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WE CELEBRATE OUR PATRON - SAINT JOSEPH
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Sunday March 18
12noon until 3:30pm
The Second Annual San Giuseppe Festival
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Bishop Frank reflects on Saint Joseph |
Patron of the Universal Church
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 planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).
We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife. 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.
Joseph is the patron 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 of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.
We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
There is much we wish we could know about Joseph -- where and when he was born, how he spent his days, 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
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NOTE: THE SCRUTINIES READINGS ARE ALWAYS TAKEN FROM SUNDAY CYCLE A READINGS - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays during Lent
THE THIRD SCRUTINY - FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Martha speaks profound sorrow at the death of Lazarus, but it is tinged with a touch of blaming Jesus: "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died."
Where do I resent the losses in my life and somehow blame God for them, rather than seeing them as places where God's glory will be revealed?
Even when Jesus tells Martha, "I am the one who raises the dead to life!" she finds it hard to believe he means now, in the case of her dead brother.
Where do I doubt that Jesus can bring life?
Jesus stands before the tomb weeping. He places no barriers to his feelings about death. Could he be staring at and facing the tomb of his own death?
Can I be with him there? Can I stand before and face the tombs in my daily life?
Jesus shouts the liberating words of life, "Lazarus, come forth!"
How is he shouting that to me today?
The grace will come when I experience how my 'deaths' will not end in death, but in giving glory to God. When I experience how entombed I have been, tied and bound, no longer alive, dead for a long time, I will sense the power of the command of Jesus that I "come forth."
THE SECOND SCRUTINY - FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
The man born blind washed the mud from his eyes in the pool called, Siloam, "The One who is sent." How is Jesus a pool to wash the mud from my eyes, that I might see?
As soon as he could see, his life became very difficult. People wondered if he was the same man, before they believed he could now see. Has the restoration of my sight so changed me that others are surprised at the transformation?
So much fear seems to surround the restoration of his sight. What fears do I now have to seeing clearly who Jesus is and what choices I must make to be with him?
The grace will come when I acknowledge that my eyes have been opened. Others may not want to believe I can see, but I know I can only keep repeating it, to myself and to them. I may experience rejection by some for claiming this new vision, but in the Light I can see clearly one who has healed me, and I give him thanks and praise.
THE FIRST SCRUTINY - THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Why did the Samaritan woman come to draw water at noon, the hottest time of the day?
Did she want to avoid the times the other women in town came to the well?
What are the places in my life where I am embarrassed, where I avoid interaction with others?
What are the noon day wells of my life?
Can I imagine Jesus approaching me there?
Jesus tries to reveal his thirst to her - perhaps his thirst for deeper intimacy with her - but she puts him off. She's not worthy. It won't work. When he offers to satisfy her thirst, she puts him off. He can't satisfy what she needs, at least with this well, and without a bucket.
How do I put Jesus off, with excuses, with problems, with barriers? I don't have time; I haven't done this before or I have and it didn't work; my stuff's too complicated; I don't know how to find you in this mess.
When he shows her that he knows her, she knows she's in the presence of someone special - perhaps the one she has thirsted for all her life.
Do I let Jesus show me that he knows and understands me?
Can I find the words to say he is the one I have thirsted for all my life?
The grace will come when I see that I have been at the well a long time and have long been thirsty. When I can name the new thirst, the Water that now satisfies that thirst, I can overcome my remaining resistance to trust.
When I see that Jesus reveals himself to me by revealing me to me, thereby showing me my need for him as Savior, I will rejoice and tell the whole world, too. I won't be able to help it.
Observe how her attitude changes as their conversation (and her conversion) unfolds .... humility is critical for true faith in Jesus.
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The Scrutinies will be celebrated for our RCIA Catechumen (those receiving all three Sacraments of Initiation) and Candidates (already baptized and completing Eucharist &/or Confirmation) at the 11:00am Mass this weekend and next weekend. I hope and pray that you will participate with them as they enter more deeply into this experience of reflection and self examination.
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Education in the context of Faith is Wisdom
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Our goal is to have 100 students for the 2018/19 school year. Early indications are that we are well on our way to achieving that goal.
St Joseph School is not only an elementary school, it is also a very close knit family - with parents, children, educators and staff alike. It is that community, coupled with our unwavering commitment to excellence in education, our Catholic identity and the faith of children that will ensure our success into the future under this new and innovative model in personalized education.
St Joseph Catholic Academy is NOW accepting registrations for the 2018/2019 academic year - call 203 775 2774 for more information
Also, please feel free to reach out to me on my cell phone at 203 209 4908 with any other questions you may have.
