Wednesday, March 19, 2014 - Litany Lane Blog:
Magisterium, Psalms 89:2-29, Second Samuel 7:4-16, Matthew 1:16-24, Pope Francis Daily - Mercy and Judgement, Feast of St Joseph, Biography of the Happy Death of Saint Joseph, Josephite Fathers, Traditions of Saint Joseph's Day Altar, Catholic Catechism Part Three: Life in Christ Section Two: The Ten Commandment Chapter Two: Fourth Commandment Article 4:3 The Duties of Family Members
From Our Family to Yours, Wish you a Solemn Lenten Season
From Our Family to Yours, Wish you a Solemn Lenten Season
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge, reason and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. The Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the
Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun
the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and
gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Wednesday in Lent
Rosary - Glorious Mysteries
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis March 19 Daily:
Mercy and Judgement
(2014-03-09 Vatican Radio)
In his homily at Holy Mass on Monday, 17
March, Pope Francis preached on mercy. Commenting on the day's readings from
the Prophet Daniel (9:4-10) and the Gospel of Luke (6:36-38), the Pope
explained that “Jesus' invitation to mercy is intended to draw us into a deeper
imitation of God our Father: be merciful, as your Father is merciful”. However,
he added that “it is not easy to understand this willingness to show mercy,
because we are accustomed to presenting the bill to others: you've done this,
now you have to do this”. In short, he said, “we judge, and we fail … to leave
space for understanding and mercy”.
In order to be merciful, “two attitudes are
needed”. The first is “self-knowledge”. The Pope noted that in today's first
reading, Daniel recounts the humble prayer of the people before the God and
their acknowledgement that they are sinners: “We have sinned and done wrong,
but to thee belongs righteousness, and to us shame”. Reflecting on the passage,
the Pope said: “In the presence of a repentant people, God's justice is
transformed into mercy and forgiveness”.
This challenges us, he continued, by
inviting us “to make room for this same inner attitude”. Therefore, “to become
merciful, we must first acknowledge that we have done many things wrong: we are
sinners!. We need to know how to say: Lord, I am ashamed of what I have done in
life”.
The Pope continued: “even though none of us
has ever killed anyone,” nonetheless “we still have committed many daily sins”.
Therefore, “acknowledging that we have sinned against the Lord, and being
ashamed in his presence is a grace: the grace of knowing that one is a
sinner!”. It is easy, he said, and yet “so very difficult” to say: “I am a
sinner and I ashamed of it before you and I ask for your forgiveness”.
“Our Father Adam gave us an example of what
one should not do,” the Pope added. For he blamed the woman for having
eaten the fruit and he justified himself, saying: “I have not sinned; it is she
who made me go down this road!”. Eve then does the same thing, blaming the
serpent. Yet one should acknowledge one's sin and one's need to for God's
forgiveness, the Pope said, and not look for excuses and “load the blame onto
others”. Perhaps “someone helped me” to sin, “and opened the road: but I did
it!”.
“If we act in this way,” he explained, “how
many good things will follow: we will truly be men!”. Furthermore, “with this
attitude of repentance we will be more capable of being merciful, because we
will feel God's mercy for us”. In the Our Father, in fact, we do not only pray:
“forgive us our trespasses”. We also pray “forgive us as we forgive those who
trespass against us”.
The second attitude we need is “an openness
to expanding our hearts”. The Pope noted that it is precisely “shame and
repentance that expands a small, selfish heart, since they give space to God to
forgive us”. What does it mean to open and expand one's heart? First, it means
acknowledging ourselves to be sinners and not looking to what others have done.
And from here, the Pope said, the basic question becomes: “Who am I to judge
this? Who am I to gossip about this? Who I am, who have done the same things,
or worse?”.
“The Lord says it in the Gospel: “Judge
not, and you will not be judged; condemn not and you will not be condemned;
forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you; good
measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your
lap”. This is the “generosity of heart” that the Lord presents through “the
image of those going to collect grain who enlarged their aprons in order to
received more”. In fact, Pope Francis said, “you can receive far more if you
have a big heart!”. And he added: “a big heart doesn't get entangled in other
peoples lives, it doesn't condemn but forgives and forgets” as “God has
forgiven and forgotten my sins”.
He then noted that in order to be merciful
we need to call upon the Lord's help, since “it is a grace”. And we also need
to “recognize our sins and be ashamed of them” and forgive and forget the
offences of others. “Men and women who are merciful have big, big hearts: they
always excuse others and think more of their own sins. Were someone to say to
them: 'but do you see what so and so did?', the respond in mercy saying: 'but I
have enough to be concerned over with all I have done'”.
Pope Francis concluded: “If all of us, all
peoples, all families, all quarters had this attitude, how much peace there
would be in the world, how much peace there would be in our hearts, for mercy
brings us peace! Let us always remember: who am I to judge? To be ashamed of
oneself and to open and expand one's heart, may the Lord give us this grace!”.
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Liturgical Celebrations to be presided over by Pope: Winter
Vatican City, Winter 2014 (VIS)
Victimized Children. That children who are victims of abandonment or violence may find the love and protection they need.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2014 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 03/19/2014.
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November 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children; Anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you to love; to
continually pray for the gift of love; to love the Heavenly Father above
everything. When you love Him you will love yourself and your neighbor.
This cannot be separated. The Heavenly Father is in each person. He
loves each person and calls each person by his name. Therefore, my
children, through prayer hearken to the will of the Heavenly Father.
Converse with Him. Have a personal relationship with the Father which
will deepen even more your relationship as a community of my children –
of my apostles. As a mother I desire that, through the love for the
Heavenly Father, you may be raised above earthly vanities and may help
others to gradually come to know and come closer to the Heavenly Father.
My children, pray, pray, pray for the gift of love because 'love' is my
Son. Pray for your shepherds that they may always have love for you as
my Son had and showed by giving His life for your salvation. Thank you."
October 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: “Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
October 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God’s children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid, I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when he chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you." - See more at: http://litanylane.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuesday-november-12-2013-litany-lane.html#sthash.1QAVruYo.bk3E9rXR.dpuf
October 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: “Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
October 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God’s children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid, I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when he chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you." - See more at: http://litanylane.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuesday-november-12-2013-litany-lane.html#sthash.1QAVruYo.bk3E9rXR.dpuf
Today's Word: magisterium mag·is·te·ri·um [maj-uh-steer-ee-uh
m]
Origin: 1585–95; < Latin: magistery
noun
Roman Catholic Church .
the authority and power of the church to teach religious truth.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
2 for you have said: love is built to last for ever, you have fixed your constancy firm in the heavens.
3 'I have made a covenant with my Chosen One, sworn an oath to my servant David:
4 I have made your dynasty firm for ever, built your throne stable age after age.'Pause
5 The heavens praise your wonders, Yahweh, your constancy in the gathering of your faithful.
27 So I shall make him my first-born, the highest of earthly kings.
29 I have established his dynasty for ever, his throne to be as lasting as the heaven
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Today's Epistle - Second Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
4 But that very night, the word of Yahweh came to Nathan:
5 'Go and tell my servant David, "Yahweh says this: Are you to build me a temple for me to live in?
12 And when your days are over and you fall asleep with your ancestors, I shall appoint your heir, your own son to succeed you (and I shall make his sovereignty secure.
13 He will build a temple for my name) and I shall make his royal throne secure for ever.
14 I shall be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does wrong, I shall punish him with a rod such as men use, with blows such as mankind gives.
16 Your dynasty and your sovereignty will ever stand firm before me and your throne be for ever secure." '
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Today's Gospel Reading - Matthew 1: 16-24
Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of
Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ. The sum of generations
is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to
the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation
to Christ. This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary
was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was
found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph,
being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to
divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son
of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she
has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a
son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save
his people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfil what the
Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and
will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which
means 'God-is-with-us'. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the
Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home; he had not had
intercourse with her when she gave birth to a son; and he named him
Jesus.
