March 19:
SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH. FIDELITY TO OUR DIVINE VOCATION:

Fidelity to the Lord is what gives meaning to our lives, no matter what our age or personal circumstances may be. We know that our earthly happiness depends upon our firm faith exercised and actualized daily, especially during difficult moments. As s spiritual author wrote:

Saint Joseph had his share of difficulties, but he always relied upon the help of God. He refused to deviate from his vocation. What else was his life if not a total dedication to the service for which he had been called? Husband to Our Lady, legal father to Jesus … He devoted his life to the attention he paid them, dedicated to fulfilling his vocation – the mission to which he had been called. As a dedicated man is one who does not belong to himself Joseph ceased to be concerned for – himself from the moment when, enlightened by an angel in that first dream, he fully accepted God’s designs for him. Receiving Mary as his spouse he began to live for those who had been placed in his care. God had entrusted him with his family, and Joseph did not disappoint him. God sought support in him, and he stood firm in every instance

F. Suarez, Joseph of Nazareth, pp 215-216.

God counts on us for many great things. We cannot let him down. Let us tell the Lord, through the intercession of St. Joseph to grant us the grace to be unswervingly loyal and firmly faithful to what He wants of us -our divine vocation-, out of love, just as Joseph was in his life.

We do not want a cold and routine, fruitless fidelity. The fidelity that is expected of us cannot be reduced to a mere avoidance of barbarities. Nor is it just scantily holding on, like bearing a burden on your shoulders that we have to get rid of as soon as possible. Nor do we want a static assent but a dynamic one. What does this mean? It is not a comfortable conformism: here I am, I have this task, and I’ll just fulfill it half-heartedly and see how far I would go. No: for love is never partial if it were to be authentic.

Our vocation is not a comfortable path just as Christ’s life wasn’t. It involves embracing, carrying the Cross of Christ daily for love. And precisely, this is the fidelity we want, a fidelity which is the perfection of love.

But let us remember that love consists in carrying out small details in our daily life even though they cost us to overcome ourselves, without giving up if at times we stumble along the way. That is why we need to renew our struggle many times, get up when we stumble with a humble and contrite heart daily.

We should examine ourselves as to how we can be more faithful in our personal conduct, our apostolate and our professional work and have the firm resolve to perseveringly carry out God’s will with the help of his Grace, through and for Love, we shall be faithful till the end.

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