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When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded
him and took his wife into his home. Matthew 1:24
The human person is a fascinating subject of study. Throughout the
ages, countless philosophers, theologians, and social scientists
have sought to understand the complexities of human nature. Within
the Catholic philosophical tradition, Saint Thomas Aquinas stands
out as an influential and trustworthy teacher on this topic.
Aquinas teaches that while a person sleeps, the external senses are
inactive. However, sense images within the imagination can still be
active to varying degrees, depending on the depth of sleep, leading
to the formation of dreams. Human reason is not entirely inactive
during sleep, but it operates in a diminished capacity, which often
results in dreams being nonsensical. Because the intellect’s
judgment is not fully engaged, the content of dreams is generally
neither moral nor immoral.
There is, however, another form of dream that transcends the normal
and natural type. This is exemplified in Joseph’s dream. In such
divinely inspired dreams, like Joseph’s, human reason is fully
active—not because of the natural workings of the imagination—but
because the dream is a direct result of divine intervention. In
Joseph’s case, his reason and intellect were fully engaged,
allowing him to comprehend the divine message delivered by the
angel. He was presented with a choice, and with his reason fully
operative, he freely chose to say “Yes” to God’s communication,
thus embracing his role in the divine plan.
This “Yes” to the divine plan is clearly illustrated in the passage
quoted above. Upon awakening, Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord
had commanded him.” His choice was made during his divinely
inspired dream, and his will fully acted upon this decision when he
awoke.
Though divinely inspired dreams like Joseph’s are uncommon, they do
happen. We, however, do not need to wait for such a dream to
imitate Joseph’s obedience to God’s will. Like Joseph, we have been
given divine Truth. For us, that Truth comes primarily through
Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church. The writings of
the saints also help clarify all that God speaks to us.
At times, our imaginations can lead us astray, much like in a
dream. When we allow irrational thoughts to dictate our actions, we
might find ourselves filled with anxiety, worry, and confusion.
Imitating Joseph does not mean waiting for a divine dream; rather,
it means actively engaging our minds with divine Truth as revealed
through the Church and Sacred Scripture. We must then listen to
that truth, dismiss irrational thoughts, and use our reason to
command our will to act in obedience to God’s will.
Reflect, today, on whether you tend to dwell on irrational ideas or
whether you turn your intellect to divine Truth as the basis for
what you believe and how you act. Just as Joseph trusted in the
Truth revealed to him by the angel and acted upon it, we too must
place our trust in the Truth and act accordingly.
My trustworthy Lord, You have revealed to us all Truth as is
given to us through the Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the
Church. When my imagination leads me astray into obsessive thinking
and worrying, please speak to me and help me to hear Your voice.
May every decision I make and action I take be in accord with Your
Truth. Jesus, I trust in You.
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