MEDITATIO
a) A key to the reading:
The passage of today’s Gospel is taken
from the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew which forms part of the
section concerning the conception, birth and infancy of Jesus. The
center of all this account is the Person of Jesus around which are all
the events and the persons mentioned. One must keep in mind that the
Gospel reveals a Theology of the history of Jesus, and so getting close
to the Word of God we should get the message which is hidden under the
veils of the account without losing ourselves, as Paul so wisely advises
us “in foolish speculations”, avoiding “those genealogies and the
quibbles and disputes about the Law, they are useless and futile” (Tt
3,9).
In fact, this text is connected to the
genealogy of Jesus, which Matthew arranges with the intention of
stressing the dynastic succession of Jesus, the Saviour of his people
(Mt 1, 21). To Jesus are conferred all the rights inherited from the
lineage of David, of “Joseph, son of David” (Mt 1:20; Lk 2:4-5) his
legal father. For the Biblical and Hebrew world legal paternity was
sufficient to confer all the rights of the lineage in question (cf.: the
law of the levirate and of adoption (Dt 25:5ff). That is why from the
beginning of the genealog, Jesus is designed as “Christ the Son of
David” (Mt 1:1) that is, the anointed one of the Lord Son of David, with
whom all the promises of God to David his servant, are fulfilled (2 Sam
7:1-16; 2 Cr 7:18; 2 Cr 21:7; Ps 89:30). This is why Matthew adds to
the account of the genealogy and of the conception of Jesus the prophecy
of Isaiah: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken
through the prophet.: The young woman is with child and will give birth
to a son whom she will call Immanuel, which means God with us” (Mt 1,
21-23 and Is 7:14).
Let us stop to say something, on the
spiritual reality of adoption, we can refer to the fact that the elected
people possess “the glory, the covenants, the legislation, the cult,
the promises”, because “they are Israelites and possess the adoption of
sons” (Rm 9:4). But we also, the new people of God in Christ receive the
adoption of sons because “when the completion of the time came God sent
his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the
subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons” (Gal
4:4-5). This is the salvation which Jesus has brought to us. Christ
“will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21) because he is the “God
with us!” (Mt 1: 23) who makes adopted sons of God.
Jesus is born from “Mary who was
betrothed to Joseph” (Mt 1:18a)) who “was found to be with child through
the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1: 18b). Matthew does not give the account of the
annunciation as Luke does (Lk 1, 26-38), but structures the account from
the point of view of the experience of Joseph the just man. The Bible
reveals to us that God loves the just and many times chooses them for an
important mission, protects them and does not join them to the impious
(Gen 18:23ff). In the Old Testament we find many persons who are
considered just. We think of Noah “a good man, an upright man among his
contemporaries” (Gen 6:9). Or also Johoash who “did what Yahweh regards
as right” (2 K 12:3).
A constant idea in the Bible is the
“dream” as a privileged place where God makes his projects and designs
known, and sometimes reveals the future. The dreams of Jacob and Betel
are well known (Gen 28: 10ff) and Joseph his son, as also those of the
cup-bearer and the chief baker imprisoned in Egypt with him (Gen 37:5ff;
Gen 40: 5ff) and the dreams of Pharaoh which revealed the future years
of plenty and of famine and want (Gen 41:1ff).
“An Angel of the Lord“ appeared to
Joseph (Mt 1:20) to reveal to him God’s design. In the Gospels of the
infancy frequently the Angel of the Lord is mentioned as the heavenly
messenger (Mt 1:20.24; 2:13.19; Lk 1:11; 2:9) and also on other
occasions the angel appears to calm down, to reveal the project of God,
to heal, to liberate from slavery (cf. Mt 28:2; Jn 5:4; Acts 5:19; 8:26;
12:7.23). Many are the references to the Angel of the Lord also in the
Old Testament where originally the angel represented the Lord himself
who guided and protected his people being close to them (cf. Gen
16:7-16; 22:12; 24:7; Ex 3:3; 23:20; Tb 5:4).
Reflection:
● What has struck you in this passage? Why?
● In the key to the reading, have we
given enough consideration to some terms (adoption, angel, dream, just)?
What sentiments or thoughts did these arise in your heart? What
relevance can they have for your journey of spiritual maturation?
● Which do you think is the central message in this Gospel passage?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Saint Joseph
Feast Day: March 19
Patron Saint: Universal Church, Family, Sicily, Italy
Attributes: lilies, baby Jesus, carpenter
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| St Joseph, Guardian of Jesus |
The Pauline epistles, generally considered the earliest extant Christian records, make no reference to Jesus' father; nor does the Gospel of Mark, generally considered the first of the gospels] The first appearance of Joseph is therefore in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Each contains a genealogy of Jesus tracing his ancestry back to King David, but the two are from different sons of David; Matthew follows the major royal line from Solomon, while Luke follows a minor line from Nathan, another son of David and Bathsheba. Consequently all the names between David and Joseph are different. According to Matthew "Jacob was the father of Joseph," while according to Luke, Joseph, or possibly Jesus, is said to be "of Heli." Some scholars reconcile the genealogies by viewing the Solomonic lineage in Matthew as Joseph's major royal line, and the Nathanic lineage in Luke to be Mary's minor line.
Matthew and Luke are also the only gospels to include the infancy narratives, and again they differ. In Luke, Joseph lives in Nazareth and travels to Bethlehem in compliance with the requirements of a Roman census. Subsequently, Jesus was born there. In Matthew, Joseph was in Bethlehem, the city of David, where Jesus is born, and then moves to Nazareth with his family after the death of Herod. Matthew is the only Gospel to include the narrative of the Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight into Egypt: following the nativity, Joseph stays in Bethlehem for an unspecified period (perhaps two years) until forced by Herod to take refuge in Egypt; on the death of Herod he brings his family back to Judea, and settles in Nazareth. After this point there is no further mention of Joseph by name, although the story of Jesus in the Temple, in Jesus' 12th year, includes a reference to "both his parents". Christian tradition represents Mary as a widow during the adult ministry of her son. The gospels describe Joseph as a "tekton" (τέκτων); traditionally the word has been taken to mean "carpenter", though the Greek term evokes an artisan with wood in general, or an artisan in iron or stone. Very little other information on Joseph is given in the gospels. He is never quoted. Matthew records four dreams in which Joseph is supernaturally instructed before, and after, the birth and early years of Jesus. In the first dream, an angel confirms to Joseph that Mary is with child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, that she will bear a son to be named Jesus, Who will save His people from their sins; and Joseph should, therefore, not be reluctant to marry her. In the second dream, an angel tells Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt (from Bethlehem) and remain until the angel instructs further, because Herod is seeking to kill Jesus. In Joseph's third dream, an angel instructs Joseph to return his family to Israel, implying that Herod is dead. However, Joseph hears that Herod's son Archelaus reigns over Judea, and he is afraid to continue the journey. In the fourth dream, God Himself warns Joseph to avoid returning to Judea (Bethlehem). Joseph then settles Mary and Jesus in the region of Galilee in Nazareth.
Joseph is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran faiths. In Catholic and other traditions, Joseph is the patron saint of workers and has several feast days. He was also declared to be the patron saint and protector of the Catholic Church by Pope Pius IX in 1870, and is the patron of several countries and regions. With the growth of Mariology, the theological field of Josephology has also grown and since the 1950s centres for studying it have been formed.
