March 19 2024 - St. Joseph - Guardian, Model, and Universal Patron

 In the midst of the season of Lent, we celebrate today the great solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. Devotion to St. Joseph stretches back to the earliest Christians.

Depictions of St. Joseph can be found in early Christian artwork, particularly in catacombs and frescoes dating from the early centuries of Christianity. These images often portray Joseph alongside Mary and Jesus, highlighting his importance within the Holy Family.

The 3rd century, theologian Origen wrote about Joseph's righteousness and obedience to God. And, St. Jerome, in the 4th century, referred to Joseph’s sanctity in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

The Church honors St. Joseph with a solemnity because of his importance to the Holy Family and to all of us. His example of deep faith, obedience and humility is to be imitated by all Christians. When faced with the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Mary's pregnancy, Joseph trusted in God's plan and took Mary as his wife, despite the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead. His unwavering fidelity to God's will serves as a powerful reminder to us, especially during this season of Lent, to place our trust in the Lord and follow God’s path, even when it may be difficult or unclear.

As the guardian of the Holy Family, Joseph protected Mary and Jesus from the threat posed by King Herod, and so many of the threats which face poor and vulnerable families. We often think that God must have provided some divine shield around mary and Jesus, but no, Joseph was that shield. Or we imagine that food and clothing and shelter just appeared for Jesus, but no, Joseph was the provider. 

Joseph was faithful to God with the great responsibility of caring for Jesus and Mary, and he models for us the faithfulness we are to exhibit in caring for our families and the vulnerable among us.

Today’s feast reminds us that Joseph is not just a role model, but the universal patron of the Church, meaning it is always and everywhere fitting, in whatever threat we face, in whatever need we have, to “go to Joseph” . We invoke today and all days his guidance, protection, and assistance in our family challenges, in our work, in our illnesses, in our fight against evil and temptation and for our general spiritual growth. 

St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That St. Joseph, “Patron of the Universal Church” may guide and guard our Holy Father, all bishops and clergy, religious and lay faithful from all evil and error. 

That St. Joseph, “diligent protector” of the Christ Child, will help protect all children from violence and evil, especially the unborn.

That St. Joseph, “Guardian of Virgins” will help eradicate perversion and immodesty from our culture.

That St. Joseph, “Pillar of Families”, will be an example for all Christian families.

That St. Joseph “terror of demons” will help to deliver all those in sin, and all those under demonic influence, to be open to the saving mercy of Christ. 

That St. Joseph “patron of the dying” will help all the dying to know the tender peace of God.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2021 - Stormy Seas and Fathers

 In Scripture, the roaring untamed sea is often a symbol of the destructive, chaotic powers of nature beyond the control of man. 

The very first page of the Bible speaks of “Tohu wa bohu” in the Hebrew, the primal chaotic waters. Yet, those untamed waters are quickly brought under the control of the Most High God and Lord of Creation who brings light and life out of the darkness as he breaths forth his Spirit and calls creation into being.

The book of Exodus contains another frightening body of water. As Pharoah’s chariots and charioteers close in on the Israelites, God’s people are trapped by the uncrossable Red Sea. It is not until God intervenes, demonstrating again that He is the Lord and Master of Creation, that the Israelites are able to cross the untamable sea, on their road toward freedom.

In today’s Gospel, the apostles become trapped and tossed about on a stormy sea. Again, the stormy waters stand for the chaos of life beyond our control—all those difficulties both interior and exterior, physical and psychological that beset us—the dark depths always threatening to swallow us up. 

Throughout the centuries Church fathers have explained that the boat traversing through the stormy sea in the Gospel today stands for the Church through the ages—the Barque of Peter making her way through the centuries amidst persecution and warring nations, the violent winds of worldly error.  The waves crashing against the boat, the winds whipping around them are symbolic of everything that besets the Church, and besets the individual Christian. 

In the course of the Christian life, the disciples of Jesus have to face chaos, anxiety, darkness, and bafflement .

