JOSEPHITE SPIRITUALITY  SEEDS. Monthly publication of the International Josephite-Marellian Center. February 2022

1.   Welcoming

2. Opening Prayer

3. Theme of the Month:

In the welcoming atmosphere

of the Family of Nazareth,

Jesus matures his vocation

         “The Gospels, in their sobriety, make no reference to Jesus’ adolescence and leave this task to our loving meditation. Art, literature, music have taken this journey through imagination. It is certainly not difficult to imagine how much mothers could learn from Mary’s care for that Son! And how much fathers could glean from the example of Joseph, a righteous man, who dedicated his life to supporting and protecting the Child and his wife — his family — in difficult times.”

(Pope Francis. General Audience. St. Peter’s Square.

December 17, 2014)

         Pope Francis, at the General Audience of December 17, 2014, began a series of catecheses on the family, and this shortly after the conclusion of the Extraordinary Synod on Families (October 2014). On the occasion, the Pope reminded us that Jesus began his redemptive mission in a family, thus showing how important the family is in God’s plans. “He could have come in a spectacular way”, but “He chose to come into the world in a human family, which He himself formed”, said the Pope. Let’s see:

         “The Incarnation of the Son of God opens a new beginning in the universal history of man and woman. And this new beginning happens within a family, in Nazareth. Jesus was born in a family. He could have come in a spectacular way, or as a warrior, an emperor…. No, no: he is born in a family, in a family. This is important: to perceive in the nativity, this beautiful scene.

         “God chose to come into the world in a human family, which He himself formed. He formed it in a remote village on the outskirts of the Roman Empire. Not in Rome, which was the capital of the Empire, not in a big city, but on its nearly invisible outskirts, indeed, of little renown. The Gospels also recall this, almost as an expression: «Can anything good come out of Nazareth?» (Jn 1:46). Perhaps, in many parts of the world, we still talk this way, when we hear the name of some areas on the periphery of a big city. And so, right there, on the outskirts of the great Empire, began the most holy and good story of Jesus among men! And that is where this family was.”

(Pope Francis. General Audience. St. Peter’s Square.

December 17, 2014)

         On the same occasion, Pope Francis reminded us that Jesus chose to remain in the Family of Nazareth for thirty years, and that it might seem that Jesus “wasted 30 years” staying there for so long. However, in fact “He wanted this”, and it was not a waste of time: the family is very important in God’s plans. Let us listen to Pope Francis:

         “Jesus dwelt on that periphery for 30 years. The Evangelist Luke summarizes this period like this: Jesus «was obedient to them»; — that is, to Mary and Joseph. And someone might say: «But did this God, who comes to save us, waste 30 years there, in that suburban slum?». He wasted 30 years! He wanted this. Jesus’ path was in that family — «and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man» (Lk 2:51-52). It does not recount miracles or healing, or preaching — He did none in that period — or of crowds flocking; in Nazareth everything seemed to happen «normally», according to the customs of a pious and hardworking Israelite family: they worked, the mother cooked, she did all the housework, ironed shirts… all the things mothers do. The father, a carpenter, worked, taught his son the trade. Thirty years. «But what a waste, Father!». God works in mysterious ways. But what was important there was the family! And this was not a waste! They were great saints: Mary, the most holy woman, immaculate, and Joseph, a most righteous man…. The family.”

(Pope Francis. General Audience. St. Peter’s Square.

December 17, 2014)

         On the same occasion, when commenting on how Jesus lived his adolescence and youth, the Pope completes his teaching: Jesus did not «waste thirty years», He made good use of them and «in those 30 years, Jesus cultivated his vocation, for which the Father had sent him. And in that time, Jesus never became discouraged, but increased in courage in order to carry his mission forward». Let’s hear the Pope:

         “We are certainly moved by the story of how the adolescent Jesus followed the religious calendar of the community and the social duties; in knowing how, as a young worker, He worked with Joseph; and then how He attended the reading of the Scriptures, in praying the Psalms and in so many other customs of daily life. The Gospels, in their sobriety, make no reference to Jesus’ adolescence and leave this task to our loving meditation. Art, literature, music have taken this journey through imagination. It is certainly not difficult to imagine how much mothers could learn from Mary’s care for that Son! And how much fathers could glean from the example of Joseph, a righteous man, who dedicated his life to supporting and protecting the Child and his wife — his family — in difficult times. Not to mention how much children could be encouraged by the adolescent Jesus to understand the necessity and beauty of cultivating their most profound vocation and of dreaming great dreams! In those 30 years, Jesus cultivated his vocation, for which the Father had sent him. And in that time, Jesus never became discouraged, but increased in courage in order to carry his mission forward.”

(Pope Francis. General Audience. St. Peter’s Square.

December 17, 2014)

         Drawing on the example of the Holy Family, Pope Francis teaches us about the importance of intimacy with Jesus so that vocations are born and mature; and that the family has a very important mission in the discernment and vocational maturation of its members, especially young people and adolescents. Let’s hear the Pope:

         “Each Christian family can first of all — as Mary and Joseph did — welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, guard Him, protect Him, grow with Him; and in this way improve the world. Let us make room in our heart and in our day for the Lord. As Mary and Joseph also did, and it was not easy: how many difficulties they had to overcome! They were not a superficial family, they were not an unreal family. The family of Nazareth urges us to rediscover the vocation and mission of the family, of every family. And, what happened in those 30 years in Nazareth, can thus happen to us too: in seeking to make love and not hate normal, making mutual help commonplace, not indifference or enmity. It is no coincidence, then, that «Nazareth» means «She who keeps», as Mary, who — as the Gospel states — «kept all these things in her heart» (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). Since then, each time there is a family that keeps this mystery, even if it were on the periphery of the world, the mystery of the Son of God, the mystery of Jesus who comes to save us, the mystery is at work. He comes to save the world. And this is the great mission of the family: to make room for Jesus who is coming, to welcome Jesus in the family, in each member: children, husband, wife, grandparents…. Jesus is there. Welcome him there, in order that He grow spiritually in the family.”

(Pope Francis. General Audience. St. Peter’s Square.

December 17, 2014)

4. Reflection and Sharing

         Share on the words of Pope Francis: “This is the great mission of the family: to make room for Jesus who is coming, to welcome Jesus in the family, in each member: children, husband, wife, grandparents…. Jesus is there”.

5. Commitment of the Month

         Let us pray that families discover how important they are in cultivating vocations, as Pope Francis has guided us: “Children could be encouraged by the adolescent Jesus to understand the necessity and beauty of cultivating their most profound vocation and of dreaming great dreams! In those 30 years, Jesus cultivated his vocation, for which the Father had sent him. And in that time, Jesus never became discouraged, but increased in courage in order to carry his mission forward.”

6. Final Prayer.