Year of Saint Joseph Liturgical Reflection
September 26
An Accepting Father, Head of the Holy Family
“The faith Christ has is what we see in St. Joseph. He did not look for shortcuts, but confronted reality with open eyes and accepted personal responsibility for it.” Many fathers today do not take seriously the responsibility that is placed on their shoulders. In many cases, fathers turn their backs on their wives and children in order to pursue their own interests. Even when they have not literally abandoned their children they have been spiritually absent, failing to provide the love, guidance, support and example that children need for their spiritual and personal development.
Joseph trusted in the angel’s message and lovingly accepted Jesus as his own son. He provided a protective home for Mary and Jesus and accepted his call to be a husband to Mary and a father to the Son of God, even if he believed himself unworthy to do so. By following this example, fathers today have a perfect model to mirror.
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
September 19
An Accepting Father, Mirror of Patience.
St. Joseph’s entire life was committed to quiet, hidden unassuming service to Mary and to his Son. His actions were also his response to God’s will. This example should provide hope to us. We often wonder whether our actions are making a difference. By going about our daily routines in seemingly unremarkable ways in the home, at work, and in countless other places, our quiet, steady and reliable presence is our answer in accepting God’s will for us.
“The spiritual path that Joseph traces for us in not one that explains, but accepts. Only as a result of this acceptance can we begin to get a glimpse of a broader history, a deeper meaning. Joseph is certainly not passively resigned, but courageously and firmly proactive.”
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph, Mirror of patience, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
September 12
An Accepting Father, Joseph Most Brave.
Imagine how perplexed Joseph must have been dealing with the mystifying events taking his place in his and Mary’ life. In Patris corde, Pope Francis explains that, “Often in life, things happen whose meaning we do not understand. Our first reaction is frequently one of disappointment and rebellion. Joseph set aside his own ideas in order to accept the course of events and, mysterious as the seemed, to embrace them, take responsibility for them and make them a part of his own history.” As Joseph did, are we willing to accept with faith, the challenges that face us?
We are reminded every time we celebrate Holy Eucharist that St. Joseph had indeed accepted his role in history. In 1962, Saint John XXII, Pope, inserted St. Joseph’s name in Eucharistic Prayer I. Pope Francis, then decreed on May 1, 2013, in Paterna vices (Fatherly care) that the inclusion of St. Joseph would be extended to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV.
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph most brave, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
September 5
An Accepting Father, Joseph most prudent
In Patris corde Pope Francis writes, “Joseph accepted Mary unconditionally. He trusted in the angel’s words. The nobility of Joseph’s heart is such that what he learned from the law he made dependent on charity. Today in our world where psychological, verbal and physical violence towards women is so evident, Joseph appears as the figure of a respectful and sensitive man. Even though he does not understand the bigger picture, he makes a decision to protect Mary’s good name, her dignity and her life. In his hesitation about how to best to act, God helped him by enlightening his judgement.”
Pray that we too can make the right judgments as we progress throughout our earthly journey.
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 29
An Obedient Father, Faithful Servant
St. Joseph’s total obedience as a faithful servant to God is evidenced by his immediate actions in response to the four dreams from an angel sent by God. Joseph must have had a very rich interior life in order for him to hear angels, dwell in silence, give way to Mary, live chastely with her, share nonphysical intimacy with her and abide in loving attentiveness to God. St. Joseph saw Jesus grow daily in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.
According to Saint John Paul II, “Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus, directly through the exercise of his fatherhood” and that in this way, “he cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation and is truly a minister of salvation.”
Living the virtue of obedience to God should be our goal too. As we complete this month of August 2021, honoring and recognizing St. Joseph’s exemplary life of obedience and mission, let us participate in some Spiritual and Corporal of Mercy, including our meditations and prayers to St. Joseph. St. Joseph, obedient father, faithful servant, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2020, 3. Dec. 8, 2020; Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos, 8. August 15, 1989).
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 22
An Obedient Father, Teacher of Children
During the return journey, “When Joseph heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. He went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth.” (Mt. 2:22-23) Joseph taught Jesus to walk, taking him by the hand: he was like a father who raises an infant to his cheeks, bending down to him, and feeding him.
