Day 151: St. Joseph’s Protection

[Music] Pam Fathomark-Mary with Franciscan Friars, they're known this is the Rosary in your podcast where through prayer and meditation, the Rosary brings us deeper into relationship with Jesus and Mary and comes a source of grace for the whole world. The Rosary in the Year is brought to you by Ascension. This is Day 151. To download the prayer plan for Rosary in the Year visit AscensionPress.com/rosary in the Year text R-I-Y to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to podcasts in the Ascension app. There's special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full Rosary with myself and other Friars. No matter what app you're listening in, remember to tap Follow or Subscribe for your daily notifications. Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the third joyful mystery, the Nativity with help from a painting entitled "Duration of the Shepherd by Gerard Van Honthorst." Now a brief introduction to our artist in the artwork. Gerard Van Honthorst was born in the Year 1592. He died in the Year 1656. And he was a Dutch painter who studied in Rome. He was influenced by Carvaggio's style early in his career and enjoyed success as a portrait painter later in his career. This particular painting was done in the Year 1622. And now our description of the painting. Luminessent and bright, the Christ child, laying on a manger, covered in pure white cloth and straw, radiates a gleaming shine into the face of his mother Mary, who's wearing red dress and blue hood, and places her arms on either side of the manger, and beams herself a look of peaceful contentment, of sweetness and delight to her child, as her face shines with a warm smile, as she tenderly gazes at the baby in her arms. Her right hand holds up the cloth he lies on. Around them, in varying degrees of shadow, six men gather round, including St. Joseph. Also with joy and expectation, as they appreciate the holy sight of the tiny newborn child. So today we have this beautiful painting of the adoration of the shepherds. And who else do we find there? Good St. Joseph. Today, I like to pray with St. Joseph and his presence at the nativity. And we're going to look at it as what I'll call, I guess, a very human reality. And basically, what I'm proposing is that the adoration of the shepherds, right, and the future adoration of the magi, it probably doesn't happen at all without the presence of St. Joseph. Let me explain. So we have this beautiful scene today depicted where the shepherds come to Bethlehem, right, and they see the Christ child in the arms of the blessed mother, and they fall to their knees and adoration and wonder and praise of God. But for this to happen, St. Joseph has to be there, at least that's my hypothesis. Okay, so now why? Well, we have Mary, right? And who is Mary at this point? Mary is a young and a vulnerable woman. She's kind of like the state of her and her femininity before the world, right? She's this young, vulnerable woman who is just given birth to her son. So now we have a young mother and her young newborn tiny little son in a manger, like in a town where she doesn't know anyone. And while I guess the gospel don't explicit say she doesn't know anyone in Bethlehem, I do think we can infer this based on the fact that she's there in the manger. There was no one to take her in in her time of need. Like there must not have been anyone she knew there. So now if a woman is in this state, just like let's just think about it, like it's human realities, you think she's just going to freely and peacefully welcome into her sort of inner sanctum, this group of unknown men, like in today's case, the shepherds, she can say, come on in. I just don't think so. I think prudently she's going to write in the name of a wise self preservation and also protection for her child, like remain to herself, almost in hiding. And so it's Saint Joseph who creates a safe place for Mary and child. And the safety that Mary experiences in his presence that allows her to receive the shepherds and to join them and to join Saint Joseph in adoring the newborn babe of Bethlehem in the manger. As we contemplate today's painting, I noticed the intimacy. Notice the peace. Notice the glow on the faces of Mary and Saint Joseph in the shepherds. And these hearts filled with awe at the Christ child. Like the one who makes this adoration possible, like the door to this beautiful moment is Saint Joseph and the character of Saint Joseph, his goodness, his fidelity, his presence, his strength. Mary writes she can have the freedom to focus on Jesus, to give him her full attention and then to share Jesus with the world in the safety that she finds in the hearts that care, the presence, the protection of good Saint Joseph. And so she receives this deep gift, the presence of the shepherds, of the adoration of the shepherds towards her Christ child, of the testimony of the shepherds, something that she keeps in her heart and ponders, why because Saint Joseph is there? And the shepherds, they go away glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen because of the presence of Saint Joseph. And today, as we pray, I invite you to reflect on Mary's heart here in Joseph's presence, the gratitude, the peace, the thankfulness that never ceases to rise to heaven in gratitude to God for bringing Saint Joseph into her life and for sending the angel to encourage him to remain with her and to take her as his wife. So that she cannot be afraid. And now with your imagination, if you can't imagine Mary, they're contemplating Jesus, maybe holding Jesus, the shepherds come in a door. And for a moment, her eyes lock with Saint Joseph's eyes. And with a knowing and loving glance, both their hearts well up with love and gratitude at this gift that they are to each other, like given ultimately by God himself. If God didn't send that angel to Saint Joseph, like maybe this adoration, like the safety, the experience that Mary feels like doesn't happen, but also Saint Joseph, right? Like if God doesn't send the angel, maybe he misses this beautiful moment and this beautiful life will get to share with Mary in the Christ child. Our residents sisters, like we too are welcome into this beautiful and intimate and grace-filled scene and to experience the warmth of the Holy Family and the protection and the safety offered by good Saint Joseph. Today, as we pray, let us receive that gift and prayerfully enter into that space. And now with Mary, let us pray, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, howlowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be. World without end, amen. Amen. The name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. All right, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me again today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Polk-o-pok-o, friends. God bless you.