Think of Saint Joseph at work with Jesus beside him no more than a boy. It is easy to imagine him saying to Jesus, "Wait here and watch," as he showed Him how to work some tool or carve a bit of wood.
Today's great solemnity honoring Saint Joseph rises amidst the bustle of daily life and the desert of the Lenten fast like a great shining jewel, reminding us also to take a moment to watch and wait. Perhaps in that moment's silence we may learn some great secret of the inner life. Perhaps Saint Joseph will teach us how better to serve our Lord.
As we continue on through Lent, we can think of another time when those same words were used: Wait and watch.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Christ spoke in those words to His disciples. "Wait here and watch with me," He said to them, and not "Pray with me." He only asked them to watch and wait, the simplest of actions, even if sometimes the most difficult.
Why?
Did He know it would be too much for them to attempt to pray? Did He know that they scarcely understood yet how to pray? Or did He merely want them to watch how He prayed in the face of temptation and His coming death that they might learn how to act in the face of trials too?
A disciple is one who sits at the Master's feet and learns from Him, as Saint Joseph must have done in his silent way. We too can sit and watch there, listening to His voice, soft and full of love for us. Watch and wait.
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