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Jesus said to them, “Today
this scripture passage is
fulfilled in your hearing. And all spoke
highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his
mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the
son of Joseph?”
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A
father’s love is the topic of the movie “Finding
Nemo.” Marlin has to be both mother
and father to
his son Nemo, and he takes his job seriously, promising Nemo that he
will never
let anything happen to him. The movie is
a presentation of his desire to keep his promise.
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What is the greatest
need young
people have as they mature? Is it the
assurance that there will always be someone there? Is it the
feeling that someone really
cares? Is it the presence of parents who
remember what it’s like to grow up? Commentators on the
family offer different opinions concerning why parents
are so important. But most of them will
stress the need to have a mother and a father who are concerned about
their
children’s growth. When either the
father or mother is absent from the family, the family suffers in some
way.
The Gospels do not mention how Joseph, the foster-father of Jesus, died, nor do they tell us how long Jesus had the chance to interact with his father. We know that Joseph was alive long enough to teach Jesus a trade and we know that the people around his family knew of his father. Evidently, then, Jesus had the opportunity to experience his father’s love and direction, even if Joseph died early in Jesus’ maturing years. Jesus must have truly felt a father’s love. Our world is obviously not an underwater world and does not experience the difficulties of a growing fish, but it is a world of danger. Marlin reminds Nemo in this session that the ocean is not safe. Neither is our world. In such a world, a father’s love is important for the young person’s growth. People maturing in that world will be appreciative of the father’s importance, and will take the time to thank him. Also the young man should desire to be the father he should be when he chooses to have a family. |
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THOUGHT
What
do you think are the
principal virtues of Joseph the foster father of Jesus?
PRAYER Good and gracious God, we
live in a world that
can be described as “not safe,” and therefore a world in
which we need help in
order to mature well. Give us the grace
to follow the guidance that is given to us. Be
with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |