Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph! I like St. Joseph so much that I actually memorized everything he said in the Bible. Though I am sure my readers if they put their mind to it could accomplish the same thing. I also did the almost unheard of thing of taking the confirmation name of Joseph. Well at least it was unheard of prior to the 14th century. Sandra Miesel had an excellent article a few years back on the history of the slow rise of devotion to St. Joseph. Though considering all of the upside down statues of St. Joseph’s buried in yards
he might have been happier to remain more obscure.
Here are two fairly short Apostolic Exhortations that make for good reading today.
Quamquam Pluries on Devotion to St. Joseph by Pope Leo XIII. (Quamquam Pluries would make a great name for a band)
Redemptoris Custos On the Person and Mission of Saint Joseph in the Life of Christ and of the Church by Pope John Paul II
4 comments
Jeff – you too!? I’ve gotten all of St. Joseph’s quotes memorized as well! Took me some time, I must say . . .
Thanks for the reminder.
I was at some sort of Community Church this weekend (after Mass, of course). A new deacon spoke about an apostolate he started called “Hands of the Carpenter”, I believe. It is an organization to help widowed and single mothers with house and auto repair. It sounds successful.
I was amused at two things: 1) He talked about this on the solemnity of St. Joseph and 2) he mentioned that since we know nothing of Joseph after Jesus was 12, Joseph could have been a dead beat dad and abandoned Mary and Jesus to do his own thing.
Unrelated, I thought it was awkward for the pastor to recite the last supper, talk about Jesus’ sacrifice and dramatically look and point up to….the empty cross.
And I didn’t know Jesus had a brother James. I’m going to have to look into that.
Jesus has brethren, meaning relatives- not a brother