Joseph and the Child Jesus

I came across a beautiful reflection today.   Joseph presents the Child Jesus to the world.  In other words, he presents a God who, like a child, desires to be held by us, desires to smile at us, takes great delight in simply being there with us, and can make us ever joyful.   Meditate on the following words, clearly written by someone with a deep interior prayer life.

So to wipe away my tears, to hush my sobs, to smooth my face and bring the sunshine of laughter into my life, Jesus is a baby in the arms of St. Joseph. Joseph's business is to present this great Child-God to the world, that the world may be won by His beauty and leave everything for Him.

Now, if God looks for my approving smile, and is soliciting me for my praise, day by day, it is no harm for me to hunger after His smile, and to feel lonely and wretched about it. He won't blame me for that! But that is the meaning of a life of prayer. Prayer is simply trying to see His face and catch a glimpse of His smile, out of love. It is the lover's pining after his beloved-we serenading God (as B. Suso serenaded Our Lady). The world loses its firm solidness for God's lovers. To them it is a barrier and a hindrance, because it obscures their view of Him, as daylight effaces the stars.

When that is our state of soul, fear disappears; death is merely an incident, and the whole material world and all its attractions a passing gift of Him.

St. Joseph must help us to see this point of view. We want him, who held Jesus so firmly in his arms, to let us hold Him, too; to get us audiences frequent and close with the Divine Child, that we may see His smile and live for Him alone. 'The health of the soul consists in the love of God. (St. John of the Cross.)

 

I really do not think anything more needs to be said.   These words are so rich and beautiful, and they show why devotion to Saint Joseph can only help us get close to Christ.

 

Joseph, hope of the physically and spiritually sick, pray for us.