In his General Audience, Pope Francis explained the role of St. Joseph in the gospels as a “man of silence.” He says that although none of the saint's spoken words are recorded in the Gospel, Joseph was a model of “attentive hearing of God’s word and acting upon it.”
The Pope said that the saint's quiet humility “teaches us to make room in our hearts for Christ, and thus to discern the Father’s will for our lives.”
He added that Jesus learned the importance of silence from the examples of Joseph and Mary, and that “fostering contemplative silence is a sure path to authentic self-knowledge and spiritual growth.”
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our continuing catechesis on Saint Joseph, we now consider Joseph as a “man of silence”. The Gospels report none of his spoken words, yet they present Joseph as a model of attentive hearing of God’s word and acting upon it.
In fact, Joseph’s silence was the sign of a contemplative heart, confirming Saint Augustine’s observation that, “when the word of God increases, human words fail.” Joseph’s quiet humility teaches us to make room in our hearts for Christ, and thus to discern the Father’s will for our lives. Jesus learned the importance of silence from the example of Joseph and Mary, and in turn taught his disciples to cultivate it.
We too are called to exercise interior silence and attentive listening to God’s word, lest our daily worries, temptations and fears lead our spoken words astray and cause harm to others. Though not easy, fostering contemplative silence is a sure path to authentic self-knowledge and spiritual growth.
May we learn from Saint Joseph’s example of silence to let the Lord fill our hearts and guide our words in the service of his truth and in charity towards all our brothers and sisters.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially the groups from Nigeria and the United States of America. I pray that each of you, and your families, may experience these final days of Advent as a fruitful preparation for the coming of the newborn Saviour of the world. May God bless you!
JM