Paul and the canonical Gospels
Joseph in the New Testament
The epistles of Paul are generally regarded as the oldest extant Christian writings. These mention Jesus' mother (without naming her), but do not refer to his father - other than God (Romans 15:26 etc.). The oldest gospel, that of Mark, also does not mention Jesus's father. Joseph first appears in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, generally regarded as later than Mark. Luke names Joseph's father as Heli, and Matthew names his father as Jacob, which parallels the Old Testament Joseph (whose father was also named Jacob) and is in keeping with that gospel's depiction of Jesus as a second Moses. This theme is developed further in the infancy narratives, which, like the genealogies, have the function of establishing Jesus as the promised Messiah, the descendant of David, born in Bethlehem.Like the two differing genealogies the infancy narratives appear only in Matthew and Luke, and take different approaches to reconciling the requirement that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem with the tradition that Jesus came from Nazareth. In Matthew, Joseph obeys the direction of an angel to marry Mary and then to flee to Egypt to escape the massacre of the children of Bethlehem planned by Herod the Great, the tyrant who rules Judea. Once Herod has died, the angel tells him to return to Galilee instead of to Bethlehem, and so Joseph takes his wife and the child to Nazareth and settles there. Thus in Matthew, the infant Jesus, like Moses, is in peril from a cruel king, like Moses he has a (fore)father named Joseph who goes down to Egypt, like the Old Testament Joseph this Joseph has a father named Jacob, and both Josephs receive important dreams foretelling their future. In Luke, Joseph already lives in Nazareth, and Jesus is born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary have to travel there to be counted in a census. Luke's account makes no mention of angels and dreams, the Massacre of the Innocents, or of a visit to Egypt.
The last time Joseph appears in person in any Gospel is the story of the Passover visit to the Temple in Jerusalem when Jesus is 12 years old, found only in Luke. Like the infancy narratives the story is didactic, emphasising Jesus' awareness of his coming mission: here Jesus speaks to his parents (both of them) of "my father," meaning God, but they fail to understand.(Luke 2:41-51).
None of the Gospels mentions Joseph as present at any event during Jesus' adult ministry. The synoptic Gospels, however, share a scene in which the people of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, doubt Jesus' status as a prophet because they know his family. In Mark 6:3, they call Jesus "Mary's son" instead of naming his father. In Matthew, the townspeople call Jesus "the carpenter's son," again without naming his father, and again he has brothers named James, and Joses (i.e., Joseph), and Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:53-58). In Luke 3:23 "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was [the son] of Heli," and Luke makes no mention of any brothers (Luke 4:16-30). In Luke the tone is positive, whereas in Mark and Matthew it is disparaging. This incident does not appear at all in John, but in a parallel story the disbelieving Jews refer to "Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know" (John 6:41-51).
Joseph is not mentioned as being present at the Wedding at Cana at the beginning of Jesus' mission, nor at the Passion at the end. If he had been present at the Crucifixion, he would under Jewish custom have been expected to take charge of Jesus' body, but this role is instead performed by Joseph of Arimathea. Nor would Jesus have entrusted his mother to John's care had her husband been alive.
Gospel Harmony
A sample Gospel harmony of the episodes of the life of Saint Joseph in the canonical Gospels, in summarform of harmonies for the four gospels.See the gallery below for artistic depictions of some of these events.Professional life
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| St. Joseph the Carpenter, by Georges de La Tour, 1640s. |
John Dominic Crossan puts tekton into a historical context more resembling an itinerant worker than an established artisan, emphasizing his marginality in a population in which a peasant who owns land could become quite prosperous. Other scholars have argued that tekton could equally mean a highly-skilled craftsman in wood or the more prestigious metal, perhaps running a workshop with several employees, and noted sources recording the shortage of skilled artisans at the time. Geza Vermes has stated that the terms 'carpenter' and 'son of a carpenter' are used in the Jewish Talmud to signify a very learned man, and he suggests that a description of Joseph as 'naggar' (a carpenter) could indicate that he was considered wise and highly literate in the Torah.
At the time of Joseph, Nazareth was an obscure village in Galilee, about 65 km from the Holy City of Jerusalem, which is barely mentioned in surviving non-Christian texts and documents. Archaeology over most of the site is made impossible by subsequent building, but from what has been excavated and tombs in the area around the village, it is estimated that the population was at most about 400. It was, however, only about 6 kilometres from the city of Tzippori (ancient "Sepphoris"), which was destroyed by the Romans in 4 BC, and thereafter was expensively rebuilt. Analysis of the landscape and other evidence suggest that in Joseph's lifetime Nazareth was "oriented towards" the nearby city, which had an overwhelmingly Jewish population although with many signs of Hellenization, and historians have speculated that Joseph and later Jesus too might have traveled daily to work on the rebuilding. Specifically the large theatre in the city has been suggested, although this has aroused much controversy over dating and other issues. Other scholars see Joseph and Jesus as the general village craftsmen, working in wood, stone and metal on a wide variety of jobs.
Modern appraisal
The name of Joseph is found almost exclusively in the genealogies and the infancy narratives. The variances between the genealogies given in Matthew and Luke are explained on the basis that Matthew's genealogy traces his legal descent, according to Jewish law, through St. Joseph; while Luke's genealogy traces his actual physical descent through Mary.Modern positions on the question of the relationship between Joseph and the Virgin Mary vary. The Eastern Orthodox Church, which names Joseph's first wife as Salome, holds that Joseph was a widower and merely betrothed, but never married, to Mary, and that references to Jesus' "brothers" are to children of Joseph and Salome. The position of the Catholic Church, derived from the writings of Saint Jerome, is that Joseph was the husband of Mary, but that references to Jesus' "brothers" should be understood to mean cousins or step-brothers. In both cases, the church doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity means that Joseph and Mary never had sexual relations. The Protestant churches, following the tenet of Virgin Birth but not that of Perpetual Virginity, hold no strong views on the subject.
Later apocryphal writings
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| Christ in the House of his Parents, by John Everett Millais |
The first to offer a solution was the apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, written about 150 AD. The original gospels never refer to Joseph's age, but James presents him as an old man chosen by lot (i.e., by God) to watch over the Virgin. Jesus' brothers are presented as Joseph's children by an earlier marriage, and his years and righteousness explain why he has not yet had sex with his wife: "I received her by lot as my wife, and she is not yet my wife, but she has conceived by the Holy Spirit."
The Protoevangelium was extremely popular, but it leaves open the possibility that Joseph might have had relations with Mary after the birth of Jesus ("she is not yet my wife..."). A few centuries later the developing doctrine that Mary was a virgin not only at the time of the conception and birth of Christ, but throughout her life, meant that this possibility had to be excluded. The apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, written in the 5th century and framed as a biography of Joseph dictated by Jesus, describes how Joseph, aged 90 (the Protoevangelium had not given Joseph a specific age), a widower with four sons and two daughters, is given charge of the twelve-year-old Mary, who then lives in his household raising his youngest son James the Less (the supposed author of the Protoevengelium) until she is ready to be married at age 14½. Joseph's death at the age of 111, attended by angels and asserting the perpetual virginity of Mary, takes up approximately half the story.
Sainthood
Together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus Joseph is one of the three members of the Holy Family; since he only appears in the birth narratives of the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as a child when with him. The formal veneration of the Holy Family began in the 17th century by Mgr François de Laval.Pope Pius IX proclaimed Saint Joseph the patron of the Universal Church in 1870, the unofficial patron against doubt and hesitation, as well as the patron saint of fighting communism, and of a happy death. Having died in the "arms of Jesus and Mary" according to Catholic tradition, he is considered the model of the pious believer who receives grace at the moment of death, and prays especially for families, fathers, expectant mothers (pregnant women), travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and working people in general.
The earliest records of a formal devotional following for Saint Joseph date to the year 800 and references to him as nutritor Domini (educator/guardian of the Lord) began to appear in the 9th century, and continued growing to the 14th century. Saint Thomas Aquinas discussed the necessity of the presence of Saint Joseph in the plan of the Incarnation for if Mary had not been married, the Jews would have stoned her and that in his youth Jesus needed the care and protection of a human father.