As head of the family, Joseph taught Jesus to be obedient to his parents. During the hidden years in Nazareth, Joseph being a craftsman surely transmitted his modest trade to his Son, according to the customs of the time, as a master to his apprentice. Thanks to Joseph’s workshop, work takes on great worth, since Jesus dedicated to it much time. Jesus learned at the school of Joseph, (not only the Carpenter’s trade) to do the will of the Father.
All this makes it clear that Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood, and in this way h
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde,3. Dec. 8, 2020, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 15
An Obedient Father, Model of Patience
While in Egypt, Joseph awaited the angel’s notice that he could safely return home. In the third dream, the angel told Joseph that those who sought to kill the child were dead and ordered him to rise, take the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel. Once more, Joseph promptly obeyed—he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. Again, it was a long and dangerous trip.
In the Gospel of Luke, it is specifically written that Jesus’ parents observed all the prescriptions of the Law: the rites of the circumcision of Jesus, the purification of Mary after childbirth, the offering of the firstborn to God and attending the annual celebration of the Feast of Passover. This would have involved many journeys to the holy city of Jerusalem to the temple.
St. Joseph, we ask you to intercede to Jesus and Mary for as we journey in our spirituality and in our humanity. May our patient obedience to God’s commands be our goal too.
St. Joseph, obedient father, model of patience, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 3. Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 8
An Obedient Father, Protector of the Holy Family
As an obedient servant of God, Joseph upon a message from God. Jesus, the Son of God, was an infant when the angel in a second dream tells Joseph, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy him.” Joseph did not hesitate to obey, regardless of the hardship involved. He got up, took the child and his mother by night and went to Egypt.
It was a long and dangerous 90 mile journey on foot with only a donkey—no wheels of any kind, no highways, no paved roads, but only dirt roads, windy paths, and treacherous walking with many possible dangerous hills.
This week as we think of Joseph’s second dream, would we even consider such a trip under those conditions? We pray to St. Joseph to accept changes and hardships, always asking for courage and his Divine assistance.
St. Joseph, obedient father and protector of the Holy Family, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 3. Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 1
An Obedient Father, Believer of Truth
This week we ponder St. Joseph’s acceptance of the Lord’s commands. As he had done with Mary, God revealed his saving plan to Joseph with the use of angels. With Joseph God used dreams. In the Bible and among all ancient peoples, dreams were considered a way for God to make his will known. In the first dream depicted in scripture, the angel of God said “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife into your home. The child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins’.” Joseph immediately responded. Obedience made it possible for him to surmount his difficulties and spare Mary.
This week we pray to St. Joseph to help us practice the virtue of obedience, especially in following God’s will daily.
St. Joseph, obedient father, example of virtue, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde,3, Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 25
A Tender and Loving Father, Believer of Truth
The family went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. On their return Jesus became separated from his parents. They first thought he was in the caravan with others. They searched for three days. When they found him, he was discussing matters of his faith with the teachers in the synagogue. Joseph and Mary expressed their concern and worry. He told them that he must be about his Father’s work.
“Tenderness is the best way to touch the frailty within us. Pointing fingers and judging others are frequently signs of an inability to accept our own weaknesses. Only tender love will save us from the snares of the accuser. That is why it is so important to encounter God’s mercy especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we experience his truth and tenderness. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us. Pope Francis compared that truth always to the merciful father in the parable Jesus told of the Lost Son. Truth comes out to meet us, restores our dignity, sets us back on our feet and rejoices for us.”
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, believer of Truth, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 18
A Tender and Loving Father, Strength in the midst of Fear
An angel told Joseph in a dream that King Herod was searching for the Child to kill him. As an obedient man, Joseph takes the child and his Mother and leaves for Egypt. It is a new departure, a new exodus. In letting himself be led by God, Joseph becomes the guide of the Holy Family. As every good father of a family, he risks his life for his Son.
“Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history and his plan were at work. Joseph, then teaches us that faith teaches us that amidst the tempest of life we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.”
