Monday, March 18, 2024

For St. Joseph Feast Day: The Litany of St. Joseph

 

THE LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH




Lord, have mercy. 
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy. 
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. 

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. 
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. 

Holy Mary, pray for us (after each line) 
Saint Joseph, 
Renowned offspring of David, 
Light of Patriarchs, 
Spouse of the Mother of God, 
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, 
Foster-father of the Son of God, 
Diligent protector of Christ, 
Head of the Holy Family, 
Joseph most just, 
Joseph most chaste, 
Joseph most prudent, 
Joseph most strong, 
Joseph most obedient, 
Joseph most faithful, 
Mirror of patience, 
Lover of poverty, 
Model of artisans, 
Glory of home life, 
Guardian of virgins, 
Pillar of families, 
Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, 
Patron of the dying, 
Terror of demons, 
Protector of Holy Church, 

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, 
Spare us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, 
Graciously hear us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, 
Have mercy on us. 

V. He made him the lord of His house: 
R. And ruler of all His substance. 

Let us pray. 
O God, who in Thine unspeakable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thine own most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we reverence as our defender on earth: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Foster Father of Jesus, beloved spouse of Mary, patron of the universal Church, Tuesday's Saint of the Day

 

St. Joseph


Feastday: March 19
Patron: of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants, and a happy death
Death: 18



Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He knew women accused of adultery could be stoned to death, so he resolved to send her away quietly to not expose her to shame or cruelty. However, when an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him, 20 "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins," he did as the angel told him and took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:19-25).

When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)

We know Joseph respected God. He followed God's commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus' birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.

Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Apocryphal Date for Joseph's birth is 90 BC in Bethlehem and the Apocryphal Date of his death is July 20, AD 18 in Nazareth.

Joseph is the patron saint of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.

Joseph is also patron saint of the Universal Church, families, fathers, expectant mothers (pregnant women), travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and working people in general.

We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker. March 19 has been the most commonly celebrated feast day for Joseph, and it wasn't until 1955 that Pope Pius XII established the Feast of "St. Joseph the Worker" to be celebrated on May 1. This is also May Day (International Workers' Day) and believed to reflect Joseph's status as the patron of workers.

Many places and churches all over the world are named after St. Joseph, including the Spanish form, San Jose, which is the most commonly named place in the world. Joseph is considered by many to also be the patron saint of the New World; of the countries China, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Peru, Vietnam; of the regions Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, Sicily; and of several main cities and dioceses.

In art, Joseph is typically portrayed as an older man, with grey hair and a beard, often balding, sometimes appearing frail and a marginal figure next to Mary and Jesus, if not entirely in the background. Some statues of Joseph show his staff topped with flowers. St. Joseph is shown with the attributes of a carpenter's square or tools, the infant Jesus, his lily blossomed staff, two turtle doves, or a spikenard.

There is much we still wish we could know about Joseph -- exactly where and when he was born, how he spent his days, exactly when and how he died. But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was -- "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).

In His Footsteps:
Joseph was foster father to Jesus. There are many children separated from families and parents who need foster parents. Please consider contacting your local Catholic Charities or Division of Family Services about becoming a foster parent.

Prayer:
Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted son. Amen

Enjoy additional prayers to St Joseph... click here

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Monday Saint of the Day

 


St. Cyril of Jerusalem




"Make your fold with the sheep; flee from the wolves: depart not from the Church," Cyril admonished catechumens surrounded by heresy. These were prophetic words for Cyril was to be hounded by enemies and heretics for most of his life, and although they could exile him from his diocese he never left his beloved Church.

Cyril's life began a few years before Arianism (the heresy that Jesus was not divine or one in being with the Father) and he lived to see its suppression and condemnation at the end of his life. In between he was the victim of many of the power struggles that took place.

We know little about Cyril's early life. Historians estimate he was born about 315 and that he was brought up in Jerusalem. He speaks about the appearance of the sites of the Nativity and Holy Sepulchre before they were "improved" by human hands as if he were a witness. All we know of his family were that his parents were probably Christians and he seemed to care for them a great deal. He exhorted catechumens to honor parents "for however much we may repay them, yet we can never be to them what they as parents have been to us." We know he also had a sister and a nephew, Gelasius, who became a bishop and a saint.

He speaks as one who belonged to a group called the Solitaries. These were men who lived in their own houses in the cities but practiced a life of complete chastity, ascetism, and service.

After being ordained a deacon and then a priest, his bishop Saint Maximus respected him enough to put him in charge of the instruction of catechumens. We still have these catechetical lectures of Cyril's that were written down by someone in the congregation. When speaking of so many mysteries, Cyril anticipated the question, "But some one will say, If the Divine substance is incomprehensible, why then do you discourse of these things? So then, because I cannot drink up all the river, am I not even to take in moderation what is expedient for me? Because with eyes so constituted as mine I cannot take in all the sun, am I not even to look upon it enough to satisfy my wants? Or again, because I have entered into a great garden, and cannot eat all the supply of fruits, would you have me go away altogether hungry?.. I am attempting now to glorify the Lord, but not to describe him, knowing nevertheless that I shall fall short of glorifying God worthily, yet deeming it a work of piety even to attempt it at all."