In the 15th century major steps were taken by Saint Bernardine of Siena, Pierre d'Ailly and Jean Gerson.Gerson wrote Consideration sur Saint Joseph and preached sermons on Saint Joseph at the Council of Constance. In 1889 Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Quamquam Pluries in which he urged Catholics to pray to Saint Joseph, as the patron of the Church in view of the challenges facing the Church.
Josephology, the study of the theology of Saint Joseph, is one of the most recent theological disciplines. In 1989, on the occasion of the centenary of Quamquam Pluries Pope John Paul II issued Redemptoris Custos, i.e. Guardian of the Redeemer which presented Saint Joseph's role in the plan of redemption, as part of the "redemption documents" issued by John Paul II such as Redemptoris Mater to which it refers.
Feast days
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| Holy Family by Raphael |
In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Joseph patron of the universal Church and instituted another feast, with an octave, to be held in his honour on Wednesday in the second week after Easter. This was abolished by Pope Pius XII, when in 1955 he established the Feast of "St. Joseph the Worker", to be celebrated on 1 May. This date counteracts May Day, a union, workers and socialists holiday and reflects Joseph's status as what many Catholics and other Christians consider the "patron of workers" and "model of workers." Catholic and other Christian teachings and stories about or relating to Joseph and the Holy Family frequently stress his patience, persistence, and hard work as admirable qualities which believers should adopt.
Pope John XXIII added the name of Joseph to the Canon of the Mass. The 19 March feast is a solemnity and is transferred to another date if impeded (for instance, if it falls on a Sunday, which must fall in Lent). The 1 May celebration is an optional memorial, and so is omitted if impeded. (However, the 1 May celebration is 1st class in the Tridentine calendar, so in it St. Joseph the Worker was celebrated on 2 May in 2008 because 1 May was Ascension Thursday and in 2011 because 1 May was in the Easter octave.)
Places, Churches and Institutions
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| Saint Joseph's Oratory, Montreal. |
Many churches, monasteries and other institutions are dedicated to Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph's Oratory is the largest church in Canada, with the largest dome of its kind in the world after that of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Elsewhere in the world churches named after the saint may be known as those of San Giuseppe, e.g. San Giuseppe dei Teatini, San José, e.g. Metropolitan Cathedral of San José or São José, e.g. in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The Sisters of St. Joseph were founded as an order in 1650 and have about 14,013 members worldwide. In 1871, the Josephite Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church were created under the patronage of Joseph, intending to work with the poor. The first Josephites in America re-devoted their part of the Order to ministry within the newly-emancipated African American community. The Oblates of St. Joseph were founded in 1878 by St. Joseph Marello. In 1999 their Shrine of Saint Joseph the Guardian of the Redeemer was named after the Apostolic exhortation Redemptoris Custos.
Prayers and devotions
In the Catholic tradition, just as there are prayers for the Seven Joys of Mary and Seven Sorrows of Mary, so there are also prayers for the seven joys and seven sorrows of Saint Joseph; these include prayers for daily protection, vocation, happy marriage, happy death, and hopeless cases; specific prayers, novenas and devotions include the Prayer to Saint Joseph and the Novena to Saint Joseph. St. Francis de Sales included Saint Joseph along with Virgin Mary as saints to be invoked during prayers in his Introduction to the Devout Life, Saint Teresa of Avila attributed her recovery of health to Saint Joseph and recommended him as an advocate, and Saint Therese of Lisieux stated that for a period of time, every day she prayed to "Saint Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins..." and felt safe and protected from danger as a result, and Pius X composed a prayer to Saint Joseph which begins:- Glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all who are devoted to toil,
- obtain for me the grace to toil, in the spirit of penance,
- in order to thereby atone for my many sins...
In art
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| Nativity by Martin Schongauer (1475-80) |
In recent centuries – in step with a growing interest in Joseph's role in Gospel exegesis – he himself has become a focal figure in representations of the Holy Family. He is now often portrayed as a younger or even youthful man (perhaps especially in Protestant depictions), whether going about his work as a carpenter, or participating actively in the daily life of Mary and Jesus as an equal and openly affectionate member.[60] Art critic Waldemar Januszczak however emphasises the preponderance of Joseph's representation as an old man and sees this as the need, " to explain away his impotence: indeed to symbolise it. In Guido Reni's Nativity, Mary is about 15, and he is about 70 - for the real love affair - is the one between the Virgin Mary and us. She is young. She is perfect. She is virginal - it is Joseph's task to stand aside and let us desire her, religiously. It takes a particularly old, a particularly grey, a particularly kindly and a particularly feeble man to do that. It takes a Joseph. Banished in vast numbers to the backgrounds of all those gloomy stables in all those ersatz Bethlehems, his complex iconographic task is to stand aside and let his wife be worshipped by the rest of us. He is God's cuckold. And art has no choice but to point this out - while, of course, appearing not to."
Full cycles of his life are rare in the Middle Ages, though the scenes from the Life of the Virgin or Life of Christ where he is present are far more often seen. The Mérode Altarpiece of about 1425, where he has a panel to himself, working as a carpenter, is an early example of what remained relatively rare depictions of him pursuing his métier. Some statues of Joseph depict his staff as topped with flowers, recalling the non-canonical Protoevangelion's account of how Mary's spouse was chosen by collecting walking sticks of widowers in Palestine, and Joseph's alone bursting into flower, thus identifying him as divinely chosen. Several Eastern Orthodox Nativity icons show Joseph tempted by the Devil (depicted as an old man with furled wings) to break off his betrothal, and how he resists that temptation. There are some paintings with him wearing a Jewish hat.
References
- Brown, Peter (2003). The rise of Western Christendom : triumph and diversity, A.D. 200-1000 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-22138-7
- Bury, John Bagnell (1905). Life of St. Patrick and his Place in History. London
- Byrne, Francis J. (1973). Irish Kings and High-Kings. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-5882-8
- Cahill, Thomas (1995). How the Irish Saved Civilization. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-41849-3
- Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2000). Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-36395-0
- Dark, Ken (2000). Britain and the end of the Roman Empire. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2532-3
- De Paor, Liam (1993). Saint Patrick's World: The Christian Culture of Ireland's Apostolic Age. Dublin: Four Courts Press. ISBN 1-85182-144-9
- Duffy, Seán,, ed. (1997). Atlas of Irish History. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. ISBN 0-7171-3093-2
- Dumville, David (1994). "The Death date of St. Patrick"". In Howlett, David. The Book of Letters of Saint Patrick the Bishop. Dublin: Four Courts Press. ISBN 1-85182-136-8
- Fletcher, Richard (1997). The Conversion of Europe: From Paganism to Christianity 371–1386 AD. London: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-00-686302-7
- Hood, A. B. E (1978). St. Patrick: his Writings, and Muirchú's Life. London and Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 0-85033-299-0
- Hughes, Kathleen (1972). Early Christian Ireland: Introduction to the Sources. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-16145-0
- Iannello, Fausto (2008). "Note storiche sull'Epistola ad Milites Corotici di San Patrizio". Atti della Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti, classe di Lettere, Filosofia e Belle Arti 84: 275–285
- Moran, Patrick Francis Cardinal (1913). "St. Patrick". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- McCaffrey, Carmel (2003). In Search of Ancient Ireland. Chicago: Ivan R Dee. ISBN 978-1-56663-525-7
- MacQuarrie, Alan (1997). The Saints of Scotland: Essays in Scottish Church History AD 450–1093. Edinburgh: John Donald. ISBN 0-85976-446-X
- Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (1995). Early Medieval Ireland: 400–1200. London: Longman. ISBN 0-582-01565-0
- O'Loughlin, Thomas (1999). Saint Patrick: The Man and his Works. London: S.P.C.K.
