They’re baa-aack!

The final day of the Year of St. Joseph brought a larger-than-usual band of chalk-wielding hooligans descending upon our patio for their annual sidewalk inscriptions. Veteran chalk artists Sisters Frances Marie and Cecilia Maria were joined by Sr. Maria Faustina and two guests, Carolina and Katelyn (not pictured here) for the afternoon’s art project. Newly inspired by a series of talks from Dr. Brant Pitre on St. Joseph, which our community just listened to in the refectory, the monastic rogues were determined to depict St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary and Terror of Demons!

We were excited by Dr. Pitre’s insight that it was Joseph’s spousal love of Mary which made him terrifying to demons, because it duped them into missing the truth of who Jesus was. St. Joseph’s chaste but no-less-true married love for Mary protected the secret of the Incarnate Son of God growing in her virginal womb. To outside eyes, she just looked like a young wife pregnant with her first child! Joseph’s continued virginal, spousal love of Mary and fatherhood of Jesus was a wall of protection around the Christ Child all through His hidden years. When the devils finally realized how the mystery was hidden from them, they must have gnashed their teeth in fury!

Some notes on how our artists tried to depict our beloved St. Joseph’s protective love:

• St. Joseph holds Mary close under one arm, and cradles the Infant Christ in the other.

• Mary holds St. Joseph’s lily of purity, for their spousal virginity is a fruit of the true union of their hearts

• A wall of light and fire surrounds the Holy Family — it is a wall of protection against the devils who prowl all around but who cannot penetrate it.

• Within the wall and behind the Holy Family are the images of St. Peter’s Basilica and of St. Joseph Monastery, symbolic of St. Joseph’s protection of the Universal Church and of our monastery, with the same love and commitment with which he cared for the Blessed Mother and their Divine Son.

• There are question marks hidden among the flames on the outside of the wall, symbolic of its shroud of mystery for the demons

• If you look closely, the light eminates from the hand of Jesus, who holds it aloft in blessing. His little hand also just happens to be exactly over Joseph’s heart; it is the Virginal Father’s love for Mary and Jesus which enables the whole mystery depicted in this scene.

We also came across this marvelous poem written by Madeleine L’Engle, which sings the praises of St. Joseph’s love from the Virgin Mary’s point of view. We think it is a beautiful hymn to the role which the earthly father of the Son of God played in his Son’s work of redemption.

O Sapientia, by Madeleine L’Engle

It was from Joseph first I learned
of love. Like me he was dismayed.
How easily he could have turned
me from his house; but, unafraid,
he put me not away from him
(O God-sent angel, pray for him).
Thus through his love was Love obeyed.

The Child’s first cry came like a bell:
God’s Word aloud, God’s Word in deed.
The angel spoke: so it befell,
and Joseph with me in my need.
O Child whose father came from heaven,
to you another gift was given,
your earthly father chosen well.

With Joseph I was always warmed
and cherished. Even in the stable
I knew that I would not be harmed.
And, though above the angels swarmed,
man’s love it was that made me able
to bear God’s love, wild, formidable,
to bear God’s will, through me performed.