The Solemnity of Saint Joseph - 19th March 2021
(EPISODE:285)
Readings
2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16;
Psalm 88:2-5, 27, 29 R. "The son of David will live forever."
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22;
Gospel Acclamation: (Ps 83:5). "Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! How happy they who dwell in your house, O Lord; continually they sing your praise! Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!"
**Luke 2:41-51
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1914790318 Saint Joseph, the adopted father of Jesus - By Marco Sete
++++
Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph - 19th March 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-285-feast-of-saint-joseph-2021-weekday-solemnity/s-BsxGg1A0aKx
(EPISODE: 285)
+++++
Saint Joseph
(this is an updated homily below, which varies from the text featured in the podcast)-
150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a "Year of Saint Joseph" from today, 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021.
A beloved, tender, obedient father
Pope Francis has declared this year, 2021 to be the year of dedication to Saint Joseph, the stepfather of Our Lord…. And the patron saint of the universal church……
Because of his role at "the crossroads between the Old and New Testament," St Joseph "has always been venerated as a father by the Christian people" (PC, 1).
His other wonderful qualities include….
Welcoming the will of God
At the same time, Joseph is "an accepting Father," because he "accepted Mary unconditionally" — and also the one who, trusting in the Lord, accepts in his life even the events that he does not understand, "setting aside his own ideas" and reconciling himself with his own history.
For this reason, "he encourages us to accept and welcome others as they are, without exception, and to show special concern for the weak" (4).
A creatively courageous father, example of love
"the creative courage" of St. Joseph, which "emerges especially in the way we deal with difficulties." "The carpenter of Nazareth," explains the Pope, was able to turn a problem into a possibility by trusting in divine providence." He had to deal with "the concrete problems" his Family faced, problems faced by other families in the world, and especially those of migrants.
In this sense, St. Joseph is "the special patron of all those forced to leave their native lands because of war, hatred, persecution and poverty." As the guardian of Jesus and Mary, Joseph cannot "be other than the guardian of the Church," "Consequently, every poor, needy, suffering or dying person, every stranger, every prisoner, every infirm person is 'the child' whom Joseph continues to protect." From St Joseph, writes Pope Francis, "we must learn… to love the Church and the poor" (5).
A father who teaches the value, dignity and joy of work
"A carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family," St Joseph also teaches us "the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one's own labour." Work, he says, "is a means of participating in the work of salvation, an opportunity to hasten the coming of the Kingdom, to develop our talents and abilities, and to put them at the service of society and fraternal communion." Those who work, he explains, "are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us."
A father "in the shadows," centred on Mary and Jesus
Taking a cue from The Shadow of the Father — a book by Polish writer Jan Dobraczyński — Pope Francis describes Joseph's fatherhood of Jesus as "the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father."
"Fathers are not born, but made," says Pope Francis. "A man does not become a father simply by bringing a child into the world, but by taking up the responsibility to care for that child."
Joseph, says Pope Francis, "knew how to love with extraordinary freedom. He never made himself the centre of things. He did not think of himself, but focused instead on the lives of Mary and Jesus."
Happiness for Joseph involved a true gift of self:
A daily prayer to St Joseph… and a challenge
In his letter, Pope Francis notes how, "Every day, for over forty years, following Lauds [Morning Prayer]" he has "recited a prayer to Saint Joseph taken from a nineteenth-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary."
This prayer, he says, expresses devotion and trust, and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph," on account of its closing words: "My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power."
At the conclusion of his Letter, he adds another prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-12/pope-francis-proclaims-year-of-st-joseph.html
+++++
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-12/pope-francis-proclaims-year-of-st-joseph.html
Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. ID: 1914790318 Saint Joseph, the adopted father of Jesus - By Marco Sete
++++++++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to our weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
[ Production - KER - 2021]
May God bless and keep you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment