56. Monday after the Epiphany
Meditations no. 50 (unofficial computer-aided translation)
St Josephâs docility in accepting Godâs command to flee into Egypt.
An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, âRise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.â No sooner did the Magi leave to return home, than Herodâs assassin troops began looking for the new-born King of the Jews to kill him. But God knew their plans, and he warned Joseph of the danger, ordering him to flee into Egypt. The order was brief and to the point. St Joseph was told what had to be done, and was given a very brief explanation of why it was necessary to flee. The particulars of the journey were left to his own initiative and judgement. He was also warned to be ready for further instructions from the Angel, who would notify him of any change in the circumstances that had given rise to the need for him to dwell in a foreign land.
St Joseph did not wait for the next day to obey. He rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt. His docility, however, did not mean that the journey would be free of hardships. He had to give up the house at Bethlehem, which possibly he had acquired after considerable sacrifice. The length of the journey ruled out taking certain essential items, while the sudden departure prevented him from selling any items that couldnât be carried. And even though the persecution of the infant Jesus still hadnât begun, that didnât matter: St Joseph firmly believed the Angel. With a docility which showed the depth of his faith, he left everything and set out at once. A prudent and faithful servant, he listened to God without seeking other, apparently more practical, solutions. There could have been reasons for questioning the Angelâs message. Couldnât Almighty God have found another way of saving the Child? Then too there was the tiring journey through the desert to a foreign land, where they didnât know anybody. Nevertheless Joseph obeyed, unconditionally, fully trusting in Godâs Word.
My children, you should obey your Directors as promptly as Joseph did. By doing so, through your Directors, you obey this Father of yours. Otherwise, we wonât be able to accomplish anything in Opus Dei.
Docility to the various manifestations of Godâs will.
God lets us know his will, because, in the words of St Augustine, he knows better than any man what is best at every moment, what he must grant, add, take away, subtract, increase or diminish, and also when it must be done. Usually we find out what God wants through what our Directors tell us. Our Norms also signal Godâs will for us and lead us to him. The same is true of the daily problems and the great or small obstacles which God allows us to encounter along the way.
The Holy Familyâs journey to Egypt could not have been a very comfortable one. They would have spent several days travelling with their little donkey along inhospitable paths, tired and thirsty, in constant fear of being overtaken by their pursuers. I am moved to see them get away in their âlittle motor carâ. After all, thatâs what a donkey was in that day and age. A craftsmanâs family couldnât afford anything better. Following the Angelâs instructions, they hastened towards their new country, seeing Godâs will in all these circumstances.
We too should say, each time God calls: Is that what you want, Lord?⌠Then itâs what I want also. Then everything leads us to holiness. We must be docile, and entrust ourselves to our Directors, like clay in the potterâs hand, so that we can be moulded and so that our whole life can be turned into the divine work that Jesus wants. Be humble before God and before your Directors, who represent God. Willingly give up your own opinion, and open wide the doors of your heart to welcome the teachings you are given, our Father says. This includes all that we are told and advised to do by the Directors, and all the fraternal corrections we receive.
We must let ourselves be guided by Godâs will, and be ready to accept whatever he wants, with sure faith and humility. Thatâs the way St Josephâs faith was: full, confident, complete. And it expressed itself in an effective dedication to the will of God and an intelligent obedience. With the faith went love. His faith nurtured his love for God, who was fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, Jacob and Moses, and his affection for Mary his wife and her Son. This faith, hope and love would further the great mission that God was beginning in the world through, among others, a carpenter in Galilee: the redemption of man.
God wants our obedience to be free and intelligent.
After some time spent in Egypt, an Angel of the Lord appeared once more in a dream to Joseph and said to him: Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the childâs life are dead. The time had come for them to leave the land that had sheltered them, and to return to the country which God had chosen to be the Messiahâs dwelling place. So Joseph rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel, so fulfilling what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, âOut of Egypt have I called my son.â
Josephâs obedience to Godâs instructions is not purely mechanical. He puts his intellect and will at Godâs service, with a sense of responsibility. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, since the Childâs life might be endangered. He had learned to work within the divine plan. And to confirm that he was doing the right thing, Joseph received an instruction to return to Galilee.
God wants us to respond to his commandments and to the suggestions and advice of our Directors in an intelligent and responsible way, using our personal freedom. When God our Lord gives us his grace, when he calls us by a specific vocation, it is as if he were stretching out his hand to us, in a fatherly way. A strong hand, full of love, because he seeks us out individually, as his own sons and daughters, knowing our weakness. The Lord expects us to make the effort to take his hand, his helping hand He asks us to make an effort since we are free. To be able to do this, we must be humble and realize we are little children of God. We must love the blessed obedience with which we respond to Godâs marvellous fatherhood.
We should let our Lord get involved in our lives, admitting him confidently, removing from his way any obstacles or complications. We tend to be on the defensive, to be attached to our selfishness. We always want to be king, even if our kingdom is only that of our wretchedness âŚ
Let us be forewarned, then, for we will always tend to be selfish, and this temptation can occur in many ways. God wants us to show our faith when we obey, for he doesnât express his will with drums and trumpets. Sometimes he suggests his wishes in a whisper, deep in our conscience; and we must listen carefully to recognize his voice and be faithful.
He often speaks to us through other people. But when we see their defects or doubt whether they are well informed - whether they have grasped all the aspects of the problem - we feel inclined to disobey.
All this may have a divine meaning, for God does not impose a blind obedience on us. He wants us to obey intelligently, and we have to feel responsible for helping others with the intelligence we do have. But letâs be sincere with ourselves: letâs examine, in every case, whether it is love for the truth which moves us or selfishness and attachment to our own judgement. When our ideas separate us from other people, when they weaken our communion, our unity with our brothers, it is a sure sign that we are not doing what God wants.
Joseph and Mary always recognized Godâs voice at once. Let us ask them to teach us to heed Godâs calls and to answer with the same prompt and thoughtful docility.