The storm in the Gospel today must have been of unique severity, after all the apostles were experienced fisherman, experienced sailors on the Sea of Galilee. It was their home turf—well, their home “surf”—so to speak. They knew these waters well, they’d fished there before, with their fathers and their fathers before them.  They knew its changes and dangers. And for these experienced boatmen to have been so terrified speaks to how terrible this storm must have been. For in the midst of their terror they cry out “Lord, save us.” 

Those were the right words. Scripture is filled with such cries the Psalms especially:  Out of the depths I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! Says Psalm 130.  Scripture even instructs us to call out to God in times of trouble: Psalm 50, says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you.”

When we find ourselves lost and in the shadow of death—when we are facing the great struggles and storms of life—the Scriptures teach us to call out to God. When in our desperation we feel utterly incapable of helping or saving ourselves, we are meant to turn to Almighty God, and cry, “Lord, save us”  

This Gospel especially teaches us that the Lord hears our cries. The Lord of all creation is in the boat with us. We are never alone. Just as the Spirit of God brought order out of chaotic waters in the book of Genesis, Jesus, the Incarnate Power of God, can bring order, and peace, and calm, and new life—new creation, out of the stormy darkness of our life. I don’t know about you, but that gives me comfort.

This reading always reminds me of a story. When I was younger, my father and uncles together purchased a boat. A beautiful 55 foot antique wooden Chris-Craft that they had docked in Fairport Harbor, about 15 miles west of my hometown of Madison. And, when I was about 8 years old, one summer day, my father announced that he and I would be paddling our rubber raft from the shore just north of our house, and my uncle would be picking us up on the boat. It was a grey day, windy and drizzling when we set off from shore, and not 10 minutes into this little trek, huge dark clouds came out of nowhere. The rain intensified, the waves whipped up. 

But my dad was there. And I felt safe. Come to found out, you’re really not supposed to do that, paddle into an oncoming thunderstorm on lake erie, but, I felt safe. Dad was there, just like Jesus in the boat today.

On this Father’s Day, we reflect on the role that Fathers have in the life of the church, in the lives of our families. No one can replace them. A man in the life of a child cannot be replaced. Our culture might say different, but our culture is of course confused about a great many things.

During this Year of St. Joseph we consider a particular man, chosen by God to have a role in the life of Jesus. A man who was guardian, protector, provider, and leader in the practice of the Faith for his Family.

St. Joseph took great efforts that Jesus lacked nothing he needed for healthy development. Faithfully guarding the Christ-Child’s life when the family was forced to live as refugees in Egypt. Instructing Jesus in his work as a carpenter.

In an age that needs strong, virtuous, faith-filled fathers, we do well to turn to Joseph, Ite ad Ioseph, go to Joseph, as a role model and a heavenly intercessor—that Catholic men may become fathers like the Father of Jesus—strong pillars of faith for their family. 

Many forces in our culture today contribute to the breakdown of the family, minimizing the role that fathers are meant to play in the lives of their children. As the family has broken down, so has the culture. So, our culture, our parish, and our church need men to step up and be active guardians, workers, strong models of virtue and faith. Not as the culture teaches, but as our Faith teaches and St. Joseph models.

Fathers filled with strong-faith are meant to be Jesus in the boat for us who bring calm to the storms of our lives.

Grateful for our fathers, grateful for the many ways that God has comforted us in the midst of the storms of our lives, the many ways that Jesus has quieted the storms and chaos surrounding us and within us, may we continue this eucharistic celebration with all thanksgiving and confidence in God’s saving help. And may the Lord transform us, that we may bring his peace and life-giving word into the lives and storms of others for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

March 19 2021 - St. Joseph - Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Today, we celebrate the feast of the great St. Joseph. Throughout the Church’s history, Joseph has accumulated many titles and nicknames. Sometimes he is called “the Guardian of the Holy Family” because of his role in protecting Mary and Jesus. Sometimes is he called the “Terror of Demons”—because he is so holy and so pure and so courageous, that he is fearful to the demons, and so helps us to be protected from evil as well.

