As the milestone of the first twenty-five years of the Congregation passed in 1891, Mary MacKillop mused that she and Julian Tenison Woods hardly dreamed “of what was to spring from so small a beginning”. We now celebrate 160 years of Josephite living, and we reflect on the meaning of our shared life in this world which is undergoing many crises.
St Joseph faced great upheavals in his time too. His dilemma about Mary’s child was compounded by the political machinery of the Census that forced him to travel with her far away from home. He faced the possibility of his little family’s murder and had to escape with them as refugees.
Where was Joseph’s heart in all of this? We know that he knew fear. He worried about Mary and Jesus and how he could find food, shelter and protection. He wondered about who he could trust: the keepers of overflowing hotels, guards at checkpoints, other travelers, and those who manned the Census tables, and he knew there were people in worse situations than his and Mary’s.
We realise that Joseph’s problems have been shared by countless millions of people through the ages, and that there are too many who share his experiences this very day. The condition of people suffering from forces outside their control fills our screens and news feeds daily. Even in our own lives there can be dire situations that descend on us with inescapable force, such as the sudden death of loved ones, personal illness, upsets of various kinds, as well as disappointments and other challenges that affect our lives.
The heart of Joseph is the heart of our shared Josephiteness. There is no new concept here, no startling discovery of something in Joseph that we didn’t know before. Any newness comes as an increasing understanding of what Joseph means, of what Josephiteness means. That understanding is far wider than the usual sense in which “understanding” is used. It is not a matter of brainpower, education or experience. Our growth towards the heart of Joseph concerns our inner self, which is our heart. Josephiteness is about a journey with Joseph’s heart.
Psalm 88 is used in St Joseph’s Feast on 19 March and we pray these words:
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts forever.
Here is a powerful expression of faith that Joseph himself would have prayed many times. It voices an utter reliance on the endless reality of God’s love.
In saying that prayer with Joseph, we are moved to respond to that everlasting love as he did. We cannot solve the world’s problems, but we can act towards people and situations in our own sphere and beyond with a desire to imitate Jesus: God’s son, Joseph’s son.
So many Sisters have lived this way for 160 years and we rejoice that Josephiteness keeps expanding. The yeast of hope is rising – surely, silently, unstoppably.
Susan Connelly rsj
Congregational Leadership Team