WEDNESDAY HOMILY: Go to Joseph and Do Whatever He Tells You

It was Joseph, as governor of the country, who dispensed the rations to all the people.In the Godless nation of Egypt, a God-fearing man saved the world. In this Godless society, a God-fearing man can help save the starving Masses. Just as the Pharoah told the people, to "Go to Joseph!"  We ought to go to St Joseph, the dispenser of the rations of graces to people starving for God.

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P>HYTHE, KENT, UK (Catholic Online) - In the Godless nation of Egypt, a God-fearing man saved the world.

In this Godless society, a God-fearing man can help save the starving Masses.

Just as the Pharoah told the people, to "Go to Joseph!"  We ought to go to St Joseph, the dispenser of the rations of graces to people starving for God.

St Andre Bessette, a simple and humble Holy Cross Brother, who founded the National Shrine to St Joseph in Montreal, frequently told the millions who visited him asking for prayers and healing, "Go to Joseph!"

Why?

Let me point out one simple reason.  The blessed Patriarch of patriarchs touched Jesus.  St Joseph held the baby Jesus, and in doing so realized that it was the Lord who was holding Him. 

St Joseph teaches us how to be touched by God.  The touch of God is greatly needed today to heal and help the apostles of the Lord so, as in the Gospel, He may send us out to help heal the sick and proclaim the Good News.

Jesus touches us in Holy Communion.  It is here St Joseph's intercession is most keenly felt, for it is in the same touch of Jesus, that St Joseph perhaps more frequently and intensely than any other, save the Blessed Mother. 

To allow Jesus to touch you, may I suggest to you the recommendation of St Teresa of Avila, who had a great devotion both to St Joseph and to the Blessed Sacrament.  When you receive holy communion, do not swallow the host.  Let the host dissolve on your tongue.  This will most surely take a good 15 minutes.  It will not allow you to speak or to have interaction with anyone else.  You will have to keep very still.

Think about it.

You might say, well I don't have so much time.  Ok then, five minutes.  Give God five minutes where He can simply touch you.  Pure Love Himself is touching you, why would you want to go anywhere else or speak to anyone else?  Eternal Light Himself is touching you, why would you want your mind to be dissipated or distracted about anything else? 

Just hold the host on your tongue for a moment.  Allow Him to pray over that tongue, that thing that can cause so much damage or be the instrument of healing.  That thing that St James said "is a fire!"  Allow yourself to hold the host and in doing so realize that God is holding you.

In this touch of God amazing things happen.  He elevates you.  He transforms you.  If you stop for a moment and turn away from everything and everyone else and simply allow God to touch you.  You don't know how?  Go to Joseph!  Ask him.  He will show you how it is done.  While Jesus touched him for so many years He imparted to good St Joseph so many graces, merits, blessings, treasures, and infused into him divine contemplation, allowing him to become elevated above the saints and angels to the sublime vision of God.  He didn't do this just for St Joseph's own sake, but so that St Joseph could be a great intercessor and friend to you, to show you how to hold Jesus and show you how to be held by God.

If you do this just for 15 minutes, ok maybe 5 minutes, or hey, even for 60 seconds, the other seconds of the day will be different.  Your life will be deeply changed.

Pope Francis realizes the great importance of St Joseph.  He recently added him to the Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV, and he consecrated the Vatican to St Joseph together with St Michael.

May the prayers and intercession of St Joseph help heal, elevate, and inspire us, so that we may realize the lofty apostolic calling that Christ bestows on we who allow the divine Master to touch.

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Father Samuel Medley, SOLT, is a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, and is based in Hythe, Kent, United Kingdom.  He speaks to groups around the world on Blessed Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body.  Visit his homily blog http://medleyminute.blogspot.com or his blog on sexual ethics http://loveandresponsibility.org

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