He is the Joseph must Just, Joseph most Chaste, Joseph more pure, Joseph most Prudent, patron of workers, patron of fathers, patron of the dying, and patron of the universal Church.

Today’s Feast of March 19 calls him by one of his favorite titles, maybe his absolute favorite. Today, he is honored as St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In all of human history, there has never been a husband more in love with his wife than St. Joseph. There has never been a more loving, trustworthy, patient, gentle, understanding, courageous, supportive, respectful husband.

Every man called to marriage should seek to imitate and emulate the love that Joseph has for Mary. And every wife should pray and assist in helping their husbands to become men like Joseph. Young women should pray that their future husband, if they are called to marriage, will become as much like St. Joseph as possible. And young men should pray that they will become as much like St. Joseph as possible. All children, too, should pray that their fathers become more like St. Joseph—men whose hearts are on fire with love of God and family.

There would be a lot fewer unhappy marriages, to say the least, if families had great and fervent devotion to St. Joseph, and sought to follow his example. In fact, one might say, that without looking to the model of St. Joseph, no husband, father, or priest, will ever really understand what it means to be a holy man or a holy husband. 

In movies and television, amongst musicians and athletes and politicians, we see many examples of men who do not act like holy men. They mistreat women, they mistreat children, they do not serve God. In a perverted age like ours, we need to turn to St. Joseph all the more, as an example of what it means to be a good and righteous man of God. 

Beginning on January 1, Pope Francis called for this year to be dedicated to St. Joseph. Holy Father Pope Francis wants us more and more this year to discover the love that St. Joseph has for us, and the ways that St. Joseph can help us to love Jesus and Mary. Daily, ask St. Joseph, to teach you. Joseph loves to teach. God places Joseph in the life of his Son, as a protector and teacher. And so Joseph will never refuse to teach us how to be holy and righteous.

St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us, that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That St. Joseph, “Patron of the Universal Church” may guide and guard our Holy Father, all bishops and clergy, religious and lay faithful from all evil and error. 

That St. Joseph, “diligent protector” of the Christ Child, will help protect all children from violence and evil, especially the unborn.

That St. Joseph, “Guardian of Virgins” will help eradicate perversion and immodesty from our culture.

That St. Joseph, “Pillar of Families”, will be an example for all Christian families.

That St. Joseph “terror of demons” will help to deliver all those in sin, and all those under demonic influence, to be open to the saving mercy of Christ. 

That St. Joseph “patron of the dying” will help all the dying to know the tender peace of God.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

January 6 2021 - St. Andre Bessette - Abandoned to the Divine Will

Holy Cross Brother Andre Bessette was just canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. Here is a wonderful Saint who shows us that we do not have to do big things in order to become holy, but that we are to make every moment of our life, every act, every deed of our day, an act of love for God. 

 For forty years, Brother Andre was the doorkeeper, the porter, for Notre Dame College in Montreal run by the Community of the Holy cross.  He once joked, “When I joined this community my superiors showed me the door, and I stayed there for forty years.”  In that job he answered the phone and greeted the parents of the young people and all those who visited the college seeking material help.  Brother Andre made time for everyone and treated everyone as if they were the only person in the world, as if they were Jesus. 

 At his canonization, Pope Benedict said, “Brother Andre showed boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him. With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and lovingly to Divine Will. Everything existed through the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity, he showed many God.”

Brother Andre had a deep devotion to St. Joseph, who he saw as an icon of a masculinity, courage, and love for the son of God, of a man deeply surrendered to the Divine Will, as he wished to be. Andre convinced his congregation to have a small chapel built in honor of St. Joseph, and it is there, that over the years, thousands of people would come to venerate St. Joseph and to pray with Brother Andre, through whom there have been countless miraculous healings. Thousands experienced emotional and physical healing at that small chapel to St. Joseph. 

