A Concord Pastor Comments: Prayer and Reflection: St. Joseph Day, March 19

St. Joseph is venerated as the patron of fathers, family life, patience and purity, workers, carpenters, the troubled and the dying.

Here' a litany for St. Joseph Day:

Litany of St. Joseph

Lord, have mercy

Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

God our Father in 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.

Good St. Joseph
Pray for us
Husband of the blessed Virgin Mary
Foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Protector of the Mother of God
Faithful Spouse

Example to parents
Pattern of patience
Lover of poverty
Comfort of the troubled
Protector of the Church
Good worker
Good and gentle man
Man of justice
Teacher of virtue
Model of kindness
Loving father

For all fathers

St. Joseph, Pray for them

For all families

For all who are afraid

For all tempted to despair

For all tempted by evil

For refugees and orphans

For those condemned to die

For those who are terminally ill

For those at the hour of their death

For those who wait for death

For the old and the alone

For all who work for justice

For all who work for life

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, in Your infinite wisdom and love,
You chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary,
the mother of your Son.
As we enjoy his protection on earth,
may we have the help of his prayers in heaven.
We ask you this through Christ our Lod.
Amen.

A Quiet Moment by Timothy P. Schmalz

A reflection on St. Joseph

(Several years ago I preached this homily in Advent but even here in Lent, it may have some value for our prayer and reflection.)

(Looks like Deacon Greg and I are thinking along the same lines! He has also posted an Advent homily on St. Joseph and its well worth the read!)

2,000 years ago, when Christ was about to be born,

only a few individuals had any notion at all

of what was about to happen.

I wonder if Mary might have asked her betrothed,

“Joseph… are you ready for this?”

There was at least one moment

when Joseph was not ready for this,

when he was ready only to quietly break off his betrothal to Mary

- until an angel spoke to him in a dream and told him,

“Joseph, be not afraid…”

Be not afraid – of what?

Of taking Mary into his home as his wife?

Of caring for a child he knew he had not fathered?

Yes... but more than that,

the angel was telling Joseph:

“Be not afraid of how the mystery of God

is weaving itself into your life,

into your relationship with Mary,

and into your whole future.

"Be not afraid, Joseph, of how the mystery of God

will touch your life, shape your life, turn your life around

and stand it on its head!"

Like Joseph, all of us face times

when God has allowed things to happen

or has allowed things to fail to happen,

that intimately touch, shape and turn our lives around

in ways we never dreamed would happen,

in ways we wish had never happened...

And in all of this the word to us

is precisely the angel’s word to Joseph in his dream:

“Be not afraid because in everything, and in all things,

God is with you...”

"Joseph, are you ready for this?"

To be ready is to renew our faith, our trust,

in all the ways the mystery of God’s presence

is weaving itself into our lives:

touching and shaping and turning our lives around

in ways we may never have imagined.

And most of all, to be ready

is to trust that God is with us

in everything and in all things...

Take a moment on this day

to imagine Joseph's doubts, his anticipation, his anger…

his regrets, his concern for Mary, his fears…

his wonder, his confusion, his awe…

Imagine Joseph handing his troubles over to God

and trusting, putting his fears aside…

Imagine yourself in Joseph's dream... and pray...

I come to you today, Lord,

with a heart sometimes ready, sometimes not ready,

to trust you, follow you, love you...

My problems, my worries, my burdens

loom larger than life and back me into corners

where I feel alone and wonder where you have brought me,

where you will lead me - even if you are still with me...

My heart needs a dream, an angel, a message

reminding me not to be afraid...

All day long and even in my sleep, Lord,

remind me as you did Joseph

that with you I can face all things,

accept all things, do all things,

endure all things...

Especially when my life and my heart

are spun around and upside down;

when my sense of direction fails me;

when I fear the path I walk:

remind me then, Lord, not to be afraid,

to trust that with you at my side

I can be ready

for whatever comes my way...

I come to you today with a heart

sometimes ready and sometimes not ready:

ready or not, Lord, here I come!

Ready or not, Lord, here I am

and here I stand

in need of your love and your strength...

Amen.