sorrow and fears…God was with him. In joy and celebration…God was with him. Joshua could look into the darkness and find light because of his trust in God’s providence and will for Israel. In the darkness of today we are reminded the light of Jesus Christ burns to lead us forward in faith, hope and trust.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

During this time humility is difficult. We hear a lot of “what about your side” comments when reading social media and listening to the news. Blaming others while engaging in the same behavior seems the norm rather than the exception. St. Peter reminds us of something very simple, we live in God’s time and for God’s time…”that he may exalt you in due time.” This simple phrase can be frustrating and hard to phantom in the midst of turmoil. Humbling my heart in God’s presence calls me to listen and to be with not only those I may agree with but also those who I may disagree with. Jesus’ command to love your enemies (Mt 5:44) isn’t easy but it is life giving.
We are called to be a people of unity, each with different gifts and challenges who speak the truth of virtue in the face of sin and evil. In due time is God’s victory, is our salvation.
This poor one cried out and the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (Psalm 34:7)
I love the prayer of St. Theresa of Avila where she invites us into total trust in God’s divine plan. The last line: “God alone suffices” is something I pray several times a day especially in my morning prayer and at night before I go to bed. St. Theresa also lived in times of great upheaval, both politically and religiously. (Sound familiar) Yet, her faith shown forth in total trust in how God called her to conversion and how her life still brings people to Jesus Christ.
It may not be tomorrow, or next year, or even in my life time…but God’s plan will come to fulfillment in and through his holy Church. The evil one wishes to divide us through accusations and hatred. God wishes to unite us in the tender mercy of healing love. “Let nothing frighten you.”

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
Jesus reminded his disciples over and over again…do not be afraid. Pope St. John Paul II often repeated these words. He, who grew up under the evil of the Nazi occupation of Poland and then the subjugation of his country under the communist Soviet Union, knew the daily fear that can grip the hearts of people causing them to turn against those in the community and family. But, he also knew a single drop of hope, a small pinhole of faith, the glowing warmth of love destroyed the mountain of fear and oppression and allowed the dignity of the human person to grow and flourish in the most oppressive situations.
We must be diligent in guarding our liberties and freedoms but we also must be filled with peace and hope. We are called to sheath our swords and to put on the spiritual armor that brings us into eternity. We must fight our battles with the weapons of God and not of man.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)
Jesus’ command and gift are for each of us. I know where my goal lies…in heaven. I know my mission…to proclaim Jesus. Each and everything I do should be towards this goal and this mission. I know I fail too often but I also know my goal is not my own, my mission is not my own and I am called to place them in the hands of the one true living God. We are all invited to do the same.

God Bless
Fr. Mark