† Quote of the Day "We have close to us as much as Joseph had at Nazareth; we have our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, but our poor eyes fail to see Him. Let us once become interior souls and we shall immediately see. In no better way can we enter into the Heart of our Lord than through Saint Joseph. Jesus and Mary are eager to pay the debts which they owe him for his devoted care of them, and their greatest pleasure is to fulfill his least desire. Let him, then, lead you by hand into the interior sanctuary of Jesus Eucharistic." — St. Peter Julian Eymard Today's Meditation "St. Joseph is the most Marian of all saints...There has never been a greater Marian saint than St. Joseph and there never will be. St. Joseph is the model for total consecration to Mary. Long before Calvary, when Jesus commanded all of his disciples to take Mary into their hearts and homes (see Jn 19:26-27), St. Joseph had already taken Mary into his heart and into his home. She is his heart; she is his home. Everything he did was done for Jesus and Mary. He lived and died for Jesus and Mary." —Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, p. 121
An excerpt from Consecration to St. Joseph Daily Verse "When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test."" — Luke 22:45-46 | St. Joseph St. Joseph (1st c.) was a descendant of Israel's King David and a carpenter by trade. Scripture tells us that he was a just and virtuous man who was betrothed to the young Blessed Virgin Mary. Upon finding her pregnant with the Son of God, Joseph, after a time of uncertainty, was encouraged by an angel to continue with the marriage plans. Because of his complete faithfulness and obedience to the will of God, St. Joseph was chosen to become the spouse of the Mother of God and the adoptive father of Jesus Christ. As the divinely-appointed earthly guardian and protector of the Holy Family, St. Joseph provided and cared for the material needs of Mary and the Child Jesus. St. Joseph is the patron saint of many causes, especially fathers, families, married couples, children, pregnant women, workers, craftsmen, against doubt, the dying, and a happy and holy death. He is also the guardian and protector of the Universal Church. He has two feast days: St. Joseph the Husband of Mary on March 19th, and St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st. However, when St. Joseph's feast day on March 19th falls on a Sunday it is moved to the Monday and celebrated on March 20th. | Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 The LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David,
'When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.'" Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29 R. (37) The son of David will live for ever.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness. R. The son of David will live for ever.
"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations." R. The son of David will live for ever.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. The son of David will live for ever. Reading 2 Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 Brothers and sisters:
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
Verse Before the Gospel Psalm 84:5
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, O Lord;
they never cease to praise you.
Gospel Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home. or Luke 2:41-51a Each year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
"Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
And he said to them,
"Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. (Matthew 1:20) Bewilderment, grief, fear. What a mix of emotions Joseph must have felt the day he realized that Mary, his betrothed, was pregnant! After deciding to divorce her quietly, Joseph fell into a fitful sleep. But then in a dream, an angel told him, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home" (Matthew 1:20). We know that Joseph, whose feast we celebrate today, believed the angel and did take Mary into his home. But he may still have been afraid. After all, this was an entirely new and unexpected situation that God had put him in. He was to become foster father to a child who had been conceived through the Holy Spirit and was destined to "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). In spite of any fears, however, Joseph did what the Lord had asked him, a pattern that continued throughout his life. He must have been afraid when he had to travel to Bethlehem with a very pregnant wife to register for the census. Fear must have gripped his heart when he couldn't find a place for her to give birth. And when the family had to flee to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill their son—how frightening that must have been. Unlike today, he couldn't just board a plane or find a place to stay online! Through it all, St. Joseph shows us that fear doesn't have to paralyze us or dictate our decisions. It's okay to feel overwhelmed and afraid, especially when the Lord asks us to step out in faith. But even if God doesn't take away our fears, he will help us respond to his call—whatever that might be—with trust. Today in prayer, reflect on what you might be fearful of. Whatever it is, know that God doesn't condemn you for feeling that way. But if it's keeping you from moving ahead in some way, ask him to set you free so you can act in spite of your fears. Just as he was with Joseph, God is with you. He will always be at your side to help you, no matter what situation you find yourself in! "St. Joseph, pray that I may be as courageous as you were." 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: | From today's Holy Gospel: ""Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home....." - Word of the Lord! | From Roberto Juarez: "Joseph is experiencing a moment of profound trial. He does not understand what is happening, but he does not act with impulsiveness or judgment, but with love and prudence. Instead of exposing Mary, he decides to protect her. How do I react to what I don't understand? Do I act with faith and love, like Joseph?
