SAINT OF THE DAY -- March 19 - Saint Joseph
March 19
St. Joseph
Patron Saint of
fathers, husbands, pregnancy, the dying, carpenters,
workers, real estate matters and home sales (to name just a few).
Husband of Mary
Foster-father of the Lord
The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a “just” man. The
quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts.
When
the Bible speaks of God “justifying” someone, it means that God, the
all-holy or “righteous” One, so transforms a person that the individual
shares somehow in God’s own holiness, and hence it is really “right”
for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games,
acting as if we were lovable when we are not.
By saying Joseph
was “just,” the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to
all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself
totally to God.
The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the
kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary, and the depth of the
love they shared during their marriage.
It is no contradiction of
Joseph’s manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was
found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he
planned to do this “quietly” because he was “a righteous man, yet
unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19).
The just man
was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God—in marrying Mary,
in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing
them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith
and courage.
Comment:
The
Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to
Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (see Luke
2:41�51). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to
realize that the holiest family was like every other family, that the
circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every
family, so that when Jesus’ mysterious nature began to appear, people
couldn’t believe that he came from such humble beginnings: “Is he not
the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary...?” (Matthew
13:55a). It was almost as indignant as “Can anything good come from
Nazareth?” (John 1:46b).
Quote:“He
was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and
protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary,
Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity
until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter
into the joy of your Lord’” (St. Bernardine of Siena).
Prayer:
Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire.
It has seldom been known to fail.
O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt
before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for
me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ,
Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may
offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St.
Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms.
I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my
name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when
I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for
us. Amen
Source: American Catholic Organization
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If you are a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please know that my husband and I pray for you every single night.
If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE OR (1-800-799-7233)
SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Do you:
feel afraid of your partner much of the time?
avoid certain topics fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?
wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
Does your partner:
- humiliate, criticize, or yell at you?
- treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends or family to see?
- ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?
- blame you for his own abusive behavior?
- see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
Does your partner:
have a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
threaten to take your children away or harm them?
threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
force you to have sex?
destroy your belongings?
Does your partner:
- act excessively jealous and possessive?
- control where you go or what you do?
- keep you from seeing your friends or family?
- limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
- constantly check up on you?