When Maximus died, Cyril was consecrated as bishop of Jerusalem. Because he was supported by the Arian bishop of Caesarea, Acacius, the orthodox criticized the appointment and the Arians thought they had a friend. Both factions were wrong, but Cyril wound up in the middle.

When a famine hit Jerusalem, the poor turned to Cyril for help. Cyril, seeing the poor starving to death and having no money, sold some of the goods of the churches. This was something that other saints including Ambrose and Augustine had done and it probably saved many lives. There were rumors, however, that some of the vestments wound up as clothing for actors.

Actually, the initial cause of the falling out between Acacius and Cyril was territory not beliefs. As bishop of Caesarea, Acacia had authority over all the bishops of Palestine. Cyril argued that his authority did not include Jerusalem because Jerusalem was an "apostolic see" -- one of the original sees set up by the apostles. When Cyril did not appear at councils that Acacius called, Acacius accused him of selling church goods to raise money and had him banished.

Cyril stayed in Tarsus while waiting for an appeal. Constantius called a council where the appeal was supposed to take place. The council consisted of orthodox, Arians, and semi-Arian bishops. When Acacius and his faction saw that Cyril and other exiled orthodox bishops were attending, they demanded that the persecuted bishops leave. Acacius walked out when the demand was not met. The other bishops prevailed on Cyril and the others to give in to this point because they didn't want Acacius to have reason to deny the validity of the council. Acacius returned but left again for good when his creed was rejected -- and refused to come back even to give testimony against his enemy Cyril. The result of the council was the Acacius and the other Arian bishops were condemned. There's no final judgment on Cyril's case but it was probably thrown out when Acacius refused to testify and Cyril returned to Jerusalem.

This was not the end of Cyril's troubles because Acacius carried his story to the emperor -- embellishing it with details that it was a gift of the emperor's that was sold to a dancer who died wearing the robe. This brought about a new synod run by Acacius who now had him banished again on the basis of what some bishops of Tarsus had done while Cyril was there.

This exile lasted until Julian became emperor and recalled all exiled bishops, orthodox or Arian. Some said this was to exacerbate tension in the Church and increase his imperial power. So Cyril returned to Jerusalem. When Acacius died, each faction nominated their own replacement for Caesarea. Cyril appointed his nephew Gelasius -- which may seem like nepotism, except that all orthodox sources spoke of Gelasius' holiness. A year later both Cyril and Gelasius were driven out of Palestine again as the new emperor's consul reversed Julian's ruling.

Eleven years later, Cyril was allowed to go back to find a Jerusalem destroyed by heresy and strife. He was never able to put things completely right. He did attend the Council at Constantinople in 381 where the Nicene Creed and orthodoxy triumphed and Arianism was finally condemned. Cyril received justice at the same Council who cleared him of all previous rumors and commended him for fighting "a good fight in various places against the Arians."

Cyril had eight years of peace in Jerusalem before he died in 386, at about seventy years old.

Pope recalls the importance of Holy Week

 

Videomessage of Pope Francis to the Confraternities of Mérida, SpainVideomessage of Pope Francis to the Confraternities of Mérida, Spain 

Pope recalls importance of Holy Week in leaving lasting mark on our lives

In a video message to the Confraternities of Mérida, Spain, Pope Francis recalls how Holy Week is "a time of grace" to be dedicated to prayer and to our brothers and sisters most in need.

By Adriana Masotti

Mérida is one of Spain's most renowned cities for its ancient Roman monuments, so much so that it is called the "Spanish Rome." Founded as a colony by soldiers of Augustus in 25 B.C., its historic center boasts the Arch of Trajan, the Roman Bridge, the Temple of Diana, and a Roman Amphitheater, among others sites. And it is around these places that religious processions, parades and the Stations of the Cross are held during Holy Week.

Spiritual closness with Mérida 

In the video message addressed to the many local Confraternities that promote the religious events, the Pope observed that very few cities can experience the days that changed the history of humanity in settings with more than two thousand years of antiquity, contemporary with the time of the Lord's Passion. 

Assuring all in Mérida of his spiritual closeness, the Pope said he will remember them in a special way when he leads the Way of the Cross at Rome's Colosseum as they participate in it at the Roman Amphitheater of Mérida with faithful from around the world.

Holy Week's indelible mark

The Pope recalled how the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz is celebrating a special year, the Eulalian Jubilee Year, which honors St. Eulalia, the young martyr who helped make Mérida the cradle of Christianity in Spain and the destination of pilgrimages throughout history. 

Addressing the Confraternities who prepare the Holy Week celebrations, he encouraged them to ensure that the experience of Holy Week "leaves an indelible and permanent mark" on those who participate, reminding them that the re-enactment of Jesus' Passion "is not a spectacle, but a proclamation of our salvation" and "for this reason it must leave its mark." 

