Mary TV Daily Reflection 3/18/2011

St. Joseph

March 18, 2011

St. Cyril of Jerusalem Dear Family of Mary! Later today there may be a message given by Our Lady through Mirjana Soldo.  Today is her birthday, and every year Our Lady appears to her on this day, to strengthen her and instruct her on the secrets.  As soon as the message is made available, I will send it out.   Image via Wikipedia Meanwhile, here we are on the eve of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary!  We can take time today to prepare for this great feast!  St. Joseph is such a great saint, such a father for us all.  He is someone we all have turned to for help.  And he always answers!   I noticed this sentence in the introduction to this feast day found in the Magnificat for March 2011: "Joseph's faithful disponibility extended even to his dreams."  I had never heard of the word "disponibility".  At first I thought it was a typo.  But Magnificat rarely has typos.  So I checked it out on Google.  It took a while, but I found out it means "availability".  Doesn't that make sense! St. Joseph was perfectly available to the Lord, so much so that he could change course at a moment's notice.  When he found out that Mary was pregnant, he had resolved to divorce her quietly, but after the angel visited him in his dream, he took her as his wife, and that taking was a total and complete embrace of fidelity and love.  When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he was going to take the family home to Nazareth, but after the angel came to him again in his dream, he immediately packed them up and fled to Egypt.  Joseph was so available to God's plan.  (Thanks to Father Peter Cameron, O.P.  for these insights.  See page 269-70 of the March 2011Magnificat)  We should emulate St. Joseph in his disponibility!  We should be so available to God that we could change course at the drop of a hat!  Joseph will help us learn to be disponible!!

In this litany we can ask St. Joseph to teach us about availability!

Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  Christ, hear us.  Christ, graciously hear us. God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.  God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.  God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.  Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us (after each line)  Saint Joseph,  Renowned offspring of David,  Light of Patriarchs,  Spouse of the Mother of God,  Chaste guardian of the Virgin,  Foster-father of the Son of God,  Diligent protector of Christ,  Head of the Holy Family,  Joseph most just,  Joseph most chaste,  Joseph most prudent,  Joseph most strong,  Joseph most obedient,  Joseph most faithful,  Mirror of patience,  Lover of poverty,  Model of artisans,  Glory of home life,  Guardian of virgins,  Pillar of families,  Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick,  Patron of the dying,  Terror of demons,  Protector of Holy Church, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,  Spare us, O Lord.  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,  Graciously hear us, O Lord.  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,  Have mercy on us. V. He made him the lord of His house:  R. And ruler of all His substance. Let us pray.  O God, who in Thine unspeakable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thine own most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we reverence as our defender on earth: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.  In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan   www.marytv.tv

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