Whatever the trial, Brother Andre urged people to pray with confidence and perseverance while remaining open, like St. Joseph, to God’s will.

 Openness to the will of God is the foundation for any healing, any change, any spiritual growth we should hope to experience. Yes, God hears our prayers for healing. As Brother Andre said, “There is so little distance between heaven and earth that God always hears us. Nothing but a thin veil separates us from God.” Yet, it is often a greater good that God gives us the grace and strength to bear our sufferings with trust and abandon to the Divine Will. 

 “Do not try to have your trials taken away from you”, he said, “rather, ask for the grace to endure them well”.

 Brother allowed himself to be fully present to the sadness of others while always retaining a joyful nature and good humor.  In the words of Pope Benedict,  “For him, everything spoke of God and His presence.”  Through his intercession may we receive the healing God wishes for us and follow his example of prayer and love for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That like St. Andre, Christians may grow in attentiveness to all those in need.

 That during this year of St. Joseph, all those in need of healing may be filled with new hope and strength.

That those dedicated to the care of the sick may be instruments of God’s healing.

In thanksgiving for all healing received through the mercy of God.

That those who suffer may experience the peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all those who have fought and died for our freedom, and for x.

4th Sunday of Advent 2019 - 3 Lessons from St. Joseph

During the season of Advent, we contemplate some of the great biblical figures: the Blessed Mother, John the Baptist, Elizabeth & Zechariah and their role in God’s plan for our salvation. And on this year, on the final Sunday of the Advent season we are given to contemplate St. Joseph in our Gospel reading. So, let us consider three lessons from St. Joseph to help us prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

First, St. Joseph teaches us the importance of silence. How many words from the lips of St. Joseph can we find in Scripture?  None!  Not a word.  He doesn’t say anything.  He is a man of silence. 

Someone once asked St. Padre Pio, “What language does God speak?” And Padre Pio said, “God speaks silence”.  The person then asked, well, what language should I pray in, what language does God understand best, and Padre Pio said, “silence”.  Pope Francis celebrated Mass with a group of American Priests a few years ago. And in his homily he said, “May the Lord give us all the grace to love silence.” “Silence,” he said, “helps us to discover our mystery: our mystery of encountering the Lord, our mystery of walking through life with the Lord.”

The song ‘Silent Night’ still remains one of the popular Christmas hymns, which reminds us the need to become silent as we contemplate the Christmas mysteries. What a powerful irony: a beautiful song about quiet, calm, and silence. Certainly, one of my favorite moment each year is on Christmas Eve, in those quiet hours before midnight Mass. I like to sit in a dark room, and listen to the quiet.

It was his quiet of soul that enabled St. Joseph to be attuned to that important heavenly message. Joseph, we read was facing a terrible decision. His betrothed had been found with child through the Holy Spirit. In his humility, Joseph assumed that he was not part of this strange and mysterious plan. The Holy Torah, the Mosaic Law, directed him to divorce his betrothed who had become pregnant outside of marriage, and so Joseph quietly decided to end their betrothal.

And in this state of obedience, humility, and quiet, heaven pierced his mind. The angel of the Lord to appeared to him, and gave direction, gave him courage, and gave him insight into the identity and mission of the child—he is the savior.

So too, with us. In the messiness of our lives, when we are facing difficult decisions, we must commit to obeying God and becoming quiet and open before Him. And when we do, we will, like Joseph be granted direction, courage, and insight.

In these final Advent days, do not be afraid to make excuses for silence. To turn off the noise, to sit by the tree or the nativity scene, and to become silent in order to attune your minds and hearts to heaven. May our souls in silent stillness wait for the coming of Christ.

So that’s lesson number one, to imitate St. Joseph’s Advent Silence. Lesson number two.  St. Joseph teaches us that actions speak louder than words.

