Solemnity of Saint Joseph

Joseph.

Joseph, earthly father of Jesus, never says one word in any of the Gospels. Ever.

While wordless in speech he speaks volumes to Faith, Fidelity to Marriage, to Trust. As the Gospel of Matthew begins, we hear Joseph’s lineage revealing that he is the current heir to the throne of David. As husband to Mary (betrothal is not engagement, it is marriage which is why Joseph sought to divorce her quietly). In that moment of history your familial and cultural identity came through your fraternal line.
In the Office of Readings St Bernardine of Siena offers a beautiful sermon on Saint Joseph that got me thinking in a slightly different direction.

This current culture demands that we say something. Speak! Speak! Speak! Make your voice heard! If you’re not saying something, you’re part of the problem or you’re the problem or you agree with the problem makers.

When everyone is speaking, no one is listening.

Over the last few years there’s been a deep longing for silence. I’d love to clearly identify the specific moment when I recognized this in my being. I acknowledged this the day I interviewed with the spiritual direction formation team. Silence is hard y’all, particularly when noise is peak. Silence is a place of vulnerability, and I can assure you this is uncomfortable. I want to listen to everyone! I long to hear God in this place. The more I listen to everyone there are two things that happen – I hear God and I hear the wounded broken hearts longing for justice and mercy and peace, and freedom – and I hear a lot of things that make me sick and rob me of words adequate to the person in front of me. And I realize I don’t need to have the words. God is the WORD. I can be silent and like Saint Joseph speak volumes.

Silence is difficult, not simply in its vulnerability, it also demands presence, which as Saint Joseph shows us is not always easy. Silence is risky for it seems to take sides, when all it really desires is to listen to the person sitting right there and walk with them in whatever pain or joy or exultation or woundedness they are experiencing.
Silence is wildly profound in its ability to be with the WORD and with people. Silence is a witness to the power of wisdom.

Oh God permit me to learn the wisdom of Silence at the feet of Saint Joseph.