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LENTEN SCHEDULE
(CONSULT WEBSITE FOR CANCELLATIONS
FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER)
Mondays
Praying with the Seven Last Words of Christ
Lectio
Divina (Divine Reading)
Monday evenings during Lent
from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Church.
Each evening will begin
with the recitation of the readings several times
followed by prayer and
discussion of the Scripture verse
Jesus' Seven Last Words from the Cross
Monday, Feb. 26 - Week One
"This day you will be with me in paradise."
Luke 23:43
Thursdays
Faith, Formation, & Fraternity - This Lent all
college
age adults and up are invited every Thursday (beginning
on February 15) from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Church for
30 minutes of adoration, 30 minutes of a talk, and 30
minutes (at least) of fraternity. Father Silva will begin with
a series of talks on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If you
are worried that you will be the only one there your age,
then bring a friend...or five; we hope to see you all there!
For additional information, please contact Father Silva via
Fridays
Lenten Suppers
6:00 PM
on Fridays in Lent:
Come to Parish Center before Stations of the Cross for a hearty bowl of soup or stew and
fellowship. Bring a friend! There is no charge for the sup
per.
Call the Parish Office if you'd like to contribute some
thing to one of the meals. (203)775-1035.
Stations of the Cross
7:00 PM on the Fridays of Lent:
Confessions
Tuesdays, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Saturdays at 3:45pm - 4:45pm
*Every M-W-F - 7:30am-8:30am
*(during Lent)
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Saint Patrick's Story - March 17th
Legends about Patrick abound; but truth is best served by our seeing two solid qualities in him: He was humble and he was courageous. The determination to accept suffering and success with equal indifference guided the life of God's instrument for winning most of Ireland for Christ.
Details of his life are uncertain. Current research places his dates of birth and death a little later than earlier accounts. Patrick may have been born in Dunbarton, Scotland, Cumberland, England, or in northern Wales. He called himself both a Roman and a Briton. At 16, he and a large number of his father's slaves and vassals were captured by Irish raiders and sold as slaves in Ireland. Forced to work as a shepherd, he suffered greatly from hunger and cold.
After six years Patrick escaped, probably to France, and later returned to Britain at the age of 22. His captivity had meant spiritual conversion. He may have studied at Lerins, off the French coast; he spent years at Auxerre, France, and was consecrated bishop at the age of 43. His great desire was to proclaim the good news to the Irish.
In a dream vision it seemed "all the children of Ireland from their mothers' wombs were stretching out their hands" to him. He understood the vision to be a call to do mission work in pagan Ireland. Despite opposition from those who felt his education had been defective, he was sent to carry out the task. He went to the west and north-where the faith had never been preached-obtained the protection of local kings, and made numerous converts.
Because of the island's pagan background, Patrick was emphatic in encouraging widows to remain chaste and young women to consecrate their virginity to Christ. He ordained many priests, divided the country into dioceses, held Church councils, founded several monasteries and continually urged his people to greater holiness in Christ.
He suffered much opposition from pagan druids and was criticized in both England and Ireland for the way he conducted his mission. In a relatively short time, the island had experienced deeply the Christian spirit, and was prepared to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe.
Patrick was a man of action, with little inclination toward learning. He had a rock-like belief in his vocation, in the cause he had espoused. One of the few certainly authentic writings is his Confessio, above all an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.
There is hope rather than irony in the fact that his burial place is said to be in County Down in Northern Ireland, long the scene of strife and violence.
What distinguishes Patrick is the durability of his efforts. When one considers the state of Ireland when he began his mission work, the vast extent of his labors, and how the seeds he planted continued to grow and flourish, one can only admire the kind of man Patrick must have been. The holiness of a person is known only by the fruits of his or her work.
Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of:
Engineers
Ireland
Nigeria
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FORMED - CATHOLIC PLACE OF LEARNING AND GROWING
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Listen to a talk on our beloved St Joseph |
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Let us pray for those in our parish who were recently welcomed through
the Sacrament of Baptism especially,
May her lifetime journey in faith sustain them and light her way.
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FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
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Let us pray for those in our parish who have entered into their eternal rest...
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
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Let us celebrate with great joy those within our parish who have recently joined hearts and hands in the most sacred union of Holy Matrimony.
May God continue to bless them and keep them in his watchful care for the rest of their lives as the two of them became one in their new seamless union of love.
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ST JOSEPH CHURCH 2017 SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORTS
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In His Peace,
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Rev. George F. O'Neill
Pastor
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