Fr. Gary Caster

Jesus was familiar with the human condition. Nazareth did not protect him from the state of fallen humanity. Rather it afforded him concrete observations of that condition, the condition he came to redeem. Although Joseph would not witness the cross of his son, he participated in it by the sacrifice of his life, the toil of his daily work. He undertook this work in order to properly care for Mary and Jesus. In this Joseph experienced in his life a glimmer of the resurrection.

Without prayer, we run the risk of forgetting who we have become and slowly we begin to feel as if God is distant and uninterested. Prayer also prevents us from hiding from God, for through it, we place ourselves before the only one that can perfect us and transform our lives. Every prayer, whether spoken or not, alone or with others, is truly an opportunity to say to Lord, “Fill me with your life. Change me into the person you know me to be.”