Wednesday is the Feast of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary. I am obviously a little partial to the feast of St. Joseph. Nonetheless, this feast gives all of us an opportunity to reflect on the example of faith that the life of St. Joseph gives to us. We do not know very much about St. Joseph except what the Bible tells us. He was the husband of Mary, the foster father of Jesus. The fact that God entrusted to St. Joseph, Mary and Jesus, speaks volumes to us about the faith that this man must have had in God. St. Joseph was willing to do exactly what God asked of him even though he did not fully understand what God was doing. St. Joseph trusted in God’s plan for his family even though his feelings and what everyone else was probably telling him did not exactly affirm what God was telling him. In addition to this, what God was telling St. Joseph was coming to him by way of dreams and not some concrete communication from God Himself.
St. Joseph was a man of great faith and great love for God. There are no recorded words of St. Joseph in the Bible; it only tells us that St. Joseph did exactly what God asked of him. This reminds us that words are not the appropriate response to God, but it is what we do. Our actions speak of our obedience and our love for God. When we look at the life of St. Joseph, we can only ask ourselves if we would be willing to do all that God asks of us. Is our faith in God and our love for Him strong enough to enable us to do whatever God asks of us? Is God really at the center of our lives? We are so blessed to have much more on which to base our faith than St. Joseph ever dreamed of. We have the Risen Christ, the sacraments, the Gospel, and the Church to guide and to teach us. How much do we rely on these things in our daily lives, or do we allow the ways and means of the world to guide us instead?
As we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, let us try to follow his example of faith and pray as he did that God would strengthen us through the Church, the sacraments, the Gospel, and one another, to be people of faith with a deep love for God and our Blessed Mother. May St. Joseph guide all fathers so that they can lead their families to the kingdom of heaven.
We all know that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a very important part of our spiritual lives and also helps us in our relationship with God and others, but we do not use this sacrament as often as we should. On the evening of Wednesday, March 19, from 5:00-8:00 PM most of the churches in the eight counties of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland will open their doors and offer the Sacrament of Penance…confession. Catholics across the Diocese are asked to invite someone who may have been away from the faith, for whatever reasons, to participate at this special time as an occasion to return.Our parish Communal Penance for Lent will be on Monday, March 24 at 7 PM in the church. Do not be afraid to approach Jesus in confession. He is waiting for you, and He is calling you to come to Him with all His love. Immerse yourself in His ocean mercy just as He told St. Faustina.
There are many opportunities and resources to enrich our lives and our Faith during this Holy Season of Lent. Join Dynamic Catholic for Best Lent Ever, a free email program designed to help you have a life-changing Lent. You will receive short inspirational videos, practical tips, and study guides for individuals or groups. This year’s program will get you ready for an encounter with God’s mercy that will renew your faith, transform your relationships, and show you how to be an instrument of love in the world. To have the best Lent ever go to BestLentEver.com and sign up.
I suggest you check out FORMED which is a Catholic app that the parish provides with no cost. You can access any number of movies, programs, or books that help you and your family grow in your faith during Lent. It is like a Catholic Netflix. Just go to Formed.org. Our parish code is 2QC77G. Check it out for you and your family. There is also the Hallow app which is a great source to help Catholics get more out of Lent as well as the rest of the year. Just go to hallow.com and check it out.
