Recently I was listening to a dear friend (and first-time grandma) describing her son’s interactions with his baby. It reminded me of an article I read about the important role that fathers play in a child’s confident ability to take worthwhile risks. As I recall, the article said that dads are more likely than moms to toss their kids in the air, more likely to let them get muddy, more likely to help them build a tree house, etc., and that those kinds of likelihoods are super important to the maturation of successful persons.
The next day in prayer, I was pondering the Fatherhood of God. In His perfection, does my Heavenly Father sometimes toss me in the air? Let me fall in a puddle? Show me wonders in the woods? Oh yes. So do I scream … or do I giggle? Am I terror-stricken or filled with trust? And when those eternally
big, almighty, wounded but strong and sure hands scoop me right up close to His heart again (which they do, EVERY time!), do I grin and say “Do it again, Abba!” or do I try run and hide? Hmmm.
These thoughts led to further prayerful astonishment about the role of St. Joseph. Imagine what it was like for that holy man, himself a child of God, to throw Jesus (God!) in the air, to teach Jesus (Divine Architect!) how to use a saw, to coax Jesus (Bread of Life!) to taste new foods. To teach the God who gave us free will (!) how to take risks. Wow. What a sacred duty. What a profound mystery. No wonder we don’t have many recorded words of St. Joseph — surely he was perpetually dumbfounded.
Today’s readings encourage us to ponder the Fatherhood of God – and how He’s preparing us to enter into the fullness of His glorious presence. It doesn’t sound super easy, nor safe, right? But I think the key point, as always, is: Do we trust Him? Fully? Do we let Him have His way with us? And when He does, do we panic? Or do we praise?
Good St. Joseph, lend us your aid!
Marian Bart