In turbulent times, turn to St. Joseph

Why Lord? Recent killings across the country have us steeped in anger, disbelief and confusion. How are we supposed to forgive our enemies let alone love them? The answer may lie in the heart and soul of St Joseph. God the Son needed a bodily father of royal blood, with relentless courage, prudence and the ability to finesse sharp instruments. OK, maybe the blade skills are negotiable but please consider these 4 actions of St. Joseph.

• Against his better judgement, this sleeping giant held his tongue when learning that his fiancé was carrying--what was thought to be--another man's child.

• When the envious King Herod sought to unalive baby Jesus, family-protection hacks came directly from God in dreams. "Get up, go to Egypt now!" Most of us would grumble about these holy arrangements. "Thanks, but it's not a good time, Lord" is an expected response while rolling over in bed. Or negotiate with, "why not send the Sodom and Gomorrah warriors to nuke Herod?" Without thinking, Joseph held his tongue and jumped into action.

• After 3-days, a missing 12-year-old Jesus was found interrogating the best minds in a Jerusalem temple. Who sought clarity for these actions? St. Joseph  empowered Mother Mary to vent her frustrations and held his tongue.

• To us, Jesus' response may feel disrespectful to St Joseph; "did you not know that I must be about my Fathers' business?" Interpretable as ingratitude, St Joseph could have launched into a rant demanding respect for raising a child not of his loins. Instead, St Joseph held his tongue.

What is Prudence? The virtue of holding our tongue is an act of prudence. Prudence is the sagacity of seeing ahead. It is the ability to wait for the right time and place to act; using discipline, reason and wisdom. One of the 4-cardinal virtues, prudence is the ability to take a breath and let God take control. While some argue we get what we tolerate, prudence does not mean inactivity or silence. It means nonviolence. St. Joseh knew that God kept track so he didn't have to...

The Terror of Demons. With recent events still unfolding, we see ahead that God is working for the good of those who love Him. Steeped in emotion, we are not ready to make wise decisions and we don't need to make things worse. Until all facts surface, perhaps we should hold our tongues and await Our Lord's will. Meanwhile, let us consider the hidden power of St. Joseph. Hand-selected by God, St Joseph is the terror of demons.

The significance of 3-Days. As a 12-year-old, Jesus' 3-day temple event is prophetic and perhaps metaphorical. Hold that thought. When St Joseph died in the arms of Mary and Jesus, the gates of heaven were still closed. The soul of St. Joseph waited in some sort of limbo until the resurrection. Once crucified, Jesus opened the gates of heaven and descended to the dead to empty limbo. During those 3-days, reconsider Jesus' words, "I must see about my father's business." In limbo, Jesus set about the business of rescuing his father, the prudent St Joseph.

God's I.O.U. Matthew (19: 29) says whomever gives life and possessions for God will receive a 100-fold in eternal life. St Joseph gave up everthing for Jesus and sits on a gold mine of unused favors. Through his suffering and denial, God became indebted to St Joseph. Ask for his help--how can God refuse St Joseph's intercession in our current spiritual warfare?    

God's passive will. There is too much going on with the recent young deaths for us to think straight. Until the dust settles and facts surface, let's let God cook. He has a plan that will unfold over time. Now is the time for us to exercise prudence. Meanwhile, let us invoke the intercession of St. Joseph and govern our tongues, thereby avoiding violence and retribution. God keeps track so we don't have to... 

Mother Mary, pray for us

St Joseph, please intercede for the grace of prudence

Jesus, we trust in You.