Love And Appreciate The Ordinary

There’s only so much space on any day’s blog to offer a few thoughts and try to connect these to our faith. One lament I have is that I didn’t have the space or capacity to name and say more about some of the feast days the church celebrates along the way (like St. Patrick’s Day yesterday).

But today the church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph, and this is a notable place to pause and reflect on his life.

If you did not grow up Catholic (or even if you did), you may not know that certain saints are “patrons” of specific situations, professions or causes. For many years, faithful Catholics offered prayers to saints as intercessors, and Joseph had a lot of hats! Joseph is the patron saint of families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers and working people (and I think there are a few more too).

How is it that so many people relate to this man who has no speaking lines in the Christian scriptures, plays a marginal role (at best), goes against gender roles and supports the lead of a woman and does nothing extraordinary with his life apart from working, parenting and being a family man?

I want to offer two thoughts on Joseph today.

First, for me the figure of Joseph elevates the ordinary and reminds us that even on the days when we don’t seem to be doing anything noteworthy, we can still deeply align ourselves with the will of God. St. Joseph Marello, the founder of the Oblates of St. Joseph, said that the model of Joseph encourages us to do the “ordinary in an extraordinary way”. Marello encouraged those in his order to give their time and energy to the “simple, small tasks which have been entrusted to them,” and went on to say that “The great saints attained sanctity not so much by the practice of extraordinary virtues that can be exercised only on rare occasions, but rather by repeated and ceaseless acts of small virtues.”

Repeated and ceaseless acts of small virtues. Doing the ordinary in an extraordinary way. Sounds a lot like Mother Theresa’s, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” And I see Joseph as the patron saint of small things with great love.

I know that I need to hear this message over and over. Especially in a culture that celebrates celebrity and emphasizes the grand and heroic, I can get down on myself pretty easily because I haven’t founded a new ministry, solved hunger or homelessness or become a massive social influencer with my new book (not that I have even written one). The reality is that most of us are never going to be or do that, and it is OK. St. Joseph reminds us to do what is in front of us and to practice holiness in continual acts of small virtue.

This may mean watching kids. Changing diapers. Buying groceries or running errands. Giving rides. Sending love notes. Packing lunches. Cooking and cleaning. Visiting people. Showing up when it’s not always convenient for us. Loving when it is hard. Playing a supporting role. Doing work we’re not thrilled about to make sure people have what they need. Making sacrifices. A lot could fall in this list…all small things that can be done with great love.

The second thing that Joseph always reminds me about is the fate of workers.  

I have mentioned Rev. William Barber before in my blogs (he’s the national co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign) and he is always bringing our attention back to the plight of  “low wage workers and the working poor” as a moral mandate. Especially in a time when so many corporate heads and media headlines are talking about the strength of our economy, Barber asks “What about the 135 million poor, low-wage and low-wealth Americans who are working and STILL can’t meet their basic needs?!”

Barber cites the biblical tradition of justice for workers and challenges his hearers to reconstruct our society in such a way so that everyone can thrive. So many low-wage workers in our community are earning only $15/hr (pre-taxes or any deductions) and can’t afford even the basics while working full-time. They provide some of the most essential services in our community and yet are some of the most vulnerable in the community.  And in light of the fact that corporate profits keep increasing as do the number of millionaires and billionaires, we’ve got a LONG way to go for worker justice.

Taken together, Joseph reminds me to remember the ordinary – ordinary actions and ordinary people – and to bring great love and appreciation to them both!