Feast of St. Joseph: What Joseph Teaches Us about Discernment

DISCERNMENT OF THE LORD’S WILL

 

What do we learn from Joseph in terms of discerning God’s plan for us in the ordinary events of our day?  That discernment/figuring out God’s will can include all of or some of the following elements:

 

Being discombobulated/upset/frustrated

Being afraid
Agonizing
That we need to “sleep” on it
That God may speak to us at night, that is, in the darkness and in the solitude of the night
That God may come to us in our dreaming state
That things may be clear after a good night’s sleep
That something/someone outside of ourselves will direct us
That God’s angels are sent as messengers of God

Joseph, in discovering that Mary was pregnant, decided to divorce her quietly. In coming to that decision, he put Mary ahead of what  was in it for himself. He wanted to protect Mary. He wanted no harm to come to her. How Mary would be affected by his decision—to keep her as his future wife or to divorce her quietly—was his main concern.

Joseph also respected his personal integrity and valued relationships. He would not act in a way that would violate his personal values nor in a way that would disgrace another.

What motivates you in your discernment of the appropriate actions to pursue in your relationships?