SAINT JOSEPH, LUMIERE DES PATRIARCHES

J'ai demandé au grand, bon et puissant Patriarche Saint Joseph de me faire tomber sur une belle réflexion qui -justement- réfléchisse bien son image. Car je trouve les gens souvent familiers avec cette Autorité.

La réponse fut ce site américain The Recovering Dissident Catholic. Même si vous ne serrez la main à la langue anglaise que d'un seul doigt, vous comprendrez, avec l'aide de l'Esprit Saint.

Pour la gloire de Saint Joseph, notre Père de la terre, dont nous remercions notre Père des Cieux de nous l’avoir offert,

Castille

I want to take a moment to speak about St. Joseph to whom I have a deep devotion.

Saint Joseph is rather shunted aside this time of year. (I could make an argument about how St. Joseph is frequently ignored but I'll refrain) The focus of the Christmas season is on Mary and the Infant Jesus. Understandable.

But, it was St. Joseph, who protected both the Virgin (and her Virginity) as well as the Word Made Flesh in the Child Jesus. Who was it who banged on doors trying to find shelter for his pregnant spouse? Who was it who made due with the shelter of the Stable? Who was it who made his Blessed Spouse and the new Infant as comfortable as possible? Who was it who performed the service of midwife to Our Lady? Who was it who swallowed any selfishness he may have had and in a completely selfless act gave his life to a child not of his flesh? Who was it who listened to the counsel of the Angels in his dreams? Yes, the humble carpenter from Nazareth, St. Joseph.

St. Joseph was The Christ's earthly father and Scripture tell us, in Luke, how Jesus listened to the discipline and counsel of his earthly parents-plural.

Fathers (MEN!)can learn a LOT from the example of St. Joseph.

I leaned a lot on St. Joseph, patron of the working man, as I was job hunting this year. I prayed before his image at any parish I visited that had one. (I'm sad that my parish does not have an image of St. Joseph but, God willing, maybe I can help in that regard)

St. Joseph, not surprisingly, is a friend of travelers. A lot of people will be traveling to visit friends and family in the coming days. We are expecting a major winter storm here in the next 24 hours, pray to St. Joseph that your loved ones may be safe on the road.

Just like a great dad, St. Joseph is a reliable help for many needs.

St. Joseph, pray for us!

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NdCastille : J'ajoute ce commentaire d'un pretre de Nazareth qui deplore en termes plus justes la legerete du monde par rapport a Saint Joseph. Savent-ils seulement ce qu'ils ratent et ce qu'ils encourent ? 

 nazareth priest said...

Thank you for that lovely and inspiring meditation on St. Joseph!
I get so frustrated when this time of year preachers resort to (incorrectly) saying that St. Joseph "struggled" with whether or not Mary had been faithful to him (the verse about wanting "to divorce her quietly") and calling our Lady, an "unwed mother" (made famous by Jesse Jackson, no less).
Those verses actually indicate that St. Joseph, the Fathers and tradition teach us, was
overwhelmed with the mystery he was encountering at the miraculous conception of the Child and felt unworthy to be so closely aligned with it; it was his "Annunciation" (in the Gospel of Matthew; a Gospel a few days ago) at the angel's command that he obediently accepted his mission as "Guardian of the Redeemer". What faith and fidelity!
Thanks, again!