†Saint Quote:“Let us love Jesus above all, let us love Mary as our mother; but then, how could we keep from loving Joseph, who was so intimately united to both Jesus and Mary? And how can we honor him better than by imitating his virtues? Now, what else did he do in all his life but contemplate, study, and adore Jesus, even in the midst of his daily labors? Behold, therefore, our model.” -St. Madeleine Sophie Barat Today’s Meditation"I believe the life of Saint Joseph offers us a great example of strength and courage. I imagine there were many times when Joseph wondered what was in store for him and his family. Having to leave everything behind to find safety has the potential for causing great anxiety. Saint Joseph found courage in his profound faith. The life of this humble carpenter, chosen by God to be the spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus, invites us to find our strength and courage by placing our complete trust in the Lord."
–Elizabeth Kingsbury-Puscas, p. 256
An excerpt from Every Day With Saint Joseph Daily Verse"And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:14-15
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EWTN Daily Saint
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St Joseph The WorkerSt. Joseph (1st c.) was born in Bethlehem in Judea and later settled in Nazareth. By Divine command he became the husband of the Virgin Mary and adoptive father to God Incarnate. We know from Scripture and Tradition that St. Joseph was a virtuous man and a carpenter by trade. It was he who was entrusted with the great mission to guard, protect, and provide for the temporal needs of God's most precious gifts, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, in the role of husband and father within the Holy Family. St. Joseph's mission continues from heaven as the patron saint of the Catholic Church. He is also the patron of many causes including fathers, laborers, and families. His feast days are: St. Joseph the Husband of Mary on March 19th, and St. Joseph the Worker on May 1st. Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955 to emphasize the dignity, meaning, and value of human work in the eyes of God, and to give all laborers a model of virtue as well as a heavenly intercessor and protector.
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Friday of the Fourth Week of EasterLectionary: 283 Reading IActs 13:26-33 When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue: “My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm, You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.” Responsorial PsalmPsalm 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“I myself have set up my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
“Ask of me and I will give you the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod; you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.
And now, O kings, give heed; take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him; with trembling rejoice.
R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaJohn 14:6 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 14:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: John 14:1-6We do not know where you are going; how can we know the way? (John 14:5) On the night before his death, Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to his “Father’s house” (John 14:2). Surprisingly, he says that they already know the way to get there (14:4). But Thomas blurts out the question that everyone must have been wondering: “We do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (14:5). It’s easy to relate to Thomas’ frustration. It’s normal to feel uncertain and to long for a clear road map to our Father’s house. But what Thomas and the other disciples didn’t yet understand is that they didn’t need a map to reach this destination; they needed a Person. They needed Jesus—the way he lived, the truths that he taught, and his life poured out in love. Jesus spells it out clearly: “I am the way” (John 14:6). He is our way. In the way he lived while here on earth, he showed us how to live. Even though he was the perfect Son of God, he didn’t cling to his own plans for what his life should look like. He did only what his Father told him to do (14:31). He loved his Father with complete trust and obedience and looked to him for wisdom and for the strength to embrace his will. Jesus knew that his life was in his Father’s loving hands, and even when he faced the anguish of his passion and death, he surrendered to God’s plans. This is “the way” that Jesus taught his disciples to live, and it’s our way, too (14:5). Now ascended to heaven, Jesus calls us to live in trust and surrender to our Father. And it’s not beyond our reach! Jesus will teach us, mold us, and help us to live as God’s children. He will show us how to stay close to our Father, know his will, and carry it out, just as he did. What a comfort! The more you spend time with Jesus, the more you will know “the way,” and the farther you will travel down the road to union with God. The way is a Person, to know and love. And this Person is Jesus, who loves you. “Thank you, Jesus! You are my way.” Acts 13:26-33
Psalm 2:6-11
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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Audio of 2 Cents
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From today's Holy Gospel: ".. Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be. .. ”
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Our Lord says that He is preparing a place for you?
He's got a "place"?
That is a strange and mystical word, coming from God Himself.
Amen?
There are many rooms in His Father's house. A place is being prepared for you?
Are you coming? Some people prepare a long time for a new baby. Some do not! But God is perfect. He is actually getting your place ready!
I remember my earthly dad, God rest His soul, what a wonderful father figure. I remember when we purchased some land outside of town, and I was recently getting married, and we were planning out future housing. He brought up an idea that I never forgot, about building a Mexican Hacienda, like a big fort, where all families live together. In the days of medieval times, this was necessary, especially for a kingdom, for protection, walls of fortification and protection.
That conversation took place over twenty years ago with my dad. And today, married with 8 kids, two in college now, I'm thinking that maybe it is time to think about this type of possible housing situation.
My dad said on his death bed, his heart's wishes. The family business was of no interest to him, all we had worked for over 30 years together, no, he only said two things that go recorded into my heart, "I want faith, and unity".
Sounds to my like God speaks through people, and Our Father was speaking through him at that moment.
Because it is apparent that the Father's will, is that we live together in HIS house.
As we study the bible, we hear about Noah's ark. We hear about the family. We hear about the preparations. Yes, it was about cleansing the world. Yes the water cleanses. But today...everything has exploded on a grander scale. All over the world, we are scattered. Yes. We even feel alone, yes. We feel misunderstood. We feel that our prayers are not answered. We feel the world is passing by, and people come and go. We feel that there is chaos and division. We see what we should not see. We can lose heart. But our Lord says "Take heart!"
And Saint Joseph did.
He had a heart of gold...for God.
It can be said that he died of love. Leaving a mark on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Like my dad did to mine.
Reading Sister Ann Emmerich's account of Saint Joseph's ways and death, you can get a sense of a righteous man after God's own heart. And then, he offers his own death for Jesus'. It is said that he would've not been able to endure seeing His step son he loved so much dying on a cross for him.
Our Lord witnessed the death of his only father figure on earth. And it changed him, because if Jesus cried for Lazarus, a friend, we can rightly believe, he suffered for Saint Joseph.
Saint Joseph though... had those loving, hard working arms, ready for Jesus, in life...and in death, and after death.
A place in his heart for Jesus like no other.
If we could only love Jesus like Joseph and Mary did.
He was their whole life!
He was all their love!
And rightly so! Because Jesus is the embodied love of God!
St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us.
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Random Bible Verse 1
1 Corinthians 13:4–6 "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;1 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth."
Word of the Lord!
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