We live in a culture that idealizes extroverts. As a society, we too often tend to equate success, not only with money, but also with the person who can talk the loudest and fastest. We live in a culture of personality. Unfortunately (and this is a pet peeve of mine), the same is often true in our Church: we too often equate discipleship with the ability to talk loud, fast, and convincingly about our faith in Jesus Christ. The problem is that leaves out half of the population. Those of us who are introverts are too often seen as lukewarm about our faith, because we are not “making enough noise.” Take heart, introverts! On March 19, we celebrate the unofficial patron saint of introverts—St. Joseph—who appears in a number of scenes in Scripture but never says a word! In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we prepare to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph in a year that Pope Francis has proclaimed as the Year of St. Joseph (December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021).
For more information about St. Joseph, check out the following links:
I love this! It’s a new way to look at St. Joseph for me! As a bit of an introvert myself, I really appreciate this acknowledgement that not everyone needs to be outgoing and gregarious. Many of the times that I’ve tried to overcome my shyness or whatever it is, I’ve gotten myself into trouble by saying too much or the wrong thing. Thank you St. Joseph for your strong and devoted love for God, St. Mary, and Jesus.
Glad you found this helpful, Debbie! I know St. Joseph has helped me embrace the introvert part of my make-up!