This is another grounded, beautiful reflection today from Sr Mary Cresp rsj exploring the Christian spirituality of humility and trust in Providence. "The response of humanity to Divine Providence is thanksgiving."

Joseph walked humbly

In a reflection for Christmas some years ago, Australian sociologist and columnist, Hugh Mackay, wrote in a local newspaper:

Until Christianity came along, humility was regarded as something of a weakness, even a pathology. In the classical tradition, the cardinal virtues were justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude; the Christian tradition added faith, hope and (crucially) charity to the list. In defining our responsibility for the welfare of those less fortunate than ourselves — the sick, the poor, the bereaved, the disadvantaged — Christianity emphasised the need for self-sacrifice, modesty and humility.

To Christians, the crucifixion of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of humility, but Christmas is a reminder of the humble circumstances of his birth, as well: no room in the inn, Mary and Joseph consigned to a stable, the newborn baby laid in a manger. That familiar story is easy to romanticise in carols and on slick greeting cards, but the reality must have been rather grim for all concerned. In fact, if there's an "inner meaning" of the Christmas story, it is probably that greatness is born in humility, disadvantage can be an advantage, and inspiration may spring from the most unpromising circumstances.[1]

The grandeur of the stars in the heavens reminds us of Divine Providence … and the sense of humility that ought characterise our attitudes! Photo from the top ten Hubble Space Telescope images.

Joseph's greatness — born in humility: What can be said of the Christmas tableau as a whole can be said of Jesus, Mary and Joseph individually. In the poverty of the manger — an animal's feeding trough — Joseph walked with God enfleshed as a baby, totally dependant, weak and limited. According to the Gospel story, Joseph received the wise ones from the east, prepared to kneel before a child. The wise men had learnt a new wisdom, not from King Herod, whose power rested in violence, but from recognising that joy indicates God's presence: "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him."[2]

Since we have no direct record of Joseph's character, the notion of Joseph's humility can only be surmised from the scant information we have. Joseph is a background figure in of salvation. Yet his role is crucial. Through him, the Davidic line of Jesus is established and legalised. To allow the Incarnation event to take place, Joseph does not demand prominence. Shannon and Russell reflect on Joseph's stance of humility:

Being in the "limelight" isn't always necessary for making great things happen. The person in the background, the invisible volunteer, the crewmember backstage, the last one to leave the kitchen, are often the essential link to a successful venture or a famous person's success. The "unsung" heroes and heroines are most often the enablers of great happenings while remaining in the shadows or behind the curtain.[3]

Perrotta draws from the same observation that Joseph's holiness "had more in common with the ordinary daisy than the showy orchid" and that this "makes for a devotion that centers on the safe path of attentiveness and receptivity to the hidden workings of grace."[4] The "inner meaning" of the stable scene is, indeed, that "greatness is born in humility". The presence of the shepherds reminds us that King David himself was a shepherd. These ignorant, lowly ones are those to whom the Good News is first announced. God shows preference for the ones without status in the society of the time. Those who are at home with their humanity, who do not have to hide it with the trappings of wealth and power, are the ones who can "walk humbly with their God".

Joseph and the earth: Anne Hennessy paints for us a picture of what would have been Joseph's relationship with the land:

Most peasants were farmers, a role that they regarded as a sacred task and duty passed on from previous generations. They were emotionally close to the land; they treasured it, and their lives were governed by its produce and by the seasons. The people lived in harmony with the land in the common endeavour of praising the Creator. Theirs was not the mentality of dominance, control, or the re-direction of natural resources. The value system of these farmers was rooted in tradition, which they considered sacred; religion was integral to their lives and inseparable from familial identity, "Agriculture was both a livelihood and an identity."[5]

As tradesman and farmer, working in hard substances and gleaning a living from the soil, Joseph's interaction with the created world would have been varied. Jesus referred to rocky outcrops and poor fertility in his parables. Did the land tilled by Joseph contain the types of soil that yielded grain, "some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty"?[6] Did he spend days on end clearing stones and leading flocks to better pasture? How did he read the seasons? Certainly, the ability to recognise their signs was passed on to Jesus.[7]

In whatever ways Joseph conducted his daily affairs, the important point for us is that the Jewish attitude of living in harmony with the land was part of "the common endeavour of praising the Creator". Stewardship of the earth was a way of worshipping and acknowledging God. It accepted that all of creation is gift but that human involvement in its care is an act of partnership with God.

Joseph and Divine Providence: This relationship of interdependence, one that Joseph would have shared, has fostered throughout history a trust in Divine Providence. Some stories that have come down to us give the impression that the one who trusts God is passive, and that out of nothing, God provides. My understanding is one, rather, of the active interdependence of creation. Divine Providence accommodates the life of all, in the give and take of co-existence. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

The sun and moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.[8]

This series of commentaries by Sr Mary Cresp rsj comes from Chapter Six of her 2005 book, "In the Spirit of St Joseph".

The response of humanity to Divine Providence is thanksgiving. In the Jewish-Christian tradition, the stance of gratitude has been expressed by the consecration of fruits of the earth in worship of God. Thus Joseph and Mary presented the offering of the poor, two turtle doves, to symbolise dedication at the birth of Jesus. Celebrations of harvest festivals, Passover meals, purity observances and Sabbath rituals also involved interaction with material objects to signify their religious intention. Human beings engage the rest of creation with them in worship.

Trust in Divine Providence saves us from the anxiety of needing to hoard excessive amounts of provisions and wealth for ourselves to the detriment of others. For centuries, Joseph has been held up in the Church as a model for those who live simply. A sense of partnership with a God who makes provision for all repels greed, exploitation, and what Mary Jo Leddy calls the "insatiable demands" of consumer culture today: "To say 'it is enough' ... becomes an act of gratitude."[9]

The humble Joseph, dependant on God's Providence, is one, though unique, among the "cloud of witnesses"[10] who like him have responded to the call to walk humbly with God along the human pilgrimage of life. In doing so, they have found their oneness with the earth and all creation; they have learned wholeness, simplicity and the freedom of trust; they have entered into that fruitful Love that unites all in its embrace.

PREVIOUS | ARTICLE NAVIGATION: You are presently looking at Part 3

IMAGE CREDITS:
The image used in the headline graphic is entitled by "Stellar Sunet". It was sourced from stock.xchng and is by Heather Sorenson of Los Angeles. The picture was taken in Mexico.

FOOTNOTES:
[1] Mackay, Hugh. "The Case for Humility", Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion column, Dec 21, 2002.
[2] Mt 2:10.
[3] Shannon & Russell, The Just One, p. 19.
[4] Perrotta, Saint Joseph, p. 132.
[5] Hennessy, In Search of a Patron, p. 40. Quoting Douglas Edwards. "First Century Urban/Rural Relations in Lower Galilee: Exploring the Archaeological and Literary Evidence." In Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers 1988, edited by Lee T. Levine, 53-74. N.Y.: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1992.
[6] Mt. 13:8.
[7] For example, Mt. 16:2-3.
[8] Catechism of the Catholic Church, New York: Doubleday, 1995. #340.
[9] Mary Jo Leddy. Radical Gratitude. New York: Orbis, 2002. pp. 157-8.
[10] Heb. 12:1

©2005 Mary Cresp RSJ

[Index of Commentaries by Mary Cresp RSJ]