The rosary is one of the most powerful prayers that we have other than the Mass. Since the rosary is a meditation on the four gospels, it is no wonder why it has helped so many people through the centuries. The joyful mysteries are favorites for children and the elderly for good reason. We often ponder what the relationship between Mary and her son Jesus was like. We think about our own mothers and know that the love of a mother is powerful. We see it in creation; don’t get between a mama bear and her cub. We love to think about the special relationship they must have had, how they would have loved each other. It would be a love story with endless fruit.
But there is an untold story hidden in the life of St Joseph. Pope Francis has offered this treasure of the life of Joseph as a find worth pursuing. On December 8, 2020, our Pope declared this to be the year of St Joseph until Dec 8 2021 in his letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Love). I encourage you to look up this new Church document.
The hidden life and person of Joseph is a treasure well worth the effort of digging up, investigating and pursuing. Whenever we look at the lives of those who dedicated themselves so ardently to Jesus, it cannot help but inspire us to follow Him, Jesus our Lord and God.
Joseph was there with Jesus from the moment of His birth till the moment Joseph was called from this earth. He said yes to adopting Jesus and taking care of Him. The Father in heaven would be the one to choose him for this task. Joseph was chosen to take care of the divine Son of God. This is not the task for the faint of heart. He would have to be a spiritual man, yet very practical.
Joseph would be constantly reminded of the exalted nature of Jesus, and know the vessel in which God chooses to come, Mary. It was not just any baby that was in the womb of Mary; it was his creator that lived there. That body held the holiest of all beings, the great I AM. How terrified a regular man would be to know such holiness was living in the womb of Mary. Nothing undefiled must touch this child or its mother. A terrifying thought that such a thing has come to him, yet so wonderful.
Through it all, Joseph taught Jesus, played with Him, provided for Him, protected Him and cared for Him and his wife. Joseph’s life has become a source of hope for so many men and families through the centuries. He is known to be the terror of demons, strong and just.
We hope this year we can open this great life as we this treasure and find the riches of living a life dedicated to the Lord of Love. We will start off this year by offering a 33-day for preparation ending with the consecration to St Joseph. It will begin on February 15 and go through the feast day of Joseph on March 19. We will have many images of Joseph around to help us think about how he has served our Lord and how we can do the same. There will be a novena to St Joseph leading up to the Day of St Joseph the Worker on Saturday, May 1. We have the books for both the 33-day preparation and the novena. If you would like to join us, please let us know. There is also an extra care package for those brave enough to do the full 33-day preparation. We also hope to have other events at St Joseph Church, especially when the COVID virus is done with. But for now, we look forward to getting to know this great saint and gift from God as we get ready for the Lenten season.
St Joseph….pray for us.