I think it is safe to say that most people value privacy. Right now, however, it is a rather elusive ‘commodity.’ Everything we do involves some sort of electronic connection to our personal information and to just about every aspect of our lives whether we choose it or not. The result is that our privacy is diminishing. Ironically, ‘social distancing’ offers privacy, but of an undesired kind; yet with the physical isolation, we are actually more connected than ever through technology, something not always optimal. In short, we are ‘connected at a distance!’ A few years ago that sentence would have made absolutely no sense, but now it is all too real. As social beings we long for connection and yet simultaneously we want a little privacy, too. Therefore, we are in a constant push/pull between the two… and our heads are spinning. Jesus and His family also faced this issue. Until the time was right for Jesus to begin His ministry, the Holy Family was obscure to the extent that we know almost nothing of what transpired during much of their time together. We know Joseph died during those years referred to as ‘hidden’ in the life of Jesus, but we have no information to shed light on any of it. This is because the Gospels are not biographies nor are they histories of Jesus, (or of His family for that matter.) Rather, they are meant to reveal Jesus, Son of God and promised Messiah, through the details of His mission and His teaching. In doing so, they describe our call to discipleship. Disciples are called to carry on His work, but for most of us it will be done in hiddenness. That is, we go about our lives as appropriate to our call choosing daily to humbly spread the Good News in word and deed.

​To this end we can look to the ‘hidden’ years of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus realizing that they certainly must have affected the lives of those they met. Mary was the one who rushed to serve her cousin Elizabeth when both women were pregnant; therefore, we can be sure she brought flour, eggs or small loaves she baked to people in the community who were ill, widowed, or poor. Joseph the Just (and the Worker), must have offered acts of generosity by doing things like freely fixing a neighbor’s wheel when it broke, or perhaps rebuilding a fence or a part of someone’s house that was in disrepair. While young and living with His family, in an outwardly ordinary way Jesus would have helped a neighbor in need. Thus, being hidden does not mean being inactive. Nor does one have to be a miracle worker to be kind or selfless. It simply means keeping our eyes open so as not to miss an opportunity to use the power of God we have been given, namely grace. Through grace, ordinary kindness can, however, work miracles in the lives of the ones who receive what we offer, especially when our acts are done spontaneously and unbidden. We can change the lives of others with one simple act. 

The Gospels reveal that after Jesus inaugurated His public ministry He had little privacy for the remainder of His life. He knew this was to be and embraced His mission fully; but to sustain Himself, He often slipped away for prayer, choosing to be hidden from the public for a short while. Jesus knew the value of time spent in conversation with His Father, for reflection and discernment, and also for rest. Therefore, we need to learn this as part of His gospel message: we all need rest and time for reflection and prayer. We need a bit of intentional hiddenness in order to restore balance and centeredness to our busy lives. It is essential for us to develop our relationship with God and it is of the utmost importance in order to discern our call and also the decisions and choices that are good for us to make. To do so we must look for the Fruits of the Spirit, and to that which leads us and those we effect closer to God.*

I suggest that we spend some time in prayer contemplating what isn’t said in the Gospels using the way taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola. That is, using your imagination set a scene of an aspect of the hidden years in the lives of the Holy Family. Choose whatever seems to draw you; it might be Mary making a visit to an elderly neighbor, Joseph helping someone who unexpectedly needed assistance, Jesus tending the garden and then bringing vegetables to a poor townsperson. Imagine, (or reflect intuitively upon),** what their lives might have been like and let God lead you. Afterwards, pray about what you can do (and what you already do) in imitation of what Jesus learned as a young man and then taught in His public ministry, (the Corporal Works of Mercy found in Matthew 25, for example). Perhaps you can ask yourself: “How am I called to spread the Gospel in word and deed in the midst of my own hiddenness?” Then ask the Holy Spirit to give you the eyes to see as Jesus sees and the heart to love as Jesus loves in order to be moved more often to generosity and kindness. If we do this from time to time, there is no doubt that we will grow in holiness as we touch hearts and lives in ways that are indeed beautiful miracles.

May we spend time praying with the hidden lives of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus which bore great fruit! May we spend time in meditation that we might gain insights into the gift of our own hiddenness! May we ask the Holy Spirit for the graces we need to discern and then to act! And may we see and love more and more as Jesus does! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

​                               ©Michele L. Catanese

* Discernment is about prayerfully choosing between two options, responses, or ways to proceed that both seem to be good. It is not about choosing between good and evil. St. Ignatius says in that case it is an obvious choice: we avoid evil and always choose the good. When choosing between two good things, one prays, tests the ways that we feel moved in both possible choices, and then proceeds with the one that is most likely to lead us closer to God. ​
​** I say this because not everyone is able to imagine visually. Many people use their intuitive sense to let God lead, so do not try to force yourself to ‘visualize’ the scene if you cannot do so.

