March 19, 2011 Saturday: Solemnity of St. Joseph
Feast of St. Joseph
Click to hear audio homily
Gospel Portrait of St. Joseph
Throughout the first chapters of the Gospels of Luke and of Matthew, we come to know St. Joseph through his actions and through his silence. He is the just man chosen by God to care for the only two sinless humans in all of history: the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Divine Son, Jesus. The mere fact of his constant proximity to Jesus and Mary draws us to contemplate his virtues and to ask him to teach us how we can also keep our gaze always "on Jesus and Mary, on Mary and Jesus."
St. Joseph in the Liturgy of the Church and the Writings of the Popes
The feast of St. Joseph on March 19, which appears around the year 800 in a French Calendar, did not become widespread until the fourteenth or fifteenth century. There was a feast in honor of St. Joseph in the Roman Breviary published in 1482, but the first Mass celebrated in his honor at Rome was in 1505... In the East, however, the feast was celebrated as early as the fifth century according to the Coptic Calendar, but on a different date. In 1621 Pope Gregory XV made the feast of St. Joseph a holy day of obligation, but that is no longer universally observed.
Patron of the Universal Church
On December 8, 1870, by virtue of the decision of Blessed Pope Pius IX, the Sacred Congregation of Rites promulgated the decree Quemadmodum Deus, declaring St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church. In the following year, the Holy Father expanded on the meaning of this proclamation in his document Inclytum Patriarcham (1871). His successor, Pope Leo XIII, further developed the Church's understanding of the protection that St. Joseph could afford to the Church during times of great attack in Quamquam Pluries (1889) (English/Spanish). Redemptoris Custos (English/Spanish) was written on the occasion of the centenary of Pope Leo XIII's document.
Saints Devoted to Saint Joseph
Many saints and spiritual writers have been especially devoted to St. Joseph, those who first promoted the devotion include: St. Margaret of Cortona (1247-1297), St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419), and St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)—whose sermon is used for the Office of Readings for March 19 (available on the Vatican website). Finally, the Carmelite friars recognized his feast and included it in the calendar of their Order in 1498. (Lodi, p.75) One of the greatest Carmelite saints, St. Teresa of Avila had great influence in further promoting the devotion to St. Joseph.
"I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint [St. Joseph], for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God." -St. Teresa of Avila, (Autobiography, Chapter 6)
During a period of great illness in her young adult life, she turned her focus to the "heavenly doctors." Through the intercession of St. Joseph, she was "delivered...both from this trouble and also from other and greater troubles concerning my honor and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me greater blessings than I could ask of him. " Her devotion to glorious St. Joseph was promulgated throughout the many Carmels she established as part of the reform.
The largest oratory to St. Joseph in the world was built through the devotion of St. André Bessette (1845-1937), a religious brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Brother André was the porter of the community. He encouraged those who came to the door to pray to St. Joseph to obtain favors. Devotion to St. Joseph quickly spread as their prayers were answered. He worked tirelessly to build a shrine in honor of St. Joseph on the hill across from the Holy Cross school. The Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal is the largest church in the world dedicated to the Foster-Father of Our Lord. Brother André was canonized on October 17, 2010.
from http://www.ssvmusa.org/Events/CatholicCulture/StJoseph.shtm
In Louisiana
St. Joseph's Day altars began as a custom brought to New Orleans by Sicilian immigrants. The tradition of building the altar to St. Joseph began as far back as the Middle Ages in gratitude to St. Joseph for answering prayers for deliverance from famine. The families of farmers and fisherman built altars in their homes to share their good fortune with others in need. The tradition grew to a more public event on St. Joseph's Feast Day on March 19. Today the individuals who work on the altars are fulfilling their own promises to St. Joseph "to share their blessings with those in need." Without exception, the altar workers explained that they contributed to the altars not for their own purposes but 'for St. Joseph' or for a family member or friend.
One tradition entails begging for the supplies to build the altar. The altar must not incur "any expense nor any personal financial gain." As an act of devotion to St. Joseph, supplicants would promise to build an altar should their sons return home from war safely. Part of the personal sacrifice involved was the act of begging for food. (Picture below: St. Joseph Altar, March 19, 2011, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Denham Springs, LA)
All of the items on the altar -- food, candles, medals, holy cards and fava beans -- are blessed by a priest in a special ceremony the afternoon before an altar is 'broken.'" That evening people may visit to pray and leave petitions. Donations are collected for the poor.
