It is safe to say that Jesus’s first hours in this world were not in the arms of his mother, but in his father’s arms, Saint Joseph’s arms. Most probably he nursed right after being born and the rest of the night he spent in the loving arms of his protective father while his mother enjoyed a much-needed rest. In fact, in Maria Valtorta, we see how Mary gave the newborn for Joseph to hold as soon as he was born while she looked for his clothes.
This has important implications that go beyond just being nice and warm to think about. For it is believed that it is the first hours of a baby are the most important in his life. Much like little chicks, who identify whoever they see first as their “mother”, a baby will connect very strongly who he first sees. Which was in this case His father.
Joseph and Jesus
Now, suppose Jesus was born into a rich family. Most likely Joseph would be away on a business trip, meeting, work, or he would just grab quickly the child and return it to the mother as real men did not take care of babies at the time, that was for women to do. Now, considering Jesus’s parent’s poverty, the fact he came without warning, and in the cold of the night, means that was probably what happened. Joseph had no recourse other than pressing the infant Jesus hard against his chest to try to keep him warm. Here, it is interesting to mention that modern psychology recommends babies to spend their first hour with the father to create that extra bond, and even to do that on a skin-to-skin basis.
So, the consequences of these actions are mind-boggling because such a level of bonding between a man and God was unheard of. This God would never be able to deny anything to that man who first held him. Just like that, St. Joseph helped both his sleeping newborn and his mother into all the things required by the new Kingdom that baby would create. This is an opportunity for us to ask what can we do to improve that kingdom?
Navajo
That question may be answered actually by another question, “What would be the use of speaking Navajo?” Nothing, most people would say. Well, would that change if it was learned that meant actually winning WWII?
In the early part of that war, the enemy was breaking every military code that was being used in the Pacific. This created a huge problem for strategizing against the Japanese. Eventually, a suggestion was made in early 1942 to use the Navajo language as a code. Twenty-nine Navajo talkers then participated in all assaults the U.S. Marines led in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima, sending messages by telephone and radio in their native language: a code never broken by the Japanese.
Now, if even a country is able to use something apparently so useless to unfortunately a very sad means, then, of course, our Father in heaven would find much more use in whatever we have. So, the idea that we have nothing to offer to Him is just silly, and most likely just an excuse for being just afraid. Failure, social stigma, consequences, backfire. There are many reasons we find to not engage in goals, fights, objectives.
Saint Joseph
The human body creates a hormone called Adrenalin whenever it is to engage in a fight. It increases the heart rate, elevates blood pressure, and boosts energy supplies, thus making the body better suited for whatever comes. We have a “spiritual adrenalin” called Saint Joseph. No one would deny that it requires a firm pair to take on a pregnant mother onto a trip where she could go in labour anytime, to take her and the newborn and travel to a foreign country with no preparation at all, or simply to accept that baby is the Saviour of Mankind and accept taking him under his protection.
As such, as the new year begins, let us ask that “Man of Steel”, Joseph, for “spiritual adrenalin” for whatever we plan to do next year. Maybe we want to quit smoking, quit drinking, lose weight, get a better job, or change houses. There are so many things we plan to do in the new year, and St. Joseph can surely help us, not only by simply helping but by boosting our courage to embark on those trips.
Most importantly, to face the fact we with our apparently useless “Navajo language” are INDEED useful to our Father in heaven if we just have the courage to let Him find that usefulness and put it in practice.
3 thoughts on “On Courage, Usefulness, St. Joseph, and Speaking Navajo”
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It is one of the great ironies of WW2 that the Navaho language was used so effectively against the Japanese. The US government had spent years trying to eradicate Native American language and culture through the Dawes Severalty Act and creation of the so-called Indian schools like the one at Carlisle Pennsylvania, whose motto was “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.” In these schools the Native American children were forced to speak English and were punished for speaking their native languages.
Only two words – just wonderful! I love the analogy.