In the Gospel, Joseph wakes from his dream of the angel, and immediately did as God had commanded him: he took Mary into his home.  St. Joseph reminds us that the Christian life isn’t about giving God lip-service.  That when the Lord calls upon us to reach out to someone in need, we need to respond generously.

This often requires great effort on our part. For so often, we expect God to fit our lives. We minimize the demands of faith, when they get in the way of our plans. But Joseph shows us that the opposite is necessary. We must be willing to change for God. We must willing to alter our plans for God, to make God the first priority, to put everything in God’s service, holding nothing back.

For Joseph, taking Mary into this home, and becoming her chaste spouse was likely not according to the plan of his life. And even if she hadn’t conceived through the Holy Spirit, the wedding, was likely months or even a few years off. His home was not ready for her. The home was not ready for the raising of a child. But when God gives him a command, Joseph gets to work, intensely preparing for the birth of the Messiah, rearranging his life around the priorities of God.

So lesson number two, St. Joseph teaches us the priority of acting according to the commands of God, of rearranging our lives, reorienting our lives for God, working intensely for God’s will, especially in acting upon holy inspirations.

And finally, lesson number three, because Joseph made his heart quiet and open for God, because he was willing to reorient his life to Christ, God gave Joseph the ability, the energy, the courage, and the gifts to accomplish monumentally difficult tasks.

Joseph, taking Mary into this home meant opening himself to the shame of his community. His community would have soon realized that Mary was pregnant, and would have assumed that he was the father. They would assume Joseph had not practiced chastity prior to marriage as God’s law demanded, opening him to much greater social stigma than in our own day, stigma that would certainly affect his ability to provide for his family.

Additionally, Joseph would be called upon by God to guard and protect his family in many ways: he would protect Mary as they journeyed to Bethlehem for the census, he would find shelter in a stable when no inn would admit them, and he would be called upon by God to protect his family as they fled Israel when King Herod sent his soldiers to slaughter the Christ-child.

God gave Joseph monumentally difficult tasks, but also the grace to do them. Again, Joseph’s faith, his life of prayer, his righteousness opened him to the guidance, courage, and fortitude he needed.

So too with us. When facing grave difficulties, God provides grace, not necessarily to accomplish our own will, but God’s. God gives us grace to resist temptation, he gives us grace to speak hard truths to loved ones who are making poor choices, he gives us strength to work against true injustice, or to cope and carry on in the face of overwhelming grief, he gives us patience to endure difficulties gracefully.

St. Joseph reminds us that through trial and difficulty, when entrust ourselves to God, when we practice virtue and righteousness particularly when it is difficult, we are refined like gold in a furnace, we become the people God made us to be, and role models for those of weaker faith.

May St. Joseph helps us to prepare for Christ at Christmas and to break-in to our lives ever anew, by teaching us to enter into God’s silence, challenging our complacencies, urging us to trust God in our challenges, and to have courage for the spreading of our faith for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

March 19 2019 - Solemnity of St. Joseph - The righteous man

Today, we celebrate the feast of the great St. Joseph. And throughout the Church’s history, Joseph has accumulate many titles and nicknames. Sometimes he is called “the Guardian of the Holy Family” because of his role in protecting Mary and Joseph. Sometimes is he called the “Terror of Demons” because he did not fall to the temptations of the demons throughout his life and helps us to remain faithful to God and protected from evil, too.

And quite often, Joseph is simply known as a righteous man. A righteous man is someone who seek to understand what is right and to do what is right—always. Sometimes this isn’t always our concern is it?

WEEKDAY MASS:[Is it right to gossip? Is it right to skip the prayers we know we should be saying? Is it right to skip our household duties? Is it right to watch so much television? Is it right to be so undisciplined about our diet?]

SCHOOL MASS:[Is it right to fight with your siblings? Is it right to talk back to and disobey your parents? Is it right to be disruptive in school? Is it right to skip church on Sundays? Is it right to speak cruelly about your peers?]