Click to hear audio homilyGospel Portrait of St. Joseph
Throughout the first chapters of the Gospels of Luke and of Matthew, we come to know St. Joseph through his actions and through his silence. He is the just man chosen by God to care for the only two sinless humans in all of history: the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Divine Son, Jesus. The mere fact of his constant proximity to Jesus and Mary draws us to contemplate his virtues and to ask him to teach us how we can also keep our gaze always "on Jesus and Mary, on Mary and Jesus."
St. Joseph in the Liturgy of the Church and the Writings of the Popes
The feast of St. Joseph on March 19, which appears around the year 800 in a French Calendar, did not become widespread until the fourteenth or fifteenth century. There was a feast in honor of St. Joseph in the Roman Breviary published in 1482, but the first Mass celebrated in his honor at Rome was in 1505... In the East, however, the feast was celebrated as early as the fifth century according to the Coptic Calendar, but on a different date. In 1621 Pope Gregory XV made the feast of St. Joseph a holy day of obligation, but that is no longer universally observed.
Patron of the Universal Church
On December 8, 1870, by virtue of the decision of Blessed Pope Pius IX, the Sacred Congregation of Rites promulgated the decree Quemadmodum Deus, declaring St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church. In the following year, the Holy Father expanded on the meaning of this proclamation in his document Inclytum Patriarcham (1871). His successor, Pope Leo XIII, further developed the Church's understanding of the protection that St. Joseph could afford to the Church during times of great attack in Quamquam Pluries (1889) (English/Spanish). Redemptoris Custos (English/Spanish) was written on the occasion of the centenary of Pope Leo XIII's document.
Saints Devoted to Saint Joseph
Many saints and spiritual writers have been especially devoted to St. Joseph, those who first promoted the devotion include: St. Margaret of Cortona (1247-1297), St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419), and St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)—whose sermon is used for the Office of Readings for March 19 (available on the Vatican website). Finally, the Carmelite friars recognized his feast and included it in the calendar of their Order in 1498. (Lodi, p.75) One of the greatest Carmelite saints, St. Teresa of Avila had great influence in further promoting the devotion to St. Joseph.
"I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint [St. Joseph], for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God." -St. Teresa of Avila, (Autobiography, Chapter 6)
During a period of great illness in her young adult life, she turned her focus to the "heavenly doctors." Through the intercession of St. Joseph, she was "delivered...both from this trouble and also from other and greater troubles concerning my honor and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me greater blessings than I could ask of him. " Her devotion to glorious St. Joseph was promulgated throughout the many Carmels she established as part of the reform.
The largest oratory to St. Joseph in the world was built through the devotion of St. André Bessette (1845-1937), a religious brother of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Brother André was the porter of the community. He encouraged those who came to the door to pray to St. Joseph to obtain favors. Devotion to St. Joseph quickly spread as their prayers were answered. He worked tirelessly to build a shrine in honor of St. Joseph on the hill across from the Holy Cross school. The Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal is the largest church in the world dedicated to the Foster-Father of Our Lord. Brother André was canonized on October 17, 2010.
from http://www.ssvmusa.org/Events/CatholicCulture/StJoseph.shtm
In Louisiana
St. Joseph's Day altars began as a custom brought to New Orleans by Sicilian immigrants. The tradition of building the altar to St. Joseph began as far back as the Middle Ages in gratitude to St. Joseph for answering prayers for deliverance from famine. The families of farmers and fisherman built altars in their homes to share their good fortune with others in need. The tradition grew to a more public event on St. Joseph's Feast Day on March 19. Today the individuals who work on the altars are fulfilling their own promises to St. Joseph "to share their blessings with those in need." Without exception, the altar workers explained that they contributed to the altars not for their own purposes but 'for St. Joseph' or for a family member or friend.
One tradition entails begging for the supplies to build the altar. The altar must not incur "any expense nor any personal financial gain." As an act of devotion to St. Joseph, supplicants would promise to build an altar should their sons return home from war safely. Part of the personal sacrifice involved was the act of begging for food. (Picture below: St. Joseph Altar, March 19, 2011, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Denham Springs, LA)
All of the items on the altar -- food, candles, medals, holy cards and fava beans -- are blessed by a priest in a special ceremony the afternoon before an altar is 'broken.'" That evening people may visit to pray and leave petitions. Donations are collected for the poor.