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, strength in the midst of fear, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020; Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 11
A Tender and Loving Father, Hope for the Hopeless
When Joseph had to take Mary and travel to Bethlehem to register for the great census they were unable to find a place to spend the night. Joseph persisted until he found a mere stable where Jesus was born. Joseph is the privileged witness of the birth, which happens under difficult conditions. Joseph cared for Mary and the Child Jesus. Joseph saw Jesus grow daily. By their bold faith, their lively hope, and fruitful love, Mary and Joseph are examples to all believers and parents.
The history of salvation is worked out “in hope against hope” through our weaknesses. All too often, we think that God works only through our better parts, yet most of his plans are realized in and despite our frailty. Since this is a part of the entire economy of salvation, we must learn to look upon our weaknesses with tender mercy.”
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, hope for the hopeless, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020; Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 4
A Tender and Loving Father, Man of Compassion
Joseph was never quoted in the Gospels, but he spoke through his actions. When Mary became pregnant, but before she was living with Joseph, he had decided to divorce her quietly to spare her life. However, after an angel spoke to him in a dream about how she would be the mother of the Son of God, he took her into his home as his wife.
“In the synagogue, during the praying of the Psalms, Joseph would surely have heard again and again that the God of Israel is a God of tender love, who is good to all, whose ‘compassion is over all that He has made.’ “(Ps 145:9)
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, man of compassion, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020;
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 27
A Beloved Father, Glory of Domestic Life
Saint Joseph served God and his plan of salvation by being a faithful husband and father, day by day, week by week, and month by month. By doing these ordinary tasks out of love for his family, he made an offering of himself. “Joseph was the responsible and tender man who takes care of Mary and Jesus. He watches over them, helps them in their needs, gives himself to his daily tasks, sings the Psalms as the Jews of his time, dances with the words of the Torah, participates in the Shabbat, and leads Jesus to the synagogue. He rejoices interiorly when Jesus calls him abba, dear dad. Even though he knows in the depths of his silence that Jesus must serve another Abba.”
We should follow his example. No matter what our state in life, we all have daily chores and responsibilities. By being faithful to these and carrying them out to best of our ability, we help to continue God’s plan of salvation for us.
St. Joseph, a beloved father, glory of domestic life, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020; Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 20
A Beloved Father, Pillar of Families
St. Joseph was a beloved father. St. Joseph placed himself at the service of his vocation as husband and father. Pope Francis in his apostolic letter Patris Corde, expressed it this way “He turned his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of himself, his heart and all his abilities, a love placed at the service of the Messiah who was growing to maturity in his home.”
Joseph makes his home into a small church in Nazareth, a village of about forty houses. Imagine Mary
speaking to the women of her village around the well, praying the Psalms with Jesus and Joseph, blessing God at every simple meal, participating in the great pilgrimages, and learning by heart the principal blessings which begin thus, “‘blessed may you be, O Lord our God, King of the Universe…’ ” Let us each live our vocation faithfully.
St. Joseph, a beloved father, pillar of families, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020; St. Joseph Man of Faith, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014) 2021,
Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 13
A Beloved Father, Watchful Defender of Christ.
St. Joseph was an example of a father tenderly loving his Son and a father obediently following God’s will when he did not fully understand its purpose. The carpenter from Nazareth had to trust deeply in God while dealing with the concrete challenges his family faced in a world particularly marked by poverty, oppression, and injustice. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple prefigures Jesus’ offering on the Cross and the offering of our own lives for love of God and others.
“Joseph shapes his life in conformity with what God expected of him. God gave him all the needed graces to carry out his special mission, as God also did for Mary and of all to whom he entrusts a mission.” May we have that same trust in God.
St. Joseph, A beloved father, watchful defender of Christ, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020 St. Joseph Man of Faith, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 6
A Beloved Father, Head of the Holy Family
The greatness of St. Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. In this way, he placed himself, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, “at the service of the entire plan of salvation.” In a similar way, every father plays an essential role in bringing their families to Christ, because fatherhood is at the service of God’s plan for salvation.