Images:
1. My photo, taken in the Highlands of Scotland near Glencoe. 
2. Icon, The Holy Family Working. (Russian icon)
3. Image, Jesus Listen and Pray, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this image if you are interested at fineartamerica.com/featured/jesus-listen-and-pray-251-william-hart-mcnichols.html
4. Painting, The Sower by Vincent van Gogh. (1888)
5. My photo, taken in a vineyard in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

NOTE: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

I suspect we have all seen the phenomenon of birds flocking and then alighting on electrical wires. It always seems as if each bird knows what spot is assigned them. But what is most fascinating is that they do not get electrocuted. We know never to touch a power line, yet birds sit on the very same wires without any negative consequences whatsoever. There must be something in their physiology that protects them, but obviously they are totally immune to the electrical currents thrumming through the wires.* Observing this behavior led me to think of our spiritual lives and the protection we have been given. We are surrounded by dangers constantly, not just disease or mishaps on the freeway, but in the daily temptations to sin or to grow cool in our faith. More chilling is that often we are unaware of evil lurking, (Genesis 4:7). Even though we are created good, coolness in the faith, losing hope, becoming centered upon our own desires, etc., usually happen gradually, and therefore are of great danger. It is for this reason that God offers the Sacraments and other graces: He wants us to be fully protected against the dangers of everyday living which can take us away from our centeredness on Jesus. Therefore, this week’s Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is an important time for reflection because it reminds us of the gifts we have been given to withstand these temptations and ‘attacks.’ That Jesus was baptized, though He is the Author of Baptism, speaks loudly as to the importance of the power of grace and how much we are in need of it.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is the gateway from the season of Christmas to Ordinary Time. As we make the liturgical shift, we need to recognize the importance of this event. While it is perhaps true that Jesus wanted to model what His followers would need to do, the more important point is that it inaugurated His public ministry, giving witness to His presence as Messiah and Lord. The voice of the Father was heard saying that He was well pleased with His Son while a dove (the Holy Spirit) hovered overhead. Thus, the Trinity was revealed. But while this glorifies and identifies Jesus as the Son of God, it also reveals that our baptism fully immerses us into the life of the Trinity. It is not a mere symbol: when we are baptized we are immersed in and enter into the very essence of God as Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are given the power to have faith, to hope, and to love which grow when nurtured with prayer. These graces also protect us. Being immersed into the life of the Trinity means we have fully entered into love, mercy, compassion, peace, and all that makes up the Living God. Every Sacrament is an encounter with the Living God, but this one is an encounter that never ends: we encounter God every moment of every day, never less than fully immersed in Him.

Knowing this, then, should help us to realize that we are like those birds on the wires. That is, we have a spiritual protection system, namely that of grace. Interestingly, Jesus used the metaphor of birds when He said, “Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?” (Matthew 6:26) Jesus is not saying that life will be easy or without dangers, but rather that we should totally depend on Him. At this point the dangers around us are increasing as our culture encourages in sometimes subtle and often insistent ways that we live in opposition to the gospels. We are given the message that it is okay to devalue life, to forego worship or prayer because 'we have better things to do,’ (or worse still, that it does not work!), to abandon common courtesy, and to disregard the Commandments. We are often told that our values are false, and more and more we are persecuted in some way if we try to live them. We are in danger in a culture that devalues religion and denies God, perpetuating the notion that self is all-important. We are in serious danger in a climate that seeks to divide and not unite. 

But the Good News, and what we celebrate with the Baptism of the Lord, is that we have been offered grace; this power includes the mercy of God when we do fall into sin. We have the power of courage, discernment, self-control and to act justly; to be generous, kind, gentle, peaceful, and be willing to work together; to be patient in listening to those whose views are different than ours, and to even be joyful in the face of difficulties. (Galatians 5:22-23) We have these graces not only to protect and to guide us home to God, but also so that we would help Him in building the Kingdom. Especially in these difficult times, we must put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:12-17) to protect our souls from the assaults of the evil one who wants to sow division, discord, and despair and we must hold firm to our baptismal gifts of faith, hope, and love. Let us claim these gifts and rejoice in the love of the One who gives them, so that we might be like the birds that do not fear the electrical wires, but rather find rest there. 

​May we utilize the baptismal gifts of faith, hope, and love we have been given! May we use the power of grace to continue to ask God for that which we need! May we have the courage to stand against the culture when it demands that we forsake our faith and values! And may we work for peace and justice with civility! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! 

                                                                           ©Michele L. Catanese
 * Since I opened a 'can of worms' here, (pun intended), you can find the explanation of the phenomenon of birds on electric wires at this link: engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/how-do-birds-sit-on-high-voltage-power-lines-without-getting-electrocuted/
​
Images:
1. My photo, taken in the Big Island of Hawaii. 
2. Fresco painting, The Baptism of Jesus by Blessed Fra Angelico. 
3. Photo of birds on the wires. This is not my photo, (it is in the public domain); the credits are found at http://pdpics.com/photo/1007-birds-on-electric-wire/
4. Image, The Holy Spirit The Lord the Giver of Life The Paraclete Sender of Peace by Fr. William Hart McNichols. It is important that we pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment and peace, particularly right now. You can find this image if you want to purchase a copy in one of many mediums at fineartamerica.com/featured/the-holy-spirit-the-lord-the-giver-of-life-the-paraclete-sender-of-peace-093-william-hart-mcnichols.html
5. My photo, taken in Fulshear, TX. 

​NOTE: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.