- O'Loughlin, Thomas (2000). Celtic Theology. London: Continuum
- O'Loughlin, Thomas (2005). Discovering Saint Patrick. New York: Orbis
- O'Loughlin, Thomas (2005). The Capitula of Muirchu's Vita Patricii: do they point to an underlying structure in the text?. . Analecta Bollandiana 123: 79–89
- O'Loughlin, Thomas (2007). Nagy, J. F.. ed. The myth of Insularity and nationality in Ireland. Dublin: Four Courts Press. pp. 132–140
- O'Rahilly, T. F. (1942). The Two Patricks: A Lecture on the History of Christianity in Fifth-Century Ireland. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
- Stancliffe, Claire (2004). "Patrick (fl. 5th cent.)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21562. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
- Thomas, Charles (1981). Christianity in Roman Britain to AD 500. London: Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-1442-1
- Thompson, E. A.; G. B. Caird, Henry Chadwick (ed.) (1980). "St. Patrick and Coroticus". The Journal of Theological Studies 31: 12–27. doi:10.1093/jts/XXXI.1.12.
- Wood, Ian (2001). The Missionary Life: Saints and the Evangelisation of Europe 400-1050. London: Longman. ISBN 0-582-31213-2
- Yorke, Barbara (2006). The Conversion of Britain: Religion, Politics and Society in Britain c.600–800. London: Longman. ISBN 0-582-77292-3
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Today's Snippet I: The Happy Death of Saint Joseph
Book 5, Chapter 4
The Mystical City of God, The Divine History and
Life of The Virgin Mother of God
THE HAPPY DEATH OF SAINT JOSEPH.
Already eight years saint Joseph had been exercised by his
infirmities and sufferings, and his noble soul been purified more and more each
day in the crucible of affliction and of divine love. As the time passed his
bodily strength gradually diminished and he approached the unavoidable end, in
which the stipend of death is paid by all of us children of Adam (Heb. 9, 27).
In like manner also increased the care and solicitude of his heavenly Spouse,
our Queen, assisting and serving him with unbroken punctuality. Perceiving, in
her exalted wisdom, that the day and hour for his departure from this cumbrous
earth was very near, the loving Lady betook Herself to her blessed Son and said
to Him: "Lord God Most High, Son of the eternal Father and Savior of the
world, by thy divine light I see the hour approaching which thou hast decreed
for the death of thy servant Joseph. I beseech Thee, by thy ancient mercies and
by thy infinite bounty, to assist him in that hour by thy almighty power. Let
his death be as precious in thy eyes, as the uprightness of his life was
pleasing to Thee, so that he may depart in peace and in the hope of the eternal
reward to be given to him on the day in which Thou shalt open the gates of
heaven for all the faithful. Be mindful, my Son, of the humility and love of thy
servant; of his exceeding great merits and virtues; of the fidelity and
solicitude by which this just man has supported Thee and me, thy humble
handmaid, in the sweat of his brow."
Our Savior answered: "My Mother, thy request is pleasing
to me, and the merits of Joseph are acceptable in my eyes. I will now assist him
and will assign him a place among the princes of my people (Ps. 115, 15), so
high that he will be the admiration of the angels and will cause them and all
men to break forth in highest praise. With none of the human born shall I do as
with thy spouse." The great Lady gave thanks to her sweetest Son for this
promise; and, for nine days and nights before the death of saint Joseph he
uninterruptedly enjoyed the company and attendance of Mary or her divine Son. By
command of the Lord the holy angels, three times on each of the nine days,
furnished celestial music, mixing their hymns of praise with the benedictions of
the sick man. Moreover, their humble but most precious dwelling was filled with
the sweetest fragrance and odors so wonderful that they comforted not only saint
Joseph, but invigorated all the numerous persons who happened to come near the
house.
One day before he died, being wholly inflamed with divine
love on account of these blessings, he was wrapped in an ecstasy which lasted
twenty-four hours. The Lord himself supplied Joseph the strength he needed for this
miracle. In this ecstasy he saw clearly the divine Essence, and, manifested
therein, all that he had believed by faith the incomprehensible Divinity, the
mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption, the militant Church with all its
Sacraments and mysteries. The blessed Trinity commissioned and assigned him as
the messenger of our Savior to the holy Patriarchs and Prophets of limbo; and
commanded him to prepare them for their issuing forth from this bosom of Abraham
to eternal rest and happiness. All this most holy Mary saw reflected in the soul
of her divine Son together with all the other mysteries, just as they had been
made known to her beloved spouse and She offered her sincerest thanks for all
this to her Lord.
When saint Joseph issued from this ecstasy his face shone
with wonderful splendor and his soul was transformed by his vision of the
essence of God. He asked his blessed Spouse to give him her benediction; but She
requested her divine Son to bless him in her stead, which He did. Then the great
Queen of humility, falling on her knees, besought saint Joseph to bless Her, as
being her husband and head. Not without divine impulse the man of God fulfilled
this request for the consolation of his most prudent Spouse. She kissed the hand
with which he blessed Her and asked him to salute the just ones of limbo in her
name. The most humble Joseph, sealing his life with an act of self-abasement,
asked pardon of his heavenly Spouse for all his deficiencies in her service and
love and begged Her to grant him her assistance and intercession in this hour of
passing away. The holy man also rendered humblest thanks to her Son for all the
blessings of his life and especially for those received during this sickness.
The last words which saint Joseph spoke to his Spouse were: "Blessed art
Thou among all women and elect of all the creatures. Let angels and men praise
Thee; let all the generations know, praise and exalt thy dignity; and may in
Thee be known, adored and exalted the name of the Most High through all the
coming ages; may He be eternally praised for having created Thee so pleasing in
his eyes and in the sight of all the blessed spirits. I hope to enjoy thy sight
in the heavenly fatherland."
Then this man of God, turning toward Christ, our Lord, in
profoundest reverence, wished to kneel before Him. But the sweetest Jesus,
coming near, received him in his arms, where, reclining his head upon them,
Joseph said: "My highest Lord and God, Son of the eternal Father, Creator
and Redeemer of the World, give thy blessing to thy servant and the works of thy
hand; pardon, O most merciful King, the faults which I have committed in thy
service and interactions. I extol and magnify Thee and render eternal and
heartfelt thanks to Thee for having, in thy ineffable condescension, chosen me
to be the spouse of thy true Mother; let thy greatness and glory be my
thanksgiving for all eternity." The Redeemer of the world gave him his
benediction, saying: "My father, rest in peace and in the grace of my
eternal Father and mine; and to the Prophets and Saints, who await thee in
limbo, bring the joyful news of the approach of their redemption." At these
words of Jesus, and reclining in his arms, the most fortunate saint Joseph
expired and the Lord himself closed his eyes. At the same time the multitude of
the angels, who attended upon their King and Queen, intoned hymns of praise in
loud and harmonious voices. By command of the Lord they carried his most holy
soul to the gathering-place of the Patriarchs and Prophets, where it was
immediately recognized by all as clothed in the splendors of incomparable grace,
as the putative father and the intimate friend of the Redeemer, worthy of
highest veneration. Conformably to the will and mandate of the Lord, his arrival
spread inutterable joy in this countless gathering of the saints by the
announcement of their speedy rescue.
It is necessary to mention that the long sickness and
sufferings which preceded the death of saint Joseph was not the sole cause and
occasion of his passing away; for with all his infirmities he could have
extended the term of his life, if to them he had not joined the fire of the
intense love within his bosom. In order that his death might be more the triumph
of his love than of the effects of original sin, the Lord suspended the special
and miraculous assistance by which his natural forces were enabled to withstand
the violence of his love during his lifetime. As soon as this divine assistance
was withdrawn, nature was overcome by his love and the bonds and chains, by
which this most holy soul was detained in its mortal body, were at once
dissolved and the separation of the soul from the body in which death consists
took place. Love was then the real cause of the death of saint Joseph, as I have
said above. This was at the same time the greatest and most glorious of all his
infirmities for in it death is but a sleep of the body and the beginning of real
life.