The veneration and naming of the Feast of St. Joseph was established by Pope Sixtus in 1479 for the growing commemoration of his marriage to Mary and his conscientious fatherhood and his defense of life. So let us pray that all fathers fulfill that role well, as they love and serve their families.
St. Joseph, a beloved father, head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020; St. Joseph Man of Faith, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 30
Saint Joseph, Man Chosen by the Blessed Trinity, pray for us.
“We know that Joseph was a lowly carpenter, betrothed to Mary. He was a just man ever ready to carry out God’s will as revealed to him in the Law and through four dreams. After a long and tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, he beheld the birth of the Messiah in a stable…He witnessed the adoration of the shepherds and the magi, who represented respectively the people of Israel and the pagan peoples.” (Mt 1:18, 19, 20; 2: 1-13.19.22; Lk 1:22.27.39; 2:1-12, 7-20)
Saint Joseph was chosen by God, the Father, to be his representative on earth. God granted him all the graces and blessing he needed to be a worthy representative. Joseph was chosen by God, the Son, to be his foster father. After Mary, Joseph is the holiest of the saints. Joseph was chosen by the Holy Spirit. He is the mutual Love of the Father and the Son-the heart of the Trinity. Joseph had a most responsible vocation-to open the way for redemption of the world and to prepare for it by the education and guidance of the youth of the God-man. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/day-three.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 23
Saint Joseph, Protector of the Church, pray for us.
According to historical theologian, Fr. Joseph F. Chorpenning, “The name Joseph means ‘a son that grows’ and in Hebrew this refers to a beautiful tree, because beneath this tree…Mary and Jesus were protected and sheltered.”
Joseph is told by an angel in a dream, “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell thee, For Herod will seek the child to destroy him.” (Mt 2:13) After returning to his own country, he led a hidden life in the tiny and obscure village of Nazareth of Galilee. [1]
Joseph then nurtured his foster son, Jesus, and protected him during his childhood. Because of Joseph’s protection of his foster son and of Mary, we consider him to be the protector of the Catholic Church.
“O God, who in your inexpressible providence were pleased to choose Saint Joseph
as spouse of the most holy Mother of your Son, grant, we pray, that we, who revere
him as our protector on earth, may be worthy of his heavenly intercessions.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen” (Votive Mass of Saint Joseph)
Chorpenning, Joseph, O.S.F.S., Just Man Husband of Mary, Guardian of Christ; An Anthology of Readings from Jeronimo Gracian’s Summary of the Excellencies of St. Joseph, (1597), Phila., St Joseph’s University Oress, 1993. Pope Francis Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, December 8, 2020,1.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 16
Saint Joseph, Patron of the Dying, pray for us.
Pope Francis wrote Patris Corde against the backdrop of the global Pandemic. He writes that amid the crisis, “our lives were woven together and sustained by ordinary people, people often overlooked. People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines, or on the latest television show, yet in these very days, are surely shaping the events of our history. Each of us can discover in Joseph-the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence-an intercessor, and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear or are in the shadows, can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”[6]
According to tradition, Joseph died sometime before the beginning of Jesus’ public life. Because he died in the loving presence of Jesus and Mary, he is also invoked as the Patron of a Happy Death. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1014)
“O glorious St. Joseph, I entreat you as my special patron
at the hour of my death. Help me to live each day in God’s grace,
that I may always be spiritually prepared for death.
St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.”
Pope Francis Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, December 8, 2020, 6.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 9
Saint Joseph, Husband of the Mother of God, pray for us.
“After Mary, the Mother of God, no saint is mentioned more frequently in the papal magisterium than Joseph, her spouse. My predecessors reflected on the message contained in the limited information handed down by the gospels in order to appreciate more fully his central role in the history of salvation.” [2]
Saint John Paul II declared St. Joseph as “Guardian of the Redeemer” [4] God revealed his saving plan to Joseph by using dreams, Pope Francis tell us in his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde. In the first dream an angel speaks to Joseph. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 1:20-21) So Joseph defended her virtue and kept her from public disgrace and possibly death. May all husbands choose to be Josephs for their wives, and the mother of their children. Patris Corde,, December 8, 2020, 2. 4.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 2
WITH A FATHER’S HEART: that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as “the son of Joseph”. [1] Matthew and Luke, the two evangelists who speak most of Joseph, tell us very little, yet enough for us to appreciate what sort of father he was, and the mission entrusted to him by God’s providence. [2]
Saint Joseph, Model of Workers, pray for us.