No. So why do we do these things? Partly, because we aren’t always seeking to do what is right. It’s not a priority. We haven’t made the life decision: I will only do what is right. Some of us make the decision partially, but we aren’t truly committed because we then add a little caveat: “well, I’ll decide what is right when the time comes.” But as Christians, we don’t make up what is right or wrong: we follow the teachings of Jesus and the Church.

But even when we choose to fully embrace the truth that comes from God, to do what is right, always, is still hard. Partially, because of our own weakness. We’ll do what is right, as long as it is not too hard. And doing what is right always is difficult because we have so many bad examples of unrighteousness around us. And we set bad example for each other.

In movies, television, and video games, we see people treating each other horribly. We see athletes who make a bunch of money, but act foolishly. We see actors and actresses who are famous but who live as if God did not exist. We see politicians with foul mouths, greedy hearts, and corrupt morals. Sometimes even are parents don’t set the best examples for us.

That is why it is so important to get to know people like St. Joseph. Just men. Righteous men. Who put God’s will first. You want to see what it looks like to be a good person, go to joseph. You want to see what it looks like to be a good father, a good parent. Go Joseph. You want to see what it looks like to be successful in the eyes of God? Go to Joseph. You want to see someone who listens to the words, and impulses of God, look to Joseph. You want to see someone who is truly just, truly wise, truly generous, truly virtuous, truly chaste, truly prudent, truly knowledgeable, truly loving. Go to Joseph.

Go to Joseph every day. Look to his example. Ask for his prayers for you and your family, especially for all fathers and husbands. Ask him to help you to be righteous always. To look to the truth of Jesus, always. To commit to following that truth no matter now difficult it is. To live always for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
That St. Joseph, “Patron of the Universal Church” may guide and guard our Holy Father, all bishops and clergy, religious and lay faithful from the wiles and machinations of the Enemy.
That St. Joseph, “diligent protector” of the Christ Child, will help protect all children from violence and evil, especially the unborn.
That St. Joseph, “Guardian of Virgins” will help eradicate perversion and immodesty from our culture.
That St. Joseph, “Pillar of Families”, will be an example for all Christian families.
That St. Joseph “terror of demons” will help to deliver all those in sin, and all those under demonic influence, to be open to the saving mercy of Christ.
That St. Joseph “patron of the dying” will help all the dying to know the tender peace of God.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

May 1 2018 - St. Joseph the Worker - Will your children become workers or thieves?

It was very common for sons, in Jesus’ time, for young boys to learn the trade of their fathers. This was important so that the young man would be able to provide for himself and for his wife and family. There was even a saying among the Jewish men of Israel at Jesus’ time: "If you do not teach your son how to work, you teach him how to be a thief." A man who does not learn how to work will be a drain upon his family and his community.

St. Joseph, in raising Jesus as if he were his own true son, took Jesus into the carpenter’s workshop and taught him to use the tools and skills of a manual laborer. Jesus ministry and teaching was infused with practical knowledge and self-sacrifice that no doubt filled Joseph’s workshop. Contrast the spirit of hard work and discipline of Jesus, Son of the Father, Jesus Bar Abba, in Hebrew, with the thieving, murderous Barabbas, from the passion story. Perhaps, one of the great differences of these two sons was the presence of a father who taught them how to work with their hands.

The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was instituted in 1955 to emphasize the dignity of work, and this feast is needed now more than ever. There is a growing disdain for work among our young people. Many young people, boys in particular, are opting not to enter the work force, but would rather stay in their parents’ basement and engage in virtual fantasy worlds in video games. Many of our schools put so much emphasis on head knowledge now, to prepare students for a college degree they do not necessarily need, that the young people see no reason to develop real life skills.

The dignity of real work runs throughout the Scriptures. I think of how St. Paul laments the fact that some of the Christians in Thessalonica were leading undisciplined lives, accomplishing nothing for the Christian community, they were acting like busybodies, instead of working to support the Church. And to them, St. Paul says, “those who are unwilling to work, should not eat.” And he was speaking about eating at the communal Christian table and perhaps even the Eucharistic table.

