St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin

S t.  Joseph  is  the  spouse  of  the  Blessed   Virgin  Mary  and  the  foster-father  of   Jesus.  His  important  mission  in  God's  plan of   salvation   was   to   legally   insert   Jesus Christ  into  the  line  of  David  from  whom, according   to   the   prophets,   the   Messiah would be born, and to act as his father and guardian. 

  Most of our information about St. Joseph comes from the opening  two  chapters  of St. Matthew's  Gospel. No  words of  his  are  recorded  in  the  Gospels;  he  was  the  "silent" man.  We  find  no  devotion  to  St.  Joseph  in  the  early Church,  but  he  was  later  venerated  by  the  great  saints  of the Middle Ages. Pius IX (1870) declared him patron and protector of the universal family of the Church. 

St.   Joseph   was   an   ordinary   manual   laborer   although descended  from  the  royal  house  of  David.  In  the  designs of  Providence  he  was  destined  to  become  the  spouse of the  Mother  of  God.  His  high  privilege  is  expressed in  a single phrase, "Foster-father of Jesus." About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man -   an   expression   which   indicates   how   faithfully   he  fulfilled  his  high  trust  of  protecting  and  guarding  God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary. 

 The  darkest  hours  of  his  life  may  well  have  been  those when  he  first  learned  of  Mary's  pregnancy;  but  precisely in  this  time  of  trial  Joseph  showed  himself  great. His    suffering, which likewise formed a part of the work of the redemption,  was  not  without  great  providential  import: Joseph was to be, for all times, the trustworthy witness of the  Messiah's  virgin  birth.  After  this,  he  modestly  retires into the background of Holy Scripture. 

 At  present  there  are  two  major  feasts  in  his  honor.  On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May1 we honor  him  as  the  patron  of  workmen  throughout  the world.  (excerpt catholicculture.org

Lenten Reflection: Family Conversion/Relationship Conversion.

 Lent can be a good time to reflect on the people who mean the most to us and the  relationships  we hold most dear.  It  can be jarring to realize that our time together as a family might amount to no more than a few minutes  a  day.  Our  lives  are  independent  as  we  scatter  in  different     directions each day for work, school or childcare.

 This  season  of  reflection  and  renewal  might  be  an  appropriate  time  to pray  about  our  family  lives  and  how  we  can  be  more thoughtful  and prayerful  about  Lent  as  a  family.  Perhaps  we  could hold  a  family    meeting  over  dinner  or  some  other  relaxed  place.  We  could  discuss Lent and the symbols of the season. We might want to talk about how our  faith  life  is  not  a  journey  we  make  alone,  but one  we  are  in  as  a community, as a family. 

One  Lenten  family  practice  might  include  a  daily  act  of  love  for  our family. Can we look around and see some small thing that needs to be done to make our lives together better? Is there laundry to sort or dishes to be washed?  Is there a floor that needs sweeping or a room that needs dusting?  Just  one  effort  by  each  of  us  each  day  can  make  a  dramatic difference  in  sharing  the  workload  in  the  family.  The  grace  we  are reaching  for  goes  beyond  getting  the  garbage  taken out,  for  example.  We  know  it  is  a  grace  when  the  experience  of  taking  the  garbage  out feels  like  an  act  of  love,  an  act  of  solidarity  as a  family.  Perhaps  the simplest way to prepare for this grace is to pray: 

  “Dear Lord, may this simple, ordinary sacrifice of my time               

  for the sake of those I love, draw us closer together as                 

  a family whose hearts you are drawing to yourself 

  in the togetherness of our family love.” 

One  of  the  real  graces  of  Lent  has  to  do  with  forgiveness  and    reconciliation  –  mercy  and  healing.  This  is  never  simply  a  matter  between Jesus and me.  It always has something to do with my family and  with  my  relationships  –  how  we  are  with  each  other.  What  in  us needs  mercy  and  healing?  What  patterns  that  we  have  need  our          reflections and common family choices and actions this Lent?

 (onlineministries.creighton.edu)

We too shall see Christ in His glory.

 T he momentary vision of Christ in His glory was given in order to strengthen  the  three  Apostles  to  face  the  trials  to  their  faith, which  the  sufferings  and  crucifixion  of  their  beloved  master  would bring.  It  is  retold to  us  today,  in the  early  part of  Lent, to encourage us  to  persevere  in  our  Lenten  mortification.  It  reminds  us  that,  very soon, the Easter bells will be ringing out their message of joy. If we are  sharers  with  Christ  in  His  sufferings,  we  shall  be  sharers  with Him in His glory. 

 This is a truth we all too easily forget, namely, that we cannot get to heaven  in  a  limousine.  Our  time  on  earth  is  the  chance  given  us  by our  heavenly  Father  to  earn  an  eternal  reward  which  surpasses  even the  wildest  imagination  of  man.  We  could  never  earn  it,  but  God    accepts the little we can do and provides the balance with His infinite mercy. 

 And  yet  there  are  far  too many  who  refuse even  that  little  bit  that is asked of them, and are thus running the risk of not partaking in God's scheme   for   their   eternal   happiness.   Illnesses   and   troubles   and  disappointments  come  to  all  men.  They  respect  neither  wealth,  nor power,  nor  position.  The  man  who  knows  his  purpose in  life,  and  is ever striving to reach the goal God has planned for him, can and will see  in  these  trials  of  life  the  hand  of  a  kind  father  who  is  preparing him  for  greater  things.  His  sufferings  become  understandable  and more bearable because of his attitude. The man who ignores God has nothing  to console  him  in his hours  of sorrow  and  pain.  Yet, sorrow and pain will dog his footsteps, strive as he will to avoid them. 

Christ has asked us to follow Him, carrying our daily cross. The end of our journey is not Calvary but resurrection, the entrance to a life of glory  with  our  risen  Savior.  The  Christian  who  grasps  his  cross closely  and  willingly,  knowing  its  value  for  his  real  life,  will  find  it becomes lighter and often not a burden but a pleasure. 

Let  the  thought  of  the  Transfiguration  encourage  each  one  of  us     today, to do the little God demands of us, so that when we pass out of this  life  we  may  be  assured  of  seeing  Christ  in  His  glory,  ready  to welcome us into His everlasting, glorious kingdom. (excerpt: catholic.culture.