St. Joe's Consecration Day 26 - Charity

(Interior silence) forms the foundation in which we learn true charity. Joseph had both in harmony the love of divine truth and the selfless assent to the demands of love. . . Saint John Paul II points us to the ideal harmony we are created for found in Joseph, one of bringing together interior recollection focused in the Divine Indwelling and the exterior actions of love that flow seamlessly from the integrated life we are made for.

The gift of a receptive and listening heart and mind is one of the greatest gifts we can give someone. . . This recollection teaches us how to be open and silent then in the presence of others--even if they are "wrong"--because we know there is a bigger picture. We can be receptive first and foremost in the gift of this person in his or her being. . . We will encounter the other. Encounter itself heals many wounds.   

What specific issues are most difficult for you to communicate effectively about with others?

• Issues about which I have a strong moral stance or have spent a lot of time learning about
• Issue that reveal my own shortcomings or require me to ask someone for help

Looking through today's lens, what issues of trust might be underlying your difficulty in listening in these conversations?

• I do not trust that the other person will acknowledge or listen to me. I fear a loss of pride in not being seen as "right," not being affirmed and appreciated for being "smart" or wise or simply correct.
• I do not trust God to provide for me or other people to help me; instead I fall back on self-reliance

What ruminations do you find yourself distracted by in these areas?

• I find myself making moral judgments and biased assumptions about other people. I dwell on my own needs and start to think about other people as a means to achieve my needs. 

How can Joseph's model of trust help you connect to a better way of handling these situations?

• His sense of honor, duty, purpose, and righteousness supersede his own desires for comfort or pleasure or attention. His love of divine truth leads to selfless action. He trusts God's plan and works to be the instrument through which that plan can happen, even if he doesn't know what exactly will happen next.