Encountering the Word
When (Jesus’) mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.†When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife. [Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24]
Contemplating the Word
We are so used to this story. It is part of the collection of stories that circle around the advent of Jesus and which seek to explain his significance as the fulfilment of Jewish prophecy. He is the ‘longed for’ one, the son of David, intended to reign forever. For most of us, most of the time, these stories are about the past. They are curious and important only to the degree that any myth worth its name holds an enduring significance. However, we can fail to note their significance for us here and now.
The word ‘myth’ has been used very deliberately. In the Christian context the word carries a particular meaning. Generally ‘myth’ is related to as a synonym for ‘fantasy’. That is not the way we use the word. Instead, when we say ‘myth’ we mean a story, or an account of a possibly actual event, the meaning of which holds an enduring and ultimately mysterious significance. It is an account, rich in symbolism, in which God and, as a consequence, we stand revealed.
So, what does this account of a particular event in the life of St Joseph tell us about God and us? Or to put it another way: besides being an interesting story concerning a decision St Joseph had to make, how is it relevant to us and who we are?
It is an account of a man in crisis. Confronted with an unexpected turn of events, Joseph has to make a choice. The rules in which he was well formed required a particular response from him. As a righteous man, he was required to denounce his betrothed and expose her to the harsh glare of public scrutiny. Mary’s young life was on the line. Yet God invites him to a life beyond those rules, freed up to follow the promptings of the Spirit.
On this feast of St Joseph, we recall that we only remember him today because, when it counted, he left the rules behind and embraced compassion and the Spirit-filled life God was offering him.
Learning to listen to a voice that is beyond logic and rules can be difficult for people formed in the contemporary Western mindset. For something to be valid, it has to make sense to us, often within a restricted set of parameters. This is where openness to the way other peoples engage with reality can be very helpful to us. Pre-Western indigenous cultures are a great gift, as we seek to understand realities that cannot be scrutinised by either the microscope or the telescope.
However, it has to be admitted that we have had a tendency to relate to other cultures on the basis that they need to become more like us. Unfortunately, this can be particularly so when it comes to introducing those cultures to the faith with which we have been entrusted. This is a problem that needs to be seriously contemplated and responded to. Graeme Mundine, in his reflection on Evangelii Gaudium, reminds us that:
“The good seed has been planted in Aboriginal peoples and has flourished. The Holy Spirit has always been in this land and we have always known about God. We called God by different names but we have always been in relationship with the Creator. In more recent times a new seed was planted and Aboriginal peoples began a relationship with Jesus Christ. We encountered Christ as Aboriginal peoples and we express our faith in ways as culturally diverse as we areâ€.[2]
As an example of the sorts of problems Aboriginal people encounter in their practice of the Catholic faith, Mundine highlights a recent development that has, to his mind, adversely affected the situation of Aboriginal Catholics:
“Today, with the introduction of the new translation (of the Roman Missal), the Aboriginal Our Father cannot be used because the law only allows the Western version. This version creates barriers for Aboriginal peoples because we can no longer see, speak or dance as ourselves within the celebration in the community of the Jesus story. The new liturgy has shown that there seems to be only one way to celebrate the life of Jesus which is foreign to Aboriginal peoples and we cannot see the Aboriginal face of Jesus within the celebration of the Eucharist.â€[3]
As a result of the ongoing problems Aboriginal people experience within the context of the Catholic Church, Mundine wonders:
“Perhaps the issue is that non-Aboriginal people do not really understand inculturation. It’s not something that is ‘done’ to Aboriginal peoples. Nor is it about simply seeking permission from the Bishops and Priests to allow some symbols of Aboriginal Culture in the liturgy. Inculturation is the coming together of culture and faith and must be undertaken by people who are both of the culture and the faithâ€.[4]
Spend a few minutes in prayer to the God who is as close to you as your breath. Ponder the reality of God’s presence and contemplate the thought that God has something for you – a plan that is as unique as you are. Don’t worry about what that plan is nor about what you are to do. Your role is simple: sit in God’s presence and wait for him.
Remain silently in God’s presence for as long as you feel inclined or opportunity will allow. Then bring before God any sincere prayers of intercession that you have. Instead of asking God to do things for you, ask that he might achieve whatever he wishes through you.
Finish by praying the great yet simple prayer of praise to the Blessed Trinity: Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
[1] Ibid., pp. 13 -14.
[2] Ibid., pp. 13 -14.
[3] Ibid., p. 14.
[4] Ibid., p. 15.
