Time to Turn to St. Joseph

We are 31 days into Lent, 16 days away from Easter, two days away from our parish mission, six days away from St. Patrick's Day.

Did I miss anything?

Oh yeah, we are nine days away from the Feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It's the perfect time to begin a novena to the saint entrusted by God to care for and protect Jesus and Mary. Among the saints, Joseph ranks second only to Mary.

We turn to St. Joseph as patron of families, workers, unborn children, expectant parents, migrants and refugees, a peaceful death and the universal Church, according to the book, "St. Joseph -- Help for Life's Emergencies."

"His intercession is invoked for accountants, carpenters, engineers and craftsmen. He is invoked by persons beset by doubts or hesitations, those who have a profound interior life, and travelers."

 In other words, we could all benefit from his powerful intercession.

You could pray for the Church and its leaders, for your job or a lack of one, to sell a house or find a home, for your spouse (even an unfaithful one) for your father, for your children, for the dying, for your death, in financial stress or in dark times, for devotion to Mary, for closeness to Jesus.

It seems that in life and in eternity, St. Joseph is hardworking, faithful and diligent.

So let us turn to him in our needs, trusting that God will be attentive to his prayers. Any prayer to St. Joseph would suffice for a novena, which is simply prayers prayed for nine consecutive days. You could use this litany, borrowed from the St. Joseph book, that honors the saint and covers our needs under his various titles:

Litany of Saint Joseph

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven,
have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Renowned offspring of David, pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster-father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most strong, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of artisans, pray for us.
Glory of home life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of families, pray for us.
Solace of the wretched, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
    spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
    graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
    have mercy on us.

V. He made him the lord of his household,
R. And ruler of all his possessions.

    Let us pray:
    O God, in Your unspeakable providence, You were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in Heaven, whom we venerate as our protector on earth; You Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

The Humor of Fathers

St. Joseph must have had a good sense of humor. It seems most fathers do.

The head of the Holy Family, like generations of dads, had a lot to worry about in providing for his family and keeping them safe. And early on, he had a special test of faith, when Mary became pregnant.

Yet despite the hardships – and maybe because of them – he needed to laugh now and then.

Other than what is recorded in the Scripture, there is little known about Saint Joseph. But I speculate on his sense of humor because of the fathers I know.

My son told me about a drive with the father of one of his friends, in a vehicle loaded with other boys. The dad (Matt McMillan of our parish) suddenly yelled “Cow!” and halted the car. He started driving again, but then hollered “Snakes!” and drove in a wiggly line, apparently to avoid the creatures.

My son – and all his friends in the car – were tickled by the antics.

His telling of the story made me think back to my grandpa, who used say “Whoa, horsey!” as he braked – and then whinnied.

In thinking about these fathers, I began to wonder, are all dads like this?

Both my father and my husband seem to fit the mold. Both have their usual routines.

My husband, Tim, when he sees me or our kids from afar, likes to wave and yell as loudly as he can, “Over here!” It’s his way to embarrass us, as everyone in the vicinity looks over.

At home, he likes to nudge us off furniture to the alligators waiting on the floor below.

My dad had his favorites, too, when my brothers and sisters and I were young. There was the story of the mommy horse, daddy horse and their son, Charley horse – at which point we’d get a gentle jab to the leg, our own Charley horse.

And he had a standard line for his balding head: “Grass doesn't grow on a busy street, you know.”

Sometimes our dads make us smile. Sometimes we groan at their behavior. But it seems to be part of what makes them fathers.

Happy St. Joseph’s Day to all fathers.

And happy birthday to my dad, who celebrates his 85th birthday Saturday -- and continues to make me smile.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

A Righteous Man

The solemnity of St. Joseph falls within the same week of my father's birthday, so this week makes me think of fathers, and what makes a good father.

St. Joseph sets a standard for all dads, including my own. But my father has given me a first-hand look at how ordinary men can be like St. Joseph.

There were two Gospel readings for Wednesday's Mass, one of which tells us St. Joseph "was a righteous man." So I guess fathers first and foremost must be righteous. The reading that preceded the Gospel, from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, spoke of Abraham's "righteousness that comes from faith," a righteousness that "depends on faith, so that it may be a gift."

Abraham "believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations," the first reading said.

My dad lives a "righteousness that comes from faith," and demonstrated that righteousness when he was worked as a union's business agent and had many opportunities to travel for his job. He often turned down the travel, though, because he didn't want to use union money unwisely or for his own pleasure. That would have countered his convictions as a Catholic.

