Courage & Faith
We recognize St Joseph as a man of faith. God directed him by speaking to him through dreams. Joseph was able to distinguish a normal dream from a dream where God was speaking to him. I do not often remember dreams. Occasionally I will, but I seldom if ever put any credibility into the meaning of the dream. Like many, I was told my dreams were just of my imagination. And have helped many young children understand their scary dreams with that kind of rationale. There must have been a difference in Joseph’s dreams when he listened to God.
To be told that the child Mary is carrying is conceived by the Holy Spirit and will be a sign for many people had to be an act of courage to say yes. To know that Herod is searching for the child to kill him, flee to Egypt, was an act of courage to pick up everything and run. To have courage such as this indicated that Joseph had great faith in God. And because he had great faith in God he could respond with courage.
We all have faith, but in times of suffering and trial we want to rely on what you can do and not trust God. When a little child is calmed after a scary dream, they cannot forget the images. We do tend to want to hang on to our fears. That is not a sign of courage. Courage and faith go hand in glove. If we are motivated and directed by God, we will respond courageously. When we put our faith in God’s hands, God will strengthen us to respond with courage. Turning to St Joseph and asking for his intercession has been done for two thousand years. Ask St Joseph to intercede for you today.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen