Reflecting yesterday on the tenacity of our hard-heatedness and the opaqueness of our minds and encountering today’s feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, has me thinking of the much neglected gift of the Holy Spirit, piety.Piety, I would say, has come on hard times mainly because we so often take its secondary meanings for its primary meaning.When we hear, at least most of us, the word piety or pious we think of devotional practices, holy cards, saints with halos, and pale-looking persons on their knees in prayer.This, however, is not to be confused with the gift of the Holy Spirit called piety.
Piety is what might be described as an affection of the heart for the things of God.Or better, an affection for God himself.Notice, the word is ‘affection’ not ‘feeling’ because it is more profound, deeper still then simply a feeling.It is an inclination with a certain amount of energy beneath it that moves us—yes, in our ‘feelings’, our ‘emotions’, but also in our intellect and, indeed, our very being—toward God.
St. Paul is speaking precisely about piety when he speaks of “the Spirit itself bear[ing] witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16) which moves us to cry out “Abba, Father!” (15).Again, piety creates within us a space for a relationship of trust, affection, devotion, and inclination toward God as our dear Father.This piety stirs us to want to please God our Father, to spend time with him, to hear his voice and to speak with him, it opens us to the delight that is living in a relationship of obedience and faithfulness to God our Father as his dear children.
I am mindful of this, as I said, because of this feast today in honor of St. Joseph.Joseph, if anything, was a pious man.A man inclined to the heart of God.Such pity, as we witness in Joseph, inclines us also to truly want to do the honorable, merciful thing in all our relationship.
When Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant, knowing the child not to be his own, there is confusion.Still, he was unwilling to expose Mary to the harsh precepts of the law and set his heart on dealing with the situation “quietly” so as to protect Mary’s honor (Mt 1:19).And yet, this was no hard-hearted man!His heart remained disposed, receptive (and this is characteristic of a pious person) to whatever it was that God would say to him.Because he was authentically disposed, God did speak to him, directing him to take Mary as his wife.And Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home” (Mt 1:20-24).That is piety.An inclination toward God that moves one to act willingly on God’s word!
Now that we are clear on just what piety is it might be important to say something about pious actions, the secondary meaning of the word ‘piety.’Acts of piety fan into flame the gift of piety.Those actions, then, that incline our hearts to an affection for God are pious acts.
What are those acts, those spiritual exercises that dispose me to God?Personally, I experienced this only recently, something that is for me a true ‘pious act’ is the reading of theological books.I know that sounds unusual and it would not be a pious act for everyone.Still, let me share, if it is not too presumptuous of me, how it works.The other day I was reading this book on the Trinity in the works of St. Thomas Aquinas.As I sat in my chair reading, I noticed a real longing, a real sense of openness within me.I really desired to somehow touch, reach out to, be embraced by God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.It is like that more then just occasionally when I read theology.Reading, for me, is a pious act.
How about you?What are those acts that dispose your heart to God?Praying the rosary, sitting with the crucifix in your hands, walking out in nature, reading Sacred Scripture, kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament?Whatever, the point, the end of all such ‘acts’ are to fan into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit, piety.They are meant to incline our hearts toward God and make the doing of God’s will a desire of our whole selves.