Love of God and neighbour

It is especially important during Holy Week to spend time devoted to prayer, listening to the Word of God, following the example of the Good Samaritan caring for our wounded sisters and brothers. Quoting from his Lenten Message for this year, the Pope said, "Love of God and love of neighbour are one love...In the presence of God, we become brothers and sisters, more sensitive to one another."

Opening our hearts to others

Holy Week marks "a time of grace that the Lord gives us so that we may open the doors of our hearts" and our communities, the Pope recalls, and going out to meet Jesus and others, also to bring the light and joy of our faith. He encouraged everyone to go forth with love and with God's tenderness, respect and patience, "knowing that we offer our hands, our feet, our hearts, but that it is God who guides us and shows us the way." 

Prayer for families and those in need

Pope Francis concludes his message to the Fraternities of the ancient Spanish city with a special thought for families "who have a loved one who is ill," for those who are alone, for those experiencing economic hardship, and finally for young people who can offer their talents now and in the future for the Fraternities of Mérida.

Pope offers prayers after the Angelus

 

After the prime minister pledged to step down, an uneasy quiet in Haiti capitalAfter the prime minister pledged to step down, an uneasy quiet in Haiti capital 

Pope expresses relief over kidnapped released in Haiti, prays for those still held

During the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis expresses satisfaction over the release of a teacher and four of six religious kidnapped in Haiti. He appeals for the release of those still held, and he offers prayers for war-torn Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, South Sudan, and Syria.

By Vatican News

Addressing the crowds in Saint Peter's Square during Sunday's Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his relief over the freeing almost a week ago of a teacher and four of six religious following their kidnapping in Haiti. Two remain in captivity, and the Pope appealed for their release as soon as possible, as well as for all those still held in the "beloved country, so fraught with violence."  The six religious, members of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, were kidnapped last 23 February.

Unite for the common good

The Pope called on all political and social leaders in Hait to abandon narrow interests and "engage in a spirit of solidarity in the pursuit of the common good, supporting a peaceful transition to a country that, with the help of the international community, may be equipped with solid institutions capable of restoring order and tranquillity among its citizens."

Pray for war-torn peoples

Pope Francis also asked everyone to continue praying for the war-torn populations of Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, and South Sudan. And he recalled the people of Syria, asking that we not forget their plight as the nation there "has suffered greatly for a long time because of war."

Papal Sunday Angelus Address 03.17.2024

 

Gift, forgiveness are the essence of God’s glory, Pope says at Angelus

Pope Francis reflects on the Gospel of the Fifth Sunday of Lent during his weekly Angelus address.

By Christopher Wells

On the Cross, we see the glory of Jesus and of the Father, Pope Francis reminded the faithful at the Sunday Angelus. 

Reflecting on the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father explained that Jesus “wants to tell us that glory, for God, does not correspond to human success, fame, or popularity… For God, glory is about loving to the point of giving one’s life.”

This, the Pope continued, happened in a definitive way on the Cross, “where Jesus unfolded God’s love to the fullest, fully revealing the face of mercy, giving life, and forgiving those who crucified Him.”

Gift and forgiveness, the essence of God's glory

The Pope went on to say that from the Cross, Jesus teaches us that “gift and forgiveness are the essence of God’s glory. And they are the way of life for us.”

This implies a standard that differs from the criteria for worldly glory, Pope Francis said. But “worldly glory” he added, “passes away and leaves no joy in the heart; nor does it lead to the good of all, but to division, discord, and envy.”

Pope Francis invited everyone to ask themselves, “What is the glory I desire for myself, for my life, that I dream for my future?” Is it worldly glory? Or is it, “the way of gift and forgiveness, the way of Christ Crucified, the way of one who does not tire of giving, confident that this bears witness to God in the world and makes the beauty of life shine? For when we give and forgive, God’s glory shines in us.”

The Holy Father concluded his Angelus reflection with the prayer that the Virgin Mary, “who followed Jesus with faith in the hour of the Passion,” might “help us to be living reflections of God’s love.”

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Perhaps the most celebrated Saint among all the Catholic Saints

 


St. Patrick

Feastday: March 17
Patron: of Ireland
Birth: 387
Death: 461




St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. He was born in Roman Britain and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession. In The Confession, he wrote:

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain and was reunited with his family.

A few years after returning home, Patrick saw a vision he described in his memoir:

"I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: 'The Voice of the Irish.' As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea-and they cried out, as with one voice: 'We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.'"

The vision prompted his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years, and was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland.

Patrick arrived in Slane, Ireland on March 25, 433. There are several legends about what happened next, with the most prominent claiming he met the chieftan of one of the druid tribes, who tried to kill him. After an intervention from God, Patrick was able to convert the chieftain and preach the Gospel throughout Ireland. There, he converted many people -eventually thousands - and he began building churches across the country.

He often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity and entire kingdoms were eventually converted to Christianity after hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first Irish church. He is believed to be buried in Down Cathedral, Downpatrick. His grave was marked in 1990 with a granite stone.

In His Footsteps:

Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. So complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission, he feared nothing -not even death.

"The Breastplate," Patrick's poem of faith and trust in God:

"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."