Pope Pius XII proposed Saint Joseph as Patron of Workers. [3] Each year the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. We know that Joseph was a carpenter (Mt 13:55) who was always ready to carry out God’s will. In his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, Pope Francis states, “there is a renewed need to appreciate the importance of dignified work, of which Saint Joseph is an exemplary model.” Patris Corde, December 8, 2020, 1. 2.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 25
Pope Francis’ Devotion to Sleeping Saint Joseph
“After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (Lk 2:21-22; 39-40)
In his apostolic letter Patris Corde, the Pope describes many of St Joseph’s qualities as “a true husband and father, the fiancé who accepted Mary unconditionally and the man in whom Jesus saw the tender love of God.” Pope Francis has a practice of placing his concerns under a statue of Sleeping St. Joseph. He speaks of the saint saying, “Joseph is a man who goes unnoticed, who welcomes the mystery and puts himself at its service, never putting himself at the center, but who resolves things that are impossible.”
This devotion to the Sleeping Joseph was made public by Pope Francis while on a Papal visit in 2015 to the Philippines at a meeting with families in Manila. “Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! Yes!” June 12, 2015, Valerie Schmalz, CSF, Catholic San Fracncisco; https://catholic-sf.org/news/pope-francis-popularizes-devotion-to-sleeping-st-joseph.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 18
Saint John Paul II and the Church’s devotion to Saint Joseph
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety. Then he went down with them to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.” (Lk 2:46-49)
Saint John Paul II speaks of the Church’s devotion to St. Joseph: “This patronage must be invoked as ever necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also, and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization in the world and to re-evangelization in those lands and nations where religion and the Christian life were formerly flourishing and are now put to a hard test.”
“Besides trusting in Joseph's sure protection, the Church also trusts in his noble example, which transcends all individual states of life and serves as a model for the entire Christian community, whatever the condition and duties of each of its members may be.” Homily of St. John Paul II, Solemnity of St. Joseph, 19, March 1998.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 11
150th Anniversary of Naming Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church
“Joseph was warned in a dream that Herod sought to kill the child. He fled with his family to Egypt. In Egypt “parents and child remained until after Herod’s death.” (Mt 2:13; 19)
One hundred and fifty years after Pope Pius IX named St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, on December 8, 1870, Pope Francis noted the anniversary on December 8, 2020, by dedicating an entire year to the saint. As Pius IX and the entire Church were undergoing great darkness in the world, all were entrusted to the providence of God in 1870 and St. Joseph.
Moving forward to the 21st century, we look at how the Church is again endangered with persecution, troubled by sin and evil, and under attack for her sovereignty and pro-life stance. And who do we turn to? We turn to St. Joseph, because he remains our patron in these dark times too. https://www.ncregister.com/news/pope-francis-proclaims-year-of-st-joseph.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 4
Pope Pius IX Names Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church
“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but he knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.” (Mt 1:20-25)
The earliest traces of public recognition of the sanctity of St. Joseph are to be found in the East. His feast, was kept by the Copts as early as the beginning of the fourth century. The feast of "Joseph the Carpenter" is entered, on 20 July, in one of the old Coptic Calendars of the eighth and ninth century. In the West the name of the foster-father of Our Lord (Nutritor Domini) appears in local martyrologies of the ninth and tenth centuries. (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08504a.htm)
In 1870 on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Pius IX named St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. Pius IX recognized, along with the world bishops, that they had sought the intercession of St. Joseph often during a time of great persecution and turmoil in the Church in Italy and around the world. “Because of the sublime dignity which God conferred on His most faithful Servant, the Church has always most highly honored and lauded the Most Blessed Joseph next after his spouse, the Virgin Mother of God, and has implored his intercession in all her great necessities.” In the same declaration, March 19th was designated as the double feast day of the Solemnity of Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. https://stjsa.org/pope-pius-ix-and-st-joseph.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
March 28
DIOCESE OF ALTOONA-JOHNSTOWN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
This is a snapshot of communities serving in the diocese under the patronage and in devotion to Saint Joseph.
