杏MAP导航

杏MAP导航 Francis reflected on the example of Saint Joseph in his homily at Tuesday morning鈥檚 Mass. He also prayed for several disabled Slovakian children who had made Christmas decorations for the chapel.

Turning to St. Joseph, the 杏MAP导航 called him 鈥渁 man of dreams鈥� who knows how to accompany others in silence.鈥�

Wisdom of good parents

The Holy Father said the day鈥檚 Gospel reading (Mt 1:18-25) presents Joseph as 鈥渁 righteous man, who observed the Law, worked hard, was humble, and loved Mary.鈥� When first faced with something he did not understand, 鈥渉e preferred to step back鈥� but 鈥淕od revealed to him his mission.鈥� So St. Joseph took up his new role wholeheartedly, and helped raise the Son of God, 鈥渋n silence, without judging, without speaking poorly of others, and without gossiping.鈥�

鈥淗e helped him grow and develop. So he looked for a place for the child to be born. He looked after him, helped him grow, and taught him to work: many things鈥� in silence. He never took possession of the child for himself. He silently let him grow. He let him grow: This idea could help us immensely, we who by nature always want to stick our noses in everything, especially in the lives of others鈥� And we start gossiping, talking鈥� But he let him grow, silently watching over him and helping him.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis said many parents have the wise attitude of caring for their children without being overbearing. He said they have the capacity to wait, without immediately yelling if the child makes a mistake. It鈥檚 important to know how to wait, he said, before saying something to help them grow.

God, the 杏MAP导航 said, has the same patient attitude with His children, since He waits in silence.

Man of dreams

The Holy Father also explored St. Joseph鈥檚 capacity to dream, saying he was a practical man but kept his heart open like 鈥渁 man of dreams鈥� and not like 鈥渁 dreamer鈥�.

鈥淒reams are a privileged place to seek after truth, because there we cannot defend ourselves against the truth. They come, and God speaks through dreams. Not always, because often it is our subconscious that comes forth, but many times God choses to speak through dreams. He often did so in the Bible. In dreams. But Joseph was a man of dreams, but not a dreamer, okay? He wasn鈥檛 abstract. A dreamer is something different. It鈥檚 someone who believes鈥� goes off鈥� has his head in the clouds, and doesn鈥檛 have his feet on the ground. Joseph had his feet on the ground. But he was open-minded.鈥�

Don鈥檛 lose the ability to dream

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited us not to lose the ability to dream and to open ourselves to tomorrow with trust, despite the difficulties that may come.

鈥淒on鈥檛 lose the ability to dream the future. Each of us needs to dream about our family, our children, and our parents: to imagine how I would like their lives to go. Priests, too, need to dream about what we want for the faithful. Dream as the young dream, who are 鈥榰nabashed鈥� in their dreams and find their path there. Do not lose the ability to dream, because to dream is to open the door to the future. Be fruitful in the future.鈥