God intervenes and gives him a clear mission: not to fear and to trust in his will. Joseph does not question, he does not doubt, he simply obeys in faith and gives his life to the divine plan. Do I trust God when He asks me for something difficult or unknown?
Joseph does not respond with words, but with actions. His faith is manifested in total and silent obedience. It is an example of love that translates into deeds, not just intentions. Do I obey God with confidence or do I hesitate before acting? • Do I have the faith and obedience of St. Joseph in my daily life? • How do I respond when God asks me to do something difficult? • Am I a protector and servant in my family and community, as St. Joseph was? San José,
a just and faithful man,
teach us to trust God at all times.
Give us your humility, your prudence and your dedication,
so that we can fulfill with love the mission that He entrusts to us.
Amen...." end quote Roberto.
From Bishop Robert Barron: "This must have been an emotional maelstrom for him. And, at a deeper level, it is a spiritual crisis. What does God want him to do? Then the angel appears to him in a dream and tells him, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home." He realizes at that moment that these puzzling events are part of a much greater plan of God's. What appears to be a disaster from his perspective is meaningful from God's perspective. Joseph was willing to cooperate with the divine plan, though he in no way knew its contours or deepest purpose. Like Mary at the Annunciation, he trusted and let himself be led....." End Quote Bishop Barron.
Last night, the strong winds persisted from a full day of blowing at high rates, many alerts came on all phones of visibility issues and such. After a long day of work meetings and church meetings, I was arriving about 9:45pm and something caught my eye at our family business in the blowing dusts atop our office, it was the metal roof that was coming off the west side, twisted over the top ridge of the building, it looked like a wave curled over. I was tired, having not slept well the night before. I sat there, snapped a photo, thought about the next steps. Do I let it be and finish ruining more of the roof? What do I do in this sandstorm when all workers are probably tucked in their beds by now? Do I wake several up to help? I needed guidance in the dark of the night there alone in the storm. I decided we needed to take action. I went home to get a work jacket and a cap, and my eldest son offered to help. I called for backup, various of my strongest and knowledgeable hands. As we gathered on the roof to assess the damage and make a plan, one said "let's tied it down with straps for the night" and he left looking for straps. I sat there, with our old cowboy on our ranch "El Vaquero" who's real name is Jose. He sat on one sheet metal to hold it down, I was pinning a huge one closer to the top of the ridge, praying for help and the winds to subside. I prayed then, for a miracle. But, the strong winds persisted, perhaps a little less, but waves would still hit hard. They took long finding straps, by then, looking, praying, another brawny man mechanic came with power tools. I said "let's cut the curl off to stop catching all this wind", and he started grinding away with the portable grinder. The straps would not help, there was nowhere to tie down anyways. Then we decided to haul tires up the roof with a tractor to hold down the remainder as weights. As of this morning there are about 15 big tires holding our west roof down.
What did I learn?
Saint Joseph, Jose, was not spared from storms of life in the night. Whence I noticed my prayers for winds to die down were not heeded. all we could do is take the next step in the dark stormy night, now, it would take faith. As the last huge curl of metal was about to be flung by the wind, the Lord told me "I got this". And the huge roof chunk flung away as if guided by a hand and landed peacefully off the roof without harming anything.
Jose was with me. Saint Joseph was there. Our Lord was there.
You see, this is the whole of Holy Family life. Not spared any storms, but with faith, fidelity, to trust that our Lord is with us through it all.
Today is the Feast of Saint Joseph. We will go to Mass today with our Priest Father Joseph who has weathered many storms himself and with us as a parish. He was ordained this day too I believe. This means a lot, we are not alone. We have the Patron of the Universal Church. And a thought hit me: Our Lord said that anyone who gives a cold cup of water to a soul, will be rewarded. How much more will Saint Joseph be rewarded for saving God's life as a child so many times? From danger, risking his own life and in the end giving all his life to Jesus and Mary? He was the one with the greatest of devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary.
And now, we can consecrate ourselves to his....to whom the Lord our God called "father" on earth.
"...his mother said to him,
"Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety."
And he said to them,
"Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" | Random Bible Verse 1
Colossians 3:23–24 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." Word of the Lord! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
