Pope Francis reminded me there are many things followers of Vincent and Louise can learn from St. Joseph. First some background.
Joseph was a dreamer.
In Pope Francis’ homily on the feast a few years ago, he reminds us that Joseph was a dreamer. In fact, four of his dreams are recorded in scripture. God speaks to Joseph in a particular way when he is the most silent … when he sleeps.
In dreams, God tells Joseph
- not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20–21)
- it is safe to leave Bethlehem and Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
- it is safe to go back to Israel. (Matthew 2:19–20)
- to depart for the region of Galilee instead of going to Judea. (Matthew 2:22)
After each of his dreams, he acted. Joseph did what God asked of him in his dreams.
Joseph as Guardian and Protector of God’s dreams
I rarely have given much thought to God as a dreamer (although I have more in recent years). Yet Pope Francis describes God as a dreamer. Think about it! Isn’t God’s dream another name for God’s plan for us and all creation?
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”Jeremiah 29:11
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love.” 1 Cor 2:9
In doing what God asked of him a dream, Joseph acted as the initial protector of God’s dream soon to be manifested in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
What would have happened if Joseph had not accepted his role as protector of Mary and Jesus in the perilous days of Jesus’ incarnation and growth in wisdom, age and grace?
Keep in mind that neither Joseph nor Mary knew the details of the role they were playing in bringing God’s dream of bringing good New to all. They both said yes in spite of not knowing the details of the script.
Pope Francis prays for us
Pope Francis ended his homily by praying for young people because Joseph was young. He asks “give young people the ability to dream, to take risks and to take on the difficult tasks seen in their dreams”.
Pope Francis also prays that each of us to be faithful dreamers like Joseph… “Grant all of us the ability to dream because when we dream great things, good things, we draw near to God’s dream, what God dreams about us”.
These prayers should have special relevance for all of us who wish to follow Vincent and Louise as bearers of the Good news of God’s dream to those who, so often have had their dreams snuffed out.
Questions for each of us today
- Do we ever get beyond our own dreams to think of God’s Dream?
- Do we recognize our part in God’s dream?
- Do we accept our responsibility in God’s dream of the kingdom where all love one another to the extent of washing one another’s feet and laying down our lives for one another?
- Do we “get up and do” as God asks?
Click below for an audio version of this Vincentian Mindwalk
Ah, to not be afraid to say yes to what cannot yet be seen except in the dream! Will I let Jesus be Lord? Will I actually be a disciple even with the cross being unavoidable? I struggle with these questions every day in a multitude of ways. One scriptural response to the fears that comes to me is “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14, 6) It helps me stay focused about where life comes from.
“St. Joseph’s Dreams” reminds me of an article by Donald Senior, C.P., in an early 1970s issue of Bible Today. In that article, the author presented the Eden account as God’s dream for humanity. Unfortunately, the dream got shattered due to sin.
So, it’s safe to say, I think, that the Bible from Genesis all the way down to the last chapter of Revelation, which deals with the restoration of Eden, is all about God’s dreams for human beings.
But with so many prescriptions and commentaries getting added, along with primary reinforcements being supplanted by secondary reinforcements, and the protective fence around the law and the prophets being mistaken for the law and the prophets themselves, Jesus had to issue the reminder about the weightier matters of the law (Mt 15, 3-6; 23, 23). And he summarized, in part , God’ dream for us in the two-fold commandment of love of God and of neighbor, and also in the prayer he taught us.
And if we really live our faith that we have but one Father and that Jesus is our brother and we are all one family in the Holy Spirit, will this not spell the coming true of God’s dream for us? Will this not mean that the Father’s name is being hallowed among us, his kingdom prevailing, his will being carried out, everyone of us getting for the day our daily bread without worrying about tomorrow, all of us being forgiven and forgiving one another, receiving support from God and from each other and being delivered from evil?
For his part, St. Vincent speaks of the coming true of God’s dream in these terms: “We cannot better assure our eternal happiness than by living and dying in the service of the poor, the arms of Providence, and with genuine renouncement of ourselves in order to follow Jesus Christ” (SV.EN III:38).
Sorry, the page number is not 38, but 384.