Angel Appeared to Him in a Dream!

2 Sm 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph.

Interestingly, St. Joseph’s character has been so written that he does not get to speak anything, though he was the Father of Jesus, the spouse of Mary, and the head of the Holy Family. 

There is another side to this silent saint. St. Joseph, who was a ‘dreamer,’ conducted his life in accordance with the God’s revelation he received in his dreams. The four mentions we find in the Gospel of Matthew are: 

1.The Annunciation (Mt 1:20-21): Joseph is told in a dream not to fear taking Mary as his wife, as her child is conceived by the Holy Spirit.

2. Fleeing to Egypt (Mt 2:13): After the birth of Jesus, an angel warns Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to escape King Herod’s massacre.

3. Return from Egypt (Mt 2:19-20): Once Herod dies, an angel appears in a dream and tells Joseph it is safe to return to Israel with his family.

4. Warning to Settle in Nazareth (Mt 2:22-23): After returning to Israel, Joseph is again warned in a dream to avoid Judea, so he settles in Nazareth.

How to make sense of the saint who was discerning God’s will through his dreams? What would discerning God’s will through dreams mean for those of us who know the cynicism attached to words like ‘Daydreaming,’ and ‘Pipedreaming’?

How can we deny that the revelation of God’s will for St. Joseph in the New Testament mirrors the experience of his namesake in the Old Testament, who received prophetic dreams that foretold his future rise to power and his family’s eventual submission to him (Gen 37:5-11)?

Though all these things are true of St. Joseph the ‘dreamer,’ we believe that he knew how to distinguish between God’s revelation and some delusional thinking. That is where we come to appreciate the spiritual depth and maturity of St. Joseph. His conscience was so well formed that it picked up and connected to God’s voice in all those above-mentioned instances wherein we find him acting upon them, with no hesitation or confusion. Maybe in this regard, I believe it is worth considering what Gaudium et Spes had to say on conscience: 

“In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience when necessary speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths” (GS, no. 16). 

If we carefully read these lines, we may understand how well-trained St. Joseph’s conscience was. The ‘dreamer saint’ kept his inner forum so sacred that without having to speak a word, God revealed everything to him, and without having to explain anything, Joseph did what the Lord commanded him. 

What lessons do we learn from the life of St. Joseph? 

1.Hearts as Dwelling Places of God: St. Joseph teaches us the importance of keeping our hearts as the residence of God. If God resides in us, what should we be afraid of in our lives? St. Joseph learned to listen to the One who dwelt within him always. Are our hearts worthy places for God to dwell in us?

2. Forming Our Consciences: St. Joseph teaches us the importance of forming and nurturing our consciences so that they remain perceptive and sensitive to God’s whispers. This is why Pope Francis said, ‘We have been called to form consciences, not to replace them.’ Are our consciences sensitive to God’s promptings or blunted by a habitual disregard of God’s initiatives?

3. Openness to God’s Guidance: St. Joseph was always open to God’s guidance. The ‘dreamer’ saint was capable of discerning God’s revelation through silent reflection. We know how God-fearing St. Joseph was through his faithful obedience to God’s commands by his receptive behaviour. Today, St. Joseph invites us to imitate his example. 

Let us pray that following the life example of St. Joseph we may discern and pay heed to God’s voice in the depths of our hearts. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar