Lent 2022

 

Lent 2022: Silencer of Distractions

An Image Reflection for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

STM's Assistant Chaplains and members of STM's staff will share an image and reflect on it each Saturday. This Saturday, Assistant Chaplain Grace writes about St. Joseph, the silencer of distractions. 

Chapel in the woods

Two weekends ago, while on retreat with a group of about twenty undergraduate students and Assistant Chaplain David, I sat in prayer at this outdoor chapel while students were in small groups. The weekend already had strong “St. Joseph vibes.” We stayed in a wooden cabin, which was heated by a wood-burning stove and located in a snowy forest. Still, sitting on these tree-trunk pews staring at this wooden cross, I felt as if Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Mother and the foster father of Jesus, was very near to me.

In the Litany of St. Joseph, we describe him in many ways as we ask for his intercession:

Light of Patriarchs

Guardian of the Redeemer

Minister of salvation

Mirror of patience

Lover of poverty

Cornerstone of families

Patron of exiles

Just, chaste, prudent, brave, obedient, loyal…

All these descriptors – for a man who never uttered a word in scripture! Although humble Joseph perhaps would balk at another title, I offer one more from my time in prayer at this outdoor chapel: Silencer of distractions

For Joseph to live the life he lived – a life of steadfast service to the Holy Family – he could not have been a distracted man. Imagine Joseph forgetting the message of the angel of the Lord in the throngs of not-so-glamorous child-rearing, leading him to forget his mission. Or, think of him comparing his life to his friends’ lives, and then feeling jealous, inferior or resentful. Imagine him complaining to God after long days of carpentry and abandoning his work to get a shot at the next-best-thing. How often do we do this? We need constant reminders to eliminate distractions and stay the course, as simple, humble and mundane as it may be. We are so easily distracted by others’ lives, the latest trends and our own human failings. 

Joseph was not. 

His mission was clear. His faith was steady. His focus was unwavering as he lived his vocation: to love Jesus and to love Mary.

Lucky for us, that is our call, too. We do not need to go on cabin retreats in snowy northwestern Connecticut to pursue this vocation (although, such retreats are quite wonderful!). Let us pray to St. Joseph to silence the distractions in our lives and focus our attention on loving the Lord and his mother, no matter how simple, humble and mundane it may feel. 

St. Joseph, pray for us. 

Grace Carroll

Grace is one of STM's Assistant Chaplains. Her main area of focus is Undergraduate Ministry.