The Christian community needs examples of laborers, who, as Pope Francis said recently, “work with integrity and skill in the service of their brothers and sisters.”

Young boys in particular may need special attention these days, so let us hold up St. Joseph as a model for fathers, men, and all adults to serve as good Christian role models for our young people, that through their hard work, they will continue to build up our young people and build up the Church for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Holy Catholic Church, entrusted to the protection of Saint Joseph, may continue to labor faithfully for the salvation of souls.

For Pope Francis prayer intention for the month of May: “That the lay-faithful may fulfil their specific mission, by responding with creativity to the challenges that face the world today.”

That our young people, especially those at risk of disengaging from society, may come to discover the fulfillment found in work and self-sacrifice.

For the unemployed and underemployed, and that all who work may receive a just reward for their labors.

That St. Joseph patron of the dying may help all those who will die today to know repentance of their sins and the grace of a peaceful death.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, those who have supported us by their work, those who fought and died for our freedom, for all of the souls in purgatory and for X, for whom this mass is offered.

Gracious Father, you created us in your divine image, hear our prayers, and grant us the help we need to work always for your Holy Will, through Christ Our Lord. 

March 19 2018 - St. Joseph - Pillar of Families and Universal Patron

Buona festa di San Giuseppe. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus.

The value and importance of men looking to and following the example of St. Joseph in our modern times cannot be overestimated. As St. Joseph guarded the Holy Family from violence and evil, modern fathers must protect their spouses and children from the evils that fill our country.

The United States leads the world in the number of fatherless families. Most households below the poverty line in the U.S. are fatherless; most young men serving prison terms in our country were raised without a father in their lives. I’d venture to say most of the gun violence is perpetrated by people who did not have a healthy relationship with their father.
Many adults trace their emotional and psychological problems to a broken or unhealthy relationship with their father, a father who was missing either physically or emotionally or spiritually, as a spiritual leader in their families.

Now, there's nothing magical about having a man living with the family. Fathers can be abusive, and a bad example of fidelity to the vows of marriage. But a father who is faithful to God, faithful to his vows, and faithful to his children is a blessing beyond measure.

As our collect this morning stated, “God entrusted the beginnings of our human salvation” to the “faithful care” of St. Joseph. We certainly pray today that present fathers and future fathers may exercise that same “faithful care” in their families.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph who was chosen by the Heavenly Father as protector of all that is holy and precious in the human family to be the patron of the Universal Church.

In times of temptation, in communities which seem riddled with selfishness or wickedness, we do well to invoke St. Joseph, who was not a man of lip-service, but a man of action, to guide and protect us from all evil.

Saint Joseph, “Diligent protector of Christ, Guardian of Virgins, Pillar of families, patron of the dying, terror of demons,”, pray for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That St. Joseph, “Patron of the Universal Church” may guide and guard our Holy Father, all bishops and clergy, religious and lay faithful from the wiles and machinations of the Enemy.
That St. Joseph, “diligent protector” of the Christ Child, will help protect all children from violence and evil, especially the unborn.
That St. Joseph, “Guardian of Virgins” will help eradicate perversion and immodesty from our culture.
That St. Joseph, “Pillar of Families”, will be an example for all Christian families.
That St. Joseph “terror of demons” will help to deliver all those in sin, and all those under demonic influence, to be open to the saving mercy of Christ.
That St. Joseph “patron of the dying” will help all the dying to know the tender peace of God.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.

May 01 2017 - St. Joseph the Worker - Work without grumbling

I bet if I were to take a poll, every single one of us at some time have “grumbled” through our work. We’ve been asked by a parent or by an employer to do some chore or job that we didn’t want to do, (cleaning your room, shoveling the snow from the driveway, mowing the lawn, removing the dog droppings from the yard), and we’ve found ourselves grumbling, complaining, moaning, griping, throughout the chore; perhaps we even protested, raising some objection of why we shouldn’t have to do the work.

