St Joseph the Worker

Dear Joe,

As exams draw near and spring is in the air, you need my help.  Well, not exactly my help, but at least a gentle avuncular reminder.  

Praise and worship is not the exclusive domain of those meetings where you sing songs and share experiences.  Those are fine and have their place (I would say an important place for many of us), but the heart of all worship is loving obedience.  Adam and Eve sinned because they let their trust in God wane, and therefore disobeyed, dishonoring God, insulting God, rebelling against God.  Our worship tries to replace that attitude with an attitude of filial trust, of faith and confidence in God, who is our loving Father. Therefore, when we recognize his will, embrace it, and fulfill it because we know it will be pleasing to him (and good for us as well), we are really offering a wonderful act of worship.  

Why do I think you need to be reminded of this?  Well, has it been easy for you to give your best efforts to your studies these last couple of weeks?  Not really, judging from your notes. And yet, as a college student, the primary duty of your state in life (in other words, God’s will for you now, what he wants you to be doing) is precisely your studies.  Therefore, remember that every page you turn, every note you take, every formula you memorize can give glory to God.

Think about today’s saint, Joseph.  The only thing we know about him is that he took care of Jesus and Mary for a few years.  He speaks no words in the Scriptures; he just does God’s will. Traipsing to Egypt and back, working away in his carpentry shop, bringing home the bacon (well, probably not; pork was an unclean food for the Jews – but you know what I mean)… dreary inglorious task after dreary inglorious task. And yet, he is the greatest of Patriarchs, the patron of the universal Church: a saint.  

Therefore, my rambunctious little nephew, enjoy the spring weather, but not at the expense of God’s will – at least, not if you want to be a saint.  

Yours always, Uncle Eddy

P.S. Please wear plenty of sunscreen – your side of the family has a penchant for skin cancer, you know.