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Saints Alive! | Solemnity of St. Joseph the Worker

Since the 19th century, May 1 has been associated with the struggle for improved working conditions for laborers, first in the United States and later in Communist countries, where it became closely associated with communist ideology. Pius XII chose to establish a feast of Joseph’s patronage of labor on this date in 1955 to underscore that we can offer our work to the Lord for his glory and our own sanctification." (Credit: Magnificat Magazine; May 1, 2021). For more about this saint please click on the image. Peace be with you!

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Saints Alive! | Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Nothing is known of St Joseph except what is said of him in the Gospels. He was a carpenter; he accepted the will of God; and he supported Mary and brought up Jesus. He is widely venerated as a patron of artisans who honourably do good work with the gifts God has given them, and of workers in general. To those who exercise the role of an adoptive parent, whether formally or informally, whether over one child or as the support of a whole family, he is a source of inspiration. For more about this great saint, on this Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, please click on the image. Peace be with you!

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Divine Office | The faithful foster-father and guardian

In today's Office of Readings we encounter a reading from a sermon by St. Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444). Inspired by St Vincent Ferrer, St. Bernardino (1380-1444) was an energetic and popular preacher and spent years traveling on foot through Italy preaching to enormous audiences. He denounced usury, promoted peace among the warring Italian cities, and worked hard for the reform and discipline of the Franciscan order, and for church unity. For a reflection on St. Joseph, "The faithful foster-father and guardian," please click on the image. Peace be with you!

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Articles of Faith | On Devotion to St. Joseph, Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII

In December 2020, with the Apostolic Letter "Patris corde" (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalled the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021. One hundred thirty-one years earlier, his papal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII presented St. Joseph as a model at a time when the world and the Church were wrestling with the challenges posed by modernity. With the encyclical "Quamquam pluries," Leo XIII was the first pope to draw the lines of a theology of Saint Joseph, with clearly defined titles that fit into the history of salvation, of human redemption, both at the level of the incarnation, as husband of Mary and father of Jesus, and at the level of the Church's life, as its natural protector. The pope stated the challenges facing the Church and urged Catholics to pray to Saint Joseph, as the patron of the Church. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in this "Year of Saint Joseph" and henceforward, let us Ite ad Ioseph, "Go to Joseph!" (Gen 41:55). For more from Pope Leo XIII, "On Devotion to Saint Joseph," please click on the image. Peace be with you!