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul says, “Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world”.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. He is known as a worker, for one because we know his trade, he was a carpenter, and he worked as a carpenter to provide for the Holy Family. He is also a worker because he cooperated with the work God did to save our souls.

As a worker, in both our common labors and our labor for souls, St. Joseph gives us all an example. In the Scriptures, we never see him complaining or grumbling or protesting the work God calls him to, like so many of us do so often. In fact, in the scriptures St. Joseph barely says a word. And that is a good example for all of us. When we are called to do some difficult work, it is good to keep quiet.

St. Joseph teaches us HOW we should work. As we do our chores or household jobs, instead of grumbling, we should pray, we should keep our minds fixed on Jesus, fixed on all that he suffered that we may have eternal life, fixed on the example of the saints, fixed on the holy truths of our faith.

For his work, St. Joseph shines, like St. Paul says, as a light for the world. And when we do the work God calls us to, so do we. This also reminds us that we should never ask others to do for us, what we should do for ourselves. That’s laziness. Every time we don’t do what we should do, our souls weaken a bit, the light in our souls darkens. It’s not wrong to ask for help when it is needed, but we shouldn’t be lazy.

May St. Joseph the Worker continue to teach us to be free from the sort of laziness and selfishness which dims the light of God in our souls and help us to labor always and everywhere for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Homily: March 20 2017 - St. Joseph - Strong Christian Fathers

Yesterday, I came across a wonderful article that I am going to start sharing with my young engaged couples. The article is titled, “IF DAD TAKES FAITH IN GOD SERIOUSLY, SO WILL HIS CHILDREN” and contains some powerful statistics showing the invaluable role a father’s faith plays in his family—the religious practice of the father of the family greatly determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children. If Dad takes faith in God seriously then the message to their children is that God should be taken seriously, for a father is to be a spiritual leader in his family.

For this reason, I believe, Our Father in heaven, chose Joseph to be spouse of Mary and foster-father of Our Blessed Lord.

Joseph is model of righteousness for all husbands and fathers. One of my favorite litanies calls him, “Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most brave, Diligent protector of Christ, Guardian of Virgins, Pillar of families, Patron of the Dying, Terror of Demons”

Fatherhood and Christian Manliness are certainly under attack in the present age. Of course, so is motherhood and authentic Christian femininity. The devil certainly attacks us on multiple fronts. A restored devotion to the righteousness of St. Joseph is a powerful counterattack in the spiritual battle.
The US leads the world in the number of fatherless families, and that is having a terrible effect on our society. For as the Catechism states: “the authority, stability, and the life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society”—in other words, healthy families lead to a healthy society; disintegrated families lead to a disintegration of society.  Strong Christian fathers therefore must protect their families from being infected with selfishness, addictions, violence, materialism, and godlessness of our culture.

Pope Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph who was chosen by the Heavenly Father as protector of the Holy Family to be the patron of the Universal Church, meaning every Christian does well in looking to patronage, the example and prayers of St. Joseph—his sacrifice for his family, his trust in God, his faithful observance of the commandments, his quiet before God.

Joseph has a deep love and care for each of us, and he will show us, if we allow him, a way of deeply loving and following Jesus Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, husband of Mary, may the Lord continue to bless the love of husbands and wives through the sacrament of marriage and bring healing and peace to all troubled marriages.

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, foster-father of Our Blessed Lord, may all fathers, foster fathers, adopted fathers, step-fathers, and spiritual fathers, may they teach their children well in the ways of faith, be models and righteous examples of faith and charity for their children, and know always the respect and obedience of their children.

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, terror of demons, that all those afflicted by any sort of demonic obsession or spiritual attacks may be delivered through the mercies of the Father.

Through the intercession of St. Joseph, patron of a peaceful death, that all those who lay dying or who will die today, may be consoled by the Father’s care.