MARY, OUR MOTHER

Sunday, March 19, 2006

MARCH 19-SOLEMNITY OF SAINT JOSEPH -FOSTER-FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST-MOST CHASTE SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY-PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH-PRAY FOR US!

Joseph, a member of the royal family of David, was leading the obscure life of a village carpenter when God chose him to be the spouse of the Blessed Virgin and the foster father of the Incarnate Word. Scripture tells us that Joseph was just, pure, gentle, prudent, and a lover of holy silence. Above all, this humble guardian of the Child Jesus was unfailingly obedient to the Divine Will. Joseph's great task as the foster father of Christ must have been finished before the marriage feast at Cana and the beginning of the Savior's public ministry. Untold millions have since then invoked St. Joseph as the patron of a happy death.

In honor of St. Joseph,
I share with all of you these words from Father Thomas J. Euteneuer!

Spirit & Life
“The words I spoke to you are spirit and life.” (Jn 6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 07 Friday, March 17, 2006
......................
http://www.hli.org/
Nothing will be Denied Him

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,President Human Life International

When the Lord Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father accompanied by the mightiest angels in all their glory, a simple, humble man emerged from the multitude of redeemed souls to greet his Lord with deepest joy. As he approached the throne of grace all the angels and souls reverently formed a passage for the man to come into the Lord’s presence.
“My son,” said the man, “how is your mother?”
“My dear father!” replied the Lord of heaven and earth, “How long I have waited in the valley of tears to see you again! My labors are now over, the kingdom of darkness is vanquished, and we are reunited. You who fed, bathed and clothed my body on earth in your authority as father must now come up higher and take your place as master of my mystical body, the Church. When Mother arrives in due time, we will reign as a family once again! I promise that nothing will be withheld from you who held nothing back from me in your earthly life. Welcome into the joy of our Father’s kingdom!”
And Joseph bowed and kissed his Son with the same fatherly tenderness as on the day he first laid eyes on his newborn Child in Bethlehem.

I don’t believe that there is any way to calculate Our Lord’s love for his earthly father—the word “infinite” does not quite capture its breadth. Nor can we begin to estimate the reverence that the Queen of Angels has for her earthly spouse. Both Jesus and Mary spent the prime years of their earthly lives at his side—being served by him—and will open our eyes to the virtue of this man if we seek to know him better.

It is Joseph’s discerning strength that we need after all, isn’t it? We beg for an adequate mentor to overcome life’s innumerable challenges and temptations. We need a spiritual Rock of Gibraltar to shore up our flagging spirits. We are striving to make it to the very end of this journey through the valley of tears and we need a strong companion, one who is familiar with the role of protective guide on a long journey.

Who of us could deny any request of a father who sacrificed his livelihood, his career ambitions and the best years of his life to form us and make us who we are today? Jesus witnessed the mature obedience of Joseph to the will of His heavenly Father and therefore knows that Joseph’s intercession for us will always be in perfect conformity with God’s plan of salvation. He knows that Joseph will teach us, guide us and strengthen our vocations just as he did for the Divine Son of God. This is another way of saying that anything Joseph asks from Jesus on our behalf will not be denied.

When it comes to our devotion to St. Joseph, we only lack one thing: we don’t ask enough!

Traditional Litany of St. Joseph »
Litany of St. Joseph the Magnificent »
HLI Consecration to St. Joseph »
For the Spirit & Life archives click here »

Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

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Quotes from 'The Glories of Mary':

‘I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head.’

(Gen. 3:15)

“Since the devil is the head of original sin, this head it was that Mary crushed: for sin never had any entry into the soul of this Blessed Virgin, which was consequently free from all stain.”

Saint Augustine

Journeys of Faith

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PSALM 71 SPEAKS TO MY HEART

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!

Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.

I have been as a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.

For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who watch for my life consult together
and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”

O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
who seek my hurt.

But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge.

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.

And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
who sought to do me hurt.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

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