The most fortunate of men, saint Joseph reached an age of
sixty years and a few days. For at the age of thirty-three he espoused the
blessed Virgin lived with Her a little longer than twenty-seven years as her
husband. When saint Joseph died, She had completed the half of her forty-second
year; for She was espoused to saint Joseph at the age of fourteen (as stated in
the first part, book second, chapter twenty-second). The twenty-seven years of
her married life completed her forty-first year, to which must be added the time
from the eighth of September until the death of her blessed spouse. The Queen of
heaven still remained in the same disposition of natural perfection as in her
thirty-third year; for, as already stated in the thirteenth chapter of this
book, She showed no signs of decline, or of more advanced age, or of weakness,
but always in that same most perfect state of womanhood. She felt the natural
sorrow due to the death of saint Joseph; for She loved him as her spouse, as a
man pre-eminent in perfection and holiness, as her protector and benefactor.
I perceive a certain difference in the graces given to this
great Patriarch and those vouchsafed to other saints; for many saints were
endowed with graces and gifts that are intended not for the increase of their
own sanctity, but for the advance of the service of the Most High in other
souls; they were, so to say, gifts and graces freely given and not dependent
upon the holiness of the receiver. But in our blessed Patriarch all the divine
favors were productive of personal virtue perfection; for the mysterious
purpose, toward which they tended and helped along, was closely connected with
the holiness of his own life. The more angelic and holy he grew to be, so much
the more worthy was he to be the spouse of most holy Mary, the depository and
treasure-house of heavenly sacraments. He was to be a miracle of holiness, as he
really was. This marvelous holiness commenced with the formation of his body in
the womb of his Mother. In this the providence of God himself interfered,
regulating the composition of the four radical humors of his body with extreme
nicety of proportion and securing for him that evenly tempered disposition which
made his body a blessed earth fit for the abode of an exquisite soul and
well-balanced mind (Wisdom 8, 19). He was sanctified in the womb of his mother
seven months after his conception, and the leaven of sin was destroyed in him
for the whole course of life, never having felt any impure or disorderly
movement. Although he did not receive the use of his reason together with this
first sanctification, which consisted principally in justification from original
sin, yet his mother at the time felt a wonderful joy of the Holy Ghost. Without
understanding entirely the mystery she elicited great acts of virtue and
believed that her Son, or whomever she bore in her womb, would be wonderful in
the sight of God and men.
The holy child Joseph was born most beautiful and perfect of
body and caused in his parents and in his relations an extraordinary delight,
something like that caused by the birth of saint John the Baptist, though the
cause of it was more hidden. The Lord hastened the use of his reason, perfecting
it in his third year, endowing it with infused science and augmenting his soul
with new graces and virtues. From that time the child began to know God by
faith, and also by natural reasoning and science, as the cause and Author of all
things. He eagerly listened and understood profoundly all that was taught him in
regard to God and his works. At this premature age he already practiced the
highest kinds of prayer and contemplation and eagerly engaged in the exercise of
the virtues proper to his youth ; so that, at the time when others come to the
use of reason, at the age of seven years or more, saint Joseph was a perfect man
in the use of it and in holiness. He was of a kind disposition, loving, affable,
sincere, showing inclinations not only holy but angelic, growing in virtue and
perfection and advancing toward his espousal with most holy Mary by an
altogether irreproachable life.
For the confirmation and increase of his good qualities was
then added the intercession of the blessed Lady; for as soon as She was informed
that the Lord wished Her to enter the married state with him, She earnestly
besought the Lord to sanctify saint Joseph and inspire him with most chaste
thoughts and desires in conformity with her own. The Lord listened to her and
permitted Her to see what great effects his right hand wrought in the mind and
spirit of the patriarch saint Joseph. They were so copious, that they cannot be
described in human words. He infused into his soul the most perfect habits of
all the virtues and gifts. He balanced anew all his faculties and filled him
with grace, confirming it in an admirable manner. In the virtue and perfection
of chastity the holy spouse was elevated higher than the seraphim; for the
purity, which they possessed without body, saint Joseph possessed in his earthly
body and in mortal flesh; never did an image of the impurities of the animal and
sensible nature engage, even for one moment, any of his faculties. This freedom
from all such imaginations and his angelic simplicity fitted him for the
companionship and presence of the most Pure among all creatures, and without
this excellence he would not have been worthy of so great a dignity and rare
excellence.
Also in the other virtues he was wonderfully distinguished,
especially in charity; for he dwelt at the fountainhead of that living water,
which flows on to eternal life (John 4, 14); he was in close proximity to that
sphere of fire and was consumed without resistance. The best that can be said of
the charity of our saint is what I have already said in the preceding chapter
namely, that his love of God was really the cause of his mortal sickness and of
his death. The manner of his death was a privilege of his singular love, for his
sweet sighs of love surpassed and finally put an end to those of his sickness,
being far more powerful. As the objects of his love, Christ and his Mother, were
present with him always and as both of Them were more closely bound to him than
to any of the woman-born, his most pure and faithful heart was unavoidably
consumed by the loving effects of such a close union. Blessed be the Author of
such great wonders and blessed be the most fortunate of mortals, saint Joseph,
who so worthily corresponded to their love. He deserves to be known and extolled
by all the generations of men and all nations since the Lord has wrought such
things with no other man and to none has He shown such love.
The divine visions and revelations vouchsafed to saint
Joseph, I have particularly mentioned in the course of this history (Vol. II
422, 423, 471); but there were many more than can be described, and the greatest
of them was his having known the mysteries of the relation between Christ and
his Mother and his having lived in their company for so many years as the
putative father of the Lord and as the true spouse of the Queen of heaven. But I
have been informed concerning certain other privileges conferred upon saint
Joseph by the Most High on account of his great holiness, which are especially
important to those who ask his intercession in a proper manner. In virtue of
these special privileges the intercession of saint Joseph is most powerful:
first, for attaining the virtue of purity and overcoming the sensual
inclinations of the flesh; secondly, for procuring powerful help to escape sin
and return to the friendship of God; thirdly, for increasing the love and
devotion to most holy Mary; fourthly, for securing the grace of a happy death
and protection against the demons in that hour; fifthly, for inspiring the
demons with terror at the mere mention of his name by his clients; sixthly, for
gaining health of body and assistance in all kinds of difficulties; seventhly,
for securing issue of children in families. These and many other favors God
confers upon those who properly and with good disposition seek the intercession
of the spouse of our Queen, saint Joseph. I beseech all the faithful children of
the Church to be very devout to him and they will experience these favors in
reality, if they dispose themselves as they should in order to receive and merit
them.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN. (The Virgin Mary speaks to Sister Mary of
Agreda, Spain.)
My daughter, although thou hast described my spouse, saint
Joseph, as the most noble among the princes and saints of the heavenly
Jerusalem; yet neither canst thou properly manifest his eminent sanctity, nor
can any of the mortals know it fully before they arrive at the vision of the
Divinity. Then all of them will be filled with wonder and praise as the Lord
will make them capable of understanding this sacrament. On the last day, when
all men shall be judged, the damned will bitterly bewail their sins, which
prevented them from appreciating this powerful means of their salvation, and
availing themselves, as they easily could have, of this intercessor to gain the
friendship of the just Judge. The whole human race has much undervalued the
privileges and prerogatives conceded to my blessed spouse and they know not what
his intercession with God is able to do. I assure thee, my dearest, that he is
one of the greatly favored personages in the divine presence and has immense
power to stay the arms of divine vengeance.
