You Can Do Anything You Want ... Really?

I attended Wednesday mass today, my first "Children's Mass".  It was spectacular.  The music was awesome; guitars, tambourines, and maracas with the children gleefully singing out & doing hand motions to "Lord I Lift Your Name on High."



This day is the Feast day of St. Joseph, Mary's spouse, foster father to Jesus, the second highest saint in Heaven, after Mary.  I've always adored St. Joseph, even before my conversion.  He was given the option to say 'no', but he did God's will and went down the path God laid out for him.

Father's homily was for us all, but directed at the children at mass.  He told them, "people will tell you can do whatever you want in life, but that's not always true."  At first I worried that Father was bursting their little bubbles and telling them they can't be what they want to be.  I waited as he explained, "God may have a different path for you.  He has given you talents that he wants you to use to serve others and to serve Him.  This is your role: to find these talents and find the path that God has given you to do His Will."  He goes on to say that some children are good at math, some, music, some English.  Find what you have and use it to praise God in order to do in life.

St. Joseph had his plan in place until a wrench got thrown in.  He could have gone against God's will, not married his betrothed "divorced her quietly", and she would have likely been stoned to death for being pregnant and unwed.  I like how the Laudate said it: "St Joseph protected Jesus from an assassination attempt."   He is the guardian of the Holy family.
Interesting:
St. Thomas Aquinas commentary on Matthew’s GospelBut according to Jerome and Origen, he (Joseph) had no suspicion of adultery. For Joseph knew Mary’s purity and had read in the Scripture that a virgin would conceive (Is 7:14) and in 11:1): “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”  He had also known that Mary had descended from David. Hence, it was easier for him to believe that this had been fulfilled in her than that she had fornicated. And so, considering himself unworthy to live together with such holiness, he wanted to put her away secretly; just as Peter said: “Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man”  (Lk 5:8). Hence, he was unwilling to put her away, i.e., bring her to him and take her in marriage, for he thought himself unworthy.

Reflection: "Father, may I see the full significance of Your calling of Joseph to be Jesus' foster-father.  And may I use my talents in order to fulfill my vocations."