We also know that because St. Joseph was righteous, he was compassionate. He was unwilling to expose Mary to shame and "decided to divorce her quietly."

My father might be compassionate to a fault. One time when a stranger's car broke down, my father helped the man restart it, and loaned him money to buy a new battery. And naturally, the man never returned to pay my father back. But I'm certain my father wouldn't hesitate to offer the same help again.

He lives Jesus' teaching: "If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles."

Earlier in the same Gospel passage, Jesus says: "Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one."

That's another passage that reminds me of my dad, because like most fathers, he could be firm. As teenagers, my siblings and I sometimes pushed my mom when she said no. But when my dad said no, that was pretty much the end of debate.

Yes, my father could be a bear, someone we feared, but sometimes that was a good thing. Like St. Joseph, he protected his family. In our family's case that sometimes took the form of my dad rebuking someone if they cussed in front of his kids or in any way exhibited lewd behavior. And he still doesn't mind telling people to behave in public.

My father has his faults, but I'd have to say that usually his heart is in the right place, that he has kept his priorities straight. Some men like to spend money on fancy cars, others on nice homes -- my father once said -- but he'd rather spend his money on his kids, just having fun with them. Because of that philosophy, I have a lot of great memories of ice skating, sledding, fishing and watching hockey and baseball games with my dad, my five brothers and sisters and usually a few neighborhood kids.

He continues to be a great example for me, and like St. Joseph, he sets a high standard of fatherhood.

St. Joseph, pray for us, especially for my dad and for all fathers.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Excuse Me, Thank You, Sorry

With today's Gospel about the Holy Family's flight to Egypt, Pope Francis spoke off the cuff:

"Let us remember the three key words to live well in the family: 'Excuse me, thank you, sorry.' When we do not want to be intrusive in our family, we say 'Excuse me!' When we are not selfish . . .  we say 'Thank you!' When we make a mistake, we say 'Sorry!' Therefore, let us say together, 'Excuse me, thank you, sorry.' (Which the crowd did.)

"I would also like to encourage families to become aware of the importance they have in the Church and in society. Preaching the Gospel, in fact, is done first inside the family, and then in the different spheres of everyday life. With fervor, let us invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, and Saint Joseph, her husband. Let us ask them to enlighten, comfort, and guide every family in the world, so that they can fulfill with dignity and serenity the mission God has entrusted them."

Pope Francis also pointed the link the link the Holy Family has to many people today: 

 "Joseph, Mary and Jesus experience the tragic fate of refugees, full of fear, uncertainty, and discomfort (cf Matthew2,13-15, 19-23 ). Unfortunately, in this day and age, millions of families can identify with this sad reality. Nearly every day, television and newspapers provide news about refugees fleeing hunger, war, and other serious dangers - in search of security and a decent life for themselves and their families."

"In distant lands, even when they find work, refugees and immigrants do not always receive real welcome, or find respect and appreciation for the values ​​ they carry. Their legitimate expectations clash with complex situations and problems that at times seem insurmountable. Thus, as we look to the Holy Family of Nazareth when it was forced to seek refuge, let us think about the tragedy of those migrants and refugees who are victims of rejection and exploitation."

"Let us also think about those who are exiled inside families," he added, "the elderly, for example, who are sometimes treated as a cumbersome presence. Many times I think a sign to know how a family is doing is to see how children and the elderly are treated."

"Jesus wanted to belong to a family that experienced these difficulties because no one is excluded from God's loving closeness. The flight into Egypt because of Herod's threats shows us that God is where man is in danger, where man suffers, where he escapes, where he experiences rejection and neglect. But he is also where man dreams, hopes to return to his homeland in freedom, plans and chooses for his life and dignity and that of his family."

St. Joseph the Worker

When Pope Pius XII declared today to be the Feast of St. Joseph the worker, he said:

“The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work. Thus, if you wish to be close to Christ, we again today repeat, ‘Go to Joseph.’”

One of the stained glass windows in our clerestory is called "The Influence of Joseph." It reminds of how Joseph and his work influenced Jesus.

St. Joseph & meat

Father,
you entrusted our Saviour to the care of St. Joseph.
By the help of his prayers
may your Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

You may recall that a few years ago St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday. That year numerous Bishops, including Archbishop Curtis, gave dispensations so people could eat meat on that Friday.

As a solemnity, Canon Law itself makes it clear that meat can be eaten when the Feast of St. Joseph falls on a Lenten Friday. Thus no dispensation is needed to eat meat today.

However, the Fish Fry is still a great place to celebrate St. Joseph's Feast day.