I desire that thou be very thankful to the divine
condescension for vouchsafing thee so much light and knowledge regarding this
mystery, and also for the favor which I am doing thee therein. From now on,
during the rest of thy mortal life, see that thou advance in devotion and in
hearty love toward my spouse, and that thou bless the Lord for thus having
favored him with such high privileges and for having rejoiced me so much in the
knowledge of all his excellences. In all thy necessities thou must avail thyself
of his intercession. Thou shouldst induce many to venerate him and see that thy
own religious distinguish themselves in their devotion. That which my spouse
asks of the Lord in heaven is granted upon the earth and on his intercession
depend many and extraordinary favors for men, if they do not make themselves
unworthy of receiving them. All these privileges were to be a reward for the
amiable perfection of this wonderful saint and for his great virtues; for divine
clemency is favorably drawn forth by them and looks upon saint Joseph with
generous liberality, ready to shower down its marvelous mercies upon all those
who avail themselves of his intercession.
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Today's Snippet II: Josephite Fathers
St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, D.C.
1865 ushered in the period of Southern Reconstruction during which time, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, outlawing slavery, was passed[2] Ten former confederate states were divided into five military districts. As a condition of readmission to the Union, the former confederate states were required to accept the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S. regardless of race.
It was against this backdrop that the U.S. bishops met for their tenth provincial council in Baltimore in 1869. The fifth decree of this Council exhorted the Council Fathers to provide missions and schools for all black Americans in their dioceses, as education was seen as a critical need by the community.
Subsequently, the Council Fathers wrote a letter requesting clergy for that purpose to Father Herbert Vaughan superior general of the Saint Joseph's Society for Foreign Missions in Mill Hill, London. He had founded the society in 1866, and in 1869 opened St Joseph's Foreign Missionary College in that area of London. Later Vaughan was installed as Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.
Vaughan brought a group of priests to Baltimore, Maryland in 1871 to form a mission society devoted to freedmen. In 1893 they re-organized to create a United States based institution, the St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart.
Among the small founding group of Josephite priests in 1893 was Fr. Charles R. Uncles, the first African-American priest, who was both trained and ordained in the United States, with his initial studies at a seminary in Quebec, Canada. The commitment to the African-American apostolate by the new Society was the same as before; to teach the faith of the Catholic Church and to promote the Church’s teachings on social justice. The society is interracial, with resources and personnel being committed totally to serving the African-American community.
The society operates St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, an historically black high school, constructed by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1951.
The Josephite Fathers also operate St. Joseph Manor in Baltimore and St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, DC.
In June 2011, the Josephite Fathers and Brothers, 140 years after their founding in 1871 to serve the African-American community, elected their first black superior general in the Right Reverend Father William Norvel. Currently pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Washington, D.C., Father Norvel, 76, will serve a four-year term at the religious institute's Baltimore headquarters.
Father Norvel had served as consultor general for the Josephites from 1983-1987, and as President of the National Black Clergy Caucus from 1985-1987. He is credited with starting the Gospel choir movement in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. He also established a Josephite house of spiritual formation in Nigeria, where he served for five years. The house has been the source of a number of Josephite vocations.[3]
On March 18, 2014, The
Holy Father has established the new diocese of Pankshin (area 8,486,
population 1,100,000, Catholics 168,606, priests 47, religious 10)
Nigeria, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jos and the
diocese of Shendam, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of
Jos., appointing Rev. Michael Gobal
Gokum of the clergy of Jos as first bishop of the new diocese of
Pankshin, Nigeria. The bishop-elect was born in Kadyis, Nigeria in 1964
and was ordained a priest in 1991. He studied for a licentiate in
ecumenism at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
(Angelicum), Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles,
including priest of the parishes of “St. Mary's” in Tafawa Balewa, “St.
Theresa's” in Bwari, and “Murumba” in Igu; president of the archdiocesan
catechetical commission and chaplain of the Catholic Women Association;
and priest of the parishes of “Immaculate Conception” and “Sts. Peter
and Paul”. He is currently administrator of the “Our Lady Queen of
Nigeria” pro-Cathedral of Abuja, dean of the Garki deanery, archdiocesan
director for the teaching of the Catechism and chaplain for the youth
of the archdiocese.[4]
References
- "Know Us", Josephite Fathers and Brothers
- 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865)
- Catholic News Service
- Vatican City, 18 March 2014 (VIS)
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Today's Snippet III: Traditions of St Josephs Altar
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| St Joseph Altar, New Orleans, LA USA |
In New Orleans, Louisiana, which was a major port of entry for Sicilian immigrants during the late 19th century, the Feast of St. Joseph is a city-wide event. Both public and private St. Joseph's altars are traditionally built. The altars are usually open to any visitor who wishes to pay homage. The food is generally distributed to charity after the altar is dismantled.
Upon a typical St. Joseph's Day altar, people place flowers, limes, candles, wine, fava beans, specially prepared cakes, breads, and cookies (as well as other meatless dishes), and zeppole. Foods are traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent saw dust since St. Joseph was a carpenter. Because the feast occurs during Lent, traditionally no meat was allowed on the celebration table. The altar usually has three tiers, to represent the trinity.
St Joseph's Altar Design and Traditions
Three Tiered Altar
The Altar is constructed in three tiers, representing the three Persons in the Blessed Trinity.
A statue of St Joseph or a picture of the holy Family is always placed
onthe tip tier surrounded by flowers, greenery and fruit.
Blessing of the Altar
All of the items on the altar - food, candles, medal, holy cards and fava beans are blessed by a preist in a special ceremony the afternoon before an altar is "broken". That evening people may visit to pray and leave petitions. Donations are collected for the poor.
Fresh Green Branch
At the Place where the altar is erected, a fresh green branch is placed over the door. This indicates that the public is invited to be involved in the ceremony and to share the food.
St Joseph's Bread
A specially prepared bread is blessed and distributed at the altar. This bread is baked in symbolic shapes. It may be eaten but it is often saved. During a storm, a small piece is thrown out and prayers are said in hopes that the storm will abate.
Fava Bean
The gift of a blessed bean is the most well known of the customs associated with St Joseph's altar. During one of Sicily's severe famines, the fava bean thrived while all other crops perished. Originally grown for animal fodder but because of its resilience it became the sustaining food for Sicilian community. Hence, the fava bean has traditionally become known as the "Lucky Bean". Legends says, "Anyone who carries a blessed St Joseph's Altar fava bean will never be without coins" as well as a reminder to pray for the intercession of St Joseph.
Meatless
Meat is never placed nor served on a St Josephs Altar because the feast day occurs during Lent and this altar is representative of the Last Supper. Traditionally, it consists of bread, wine, vegetables and fish.
Broken
The term "broken" means that the beautiful, decorative food is served to the families and friends gathered at the ceremony.
Bags
Small bags are given as keepsakes to all who visit the altar. Each bag may contain a blessed medal, holy card, fava bean, cookies or bread.
Begging
All food on the altar is obtained by begging for donations. The altar must not incur any expense. In the spirit of St Joseph, those who have been favored with good fortune continue to share these blessings with those in need. Donations and food on the altar are sent to the poor. There is never personal profit gained from the altar.
St Joseph's Altar Symbols designed with Breads and Cakes:
Monstrance(Spada) - Holda the Sacred Host
Chalice
Consecration of the Bread and Wine at the Last supper
Cross
Crucifixion of Christ
Dove
The Holy Spirit
Lamb
Jesus, the Lamb of God
Fish
Christian symbol of biblical miracle of feeding the masses with fish by Jesus Christ
Bible
Designed as the open pages of the bible, usually form a cake, the focal point of the altar
Hearts
Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
Wreathes
Crown of Thorns, Eternity
Palms
Martyrdom and Palm Sunday
St Joseph Symbols (Designed from Breads and Cakes)
Lilies, Staff, Sandals, Beard, Ladder, Saw, Hammer, NailOther Symbols
MudicaBread crumbs sprinkled over the Pasta Milanese representing the sawdust of St Joseph, the Carpenter.
Pignolatti
Fried Pasta molded in the shape of pine cones representing the pine cones that Jesus played with as a child
Twelve Whole Fish
Represents the Twelve Apostles and the miracle of the loaves and fishes
Pupaculova
Baked bread filled with dyed Easter Eggs symbolizing Easter.
Wine
Symbolizng Miracle of Cana
Grapes
Vineyards of Sicily
Olive Oil
Olive Orchards of Sicily
Dried Figs
Fig Orchards of Sicily
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Catholic Catechism
Part Three: Life in Christ
Section Two: The Ten Commandments
Chapter Two: Fourth Commandment
Article 4:3 "The Duties of Family Members"
CHAPTER TWO
YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Love one another even as I have loved you."1 Jn 13:34
2196
In response to the question about the first of the commandments, Jesus says:
"The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind, and with all your strength.' the second is this, 'You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than
these."2 Mk 12:29-31; cf.
⇒ Deut 6:4-5; ⇒ Lev
19:18; ⇒ Mt 22:34-40;
⇒ Lk 10:25-28
The apostle St. Paul reminds us of this: "He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."3 Rom 13:8-10
The apostle St. Paul reminds us of this: "He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."3 Rom 13:8-10
ARTICLE 4
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
Honor your father and your
mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives
you.4 Ex 20:12;
⇒ Deut 5:16
He was obedient to
them.5Lk 2:51
The Lord Jesus himself
recalled the force of this "commandment of God."6 Mk 7:8-13 The Apostle
teaches: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
'Honor your father and mother,' (This is the first commandment with a promise.)
'that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the
earth."'7 Eph 6:1-3; cf.
⇒ Deut 5:16
2197
The fourth commandment opens the second table of the Decalogue. It shows us the
order of charity. God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents
to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God. We are
obliged to honor and respect all those whom God, for our good, has vested with
his authority.
2198
This commandment is expressed in positive terms of duties to be fulfilled. It
introduces the subsequent commandments which are concerned with particular
respect for life, marriage, earthly goods, and speech. It constitutes one of the
foundations of the social doctrine of the Church.
2199
The fourth commandment is addressed expressly to children in their relationship
to their father and mother, because this relationship is the most universal. It
likewise concerns the ties of kinship between members of the extended family.
It requires honor, affection, and gratitude toward elders and ancestors.
Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to
employers, subordinates to leaders, citizens to their country, and to those who
administer or govern it. This commandment includes and presupposes the duties
of parents, instructors, teachers, leaders, magistrates, those who govern, all
who exercise authority over others or over a community of persons.
2200
Observing the fourth commandment brings its reward: "Honor your father and
your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God
gives you."8 Ex 20:12;
⇒ Deut 5:16 Respecting this commandment provides, along with
spiritual fruits, temporal fruits of peace and prosperity. Conversely, failure
to observe it brings great harm to communities and to individuals.
III. The Duties of Family
Members
The duties
of children
2214
The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood;16 this is the
foundation of the honor owed to parents. the respect of children, whether
minors or adults, for their father and mother17 is nourished by the
natural affection born of the bond uniting them. It is required by God's
commandment.18
2215
Respect for parents (filial piety) derives from gratitude toward those who, by
the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought their children into
the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace. "With
all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the birth pangs of your
mother. Remember that through your parents you were born; what can you give
back to them that equals their gift to you?"19
2216
Filial respect is shown by true docility and obedience. "My son, keep your
father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.... When you walk,
they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you
awake, they will talk with you."20 "A wise son hears his
father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke."21
2217
As
long as a child lives at home with his parents, the child should obey his
parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the
family. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the
Lord."22 Children should also obey the reasonable directions of
their teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if a
child is convinced in conscience that it would be morally wrong to obey a
particular order, he must not do so.
As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2218
The fourth commandment reminds grown children of their responsibilities toward
their parents. As much as they can, they must give them material and moral
support in old age and in times of illness, loneliness, or distress. Jesus
recalls this duty of gratitude.23
For the Lord honored the
father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her
sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his
mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be
gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever
glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will
refresh his mother.24
O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him.... Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.25
O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him.... Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord.25
2219
Filial respect promotes harmony in all of family life; it also concerns
relationships between brothers and sisters. Respect toward parents fills the
home with light and warmth. "Grandchildren are the crown of the
aged."26 "With all humility and meekness, with patience,
[support] one another in charity."27
2220
For Christians a special gratitude is due to those from whom they have received
the gift of faith, the grace of Baptism, and life in the Church. These may
include parents, grandparents, other members of the family, pastors,
catechists, and other teachers or friends. "I am reminded of your sincere
faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice
and now, I am sure, dwells in you."28
The duties
of parents
2221
The fecundity of conjugal love cannot be reduced solely to the procreation of
children, but must extend to their moral education and their spiritual
formation. "The role of parents in education is of such importance that it
is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute."29 The
right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and
inalienable.30
2222
Parents must regard their children as children of God and respect them as human
persons. Showing themselves obedient to the will of the Father in heaven, they
educate their children to fulfill God's law.
2223
Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They
bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness,
forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. the
home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an
apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery - the
preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to
subordinate the "material and instinctual dimensions to interior and
spiritual ones."31 Parents have a grave responsibility to give
good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own
failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct
them:
He who loves his son will not
spare the rod.... He who disciplines his son will profit by him.32
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.33
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.33
2224
The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into
solidarity and communal responsibilities. Parents should teach children to
avoid the compromising and degrading influences which threaten human societies.
2225
Through the grace of the sacrament of marriage, parents receive the
responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should
initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of
which they are the "first heralds" for their children. They should
associate them from their tenderest years with the life of the Church.34
A wholesome family life can foster interior dispositions that are a genuine
preparation for a living faith and remain a support for it throughout one's
life.
2226
Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest
years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in
faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family
catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in
the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to
discover their vocation as children of God.35 The parish is the
Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian
families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.
2227
Children in turn contribute to the growth in holiness of their
parents.36 Each and everyone should be generous and tireless in
forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect. Mutual
affection suggests this. the charity of Christ demands it.37
2228
Parents' respect and affection are expressed by the care and attention they
devote to bringing up their young children and providing for their physical and
spiritual needs. As the children grow up, the same respect and devotion lead
parents to educate them in the right use of their reason and freedom.
2229
As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have
the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own
convictions. This right is fundamental. As far as possible parents have the
duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian
educators.38 Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this
parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.
2230
When they become adults, children have the right and duty to choose their
profession and state of life. They should assume their new responsibilities
within a trusting relationship with their parents, willingly asking and
receiving their advice and counsel. Parents should be careful not to exert
pressure on their children either in the choice of a profession or in that of a
spouse. This necessary restraint does not prevent them - quite the contrary
from giving their children judicious advice, particularly when they are
planning to start a family.
2231
Some forgo marriage in order to care for their parents or brothers and sisters,
to give themselves more completely to a profession, or to serve other honorable
ends. They can contribute greatly to the good of the human family.
17 Cf. ⇒ Prov 1:8; ⇒ Tob 4:3-4.
18 Cf. ⇒ Ex 20:12.
19 ⇒ Sir 7:27-28.
20 ⇒ Prov 6:20-22.
21 ⇒ Prov 13:1.
22 ⇒ Col 3:20; Cf. ⇒ Eph 6:1.
23 Cf. ⇒ Mk 7:10-12.
24 ⇒ Sir 3:2-6.
25 ⇒ Sir 3:12-13, ⇒ 16.
26 ⇒ Prov 17:6.
27 ⇒ Eph 4:2.
28 ⇒ 2 Tim 1:5.
29 GE 3.
30 Cf. FC 36.
31 CA 36 # 2.
32 ⇒ Sir 30:1-2.
33 ⇒ Eph 6:4.
34 LG 11 # 2.
35 Cf. LG 11.
36 Cf. GS 48 # 4.
37 Cf. ⇒ Mt 18:21-22; ⇒ Lk 17:4.
38 Cf. GE 6.
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