Sisters of Saint Joseph: The first convent was established in Ebensburg, PA in 1869. A small group came to the U.S. through St. Louis in 1836. The order began with six French women who formed a community without cloister or habit and devoted themselves to the needs of the ordinary people. Joined by a Jesuit priest in 1650, (Fr. Jean-Pierre Medaille S.J., in LePuy France), the Sisters of St. Joseph were among the first Catholic communities to be founded for the ordinary woman. Placed under the protection of St. Joseph, by His Excellency, Henri de Maupas, in 1651, he named them to be the Congregation of the Sisters or the Daughters of Saint Joseph. Found in the Primitive Constitutions, “A Sister of Saint Joseph works in sincere charity-the manner of Saint Joseph whose name she bears…with an orientation towards excellence tempered by gentleness, peace and joy.”
Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Carmelite Monastery, Loretto: Mother Celine of the Eucharist, OCD, Prioress, shared, “Did you know that behind the walls of cloistered Carmelite monasteries around the world, St. Joseph is prayed to daily, loved, and honored in a special way? That is because our foundress, St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila), had a passionate devotion to him. She would affectionately call him the “glorious St. Joseph.” While she worked to bring about the Discalced (without shoes) reform with the Carmelite Order in 1562, St. Joseph appeared to her many times promising to bring about great blessings and success on the renewal Teresa was called to initiate.
Carmelite Community of the Word, Gallitzin: Sr. Marilyn Welch, CCW., “As daughters of Teresa of Avila, our spirituality follows her lead, recognizing St. Joseph as one who is always ready to guide and intercede on our behalf as he did for Mary and Jesus during his life on earth. “Teresa of Avila teaches us that wisdom and spiritual fruitfulness come from a spirituality rooted in total dedication to the Incarnate Word.” (CCW Constitutions #12) 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 21
Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father During this Special Year of Saint Joseph you may want to enter into the 33 day prayer to consecrate yourself to Saint Joseph. What does it mean for a person? It is basically you acknowledging that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To show it, you entrust yourself entirely into his paternal care so that he can help you acquire his virtues and become holy, you make a formal act of entrustment in prayer to you spiritual father. Saint Joseph in turn, will give those consecrated to him his undivided attention, protection, and guidance.
Father Donald Calloway, MIC has written a book, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father, to assist you. The prayer can be made in a group or by a single person. Based on the Litany to Saint Joseph and his 24 different titles, a series of special prayers and quotes of holy man and women is followed by a reflection on a wonder of St. Joseph. You are bound to be enlightened by your broadened sense and appreciation of the “silent St. Joseph” and find a trusting companion and protector in him and the entire Holy Family. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 14
March 19, 2021 is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the gospels, Joseph was a skilled craftsman and a descendant of King David. Joseph, learning of Mary’s pregnancy with a child that was not his, and under penalty of the law she would be put to death, deciding to quietly dissolve the marriage “as he was a righteous man. Told in his dreams by an angel of God that he was to take Mary as his wife and make her child as his own. “Joseph did as the angel commanded him, he took her as his wife.” (Matthew 1:19-25)
On this special day of the Church year many parishes will offer a banquet of blessings called the Saint Joseph Table. If your parish does not celebrate this tradition, or is not celebrating this year, consider making an offering of food donation to your local food bank or parish collection. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 14, 2021
The Saint Joseph Table
The Feast of St. Joseph is always on March 19th, in the middle of Lent, and is especially commemorated and celebrated in Italy, particularly in Sicily. St. Joseph has been long-regarded as the island’s patron saint. It is there that the tradition of the “Tavola di San Giuseppe” or “St. Joseph’s Table” has its origins. The celebration is a symbolic “thank you” and a renewal of the Sicilian people’s devotion to Saint Joseph. It is a shared celebration with the entire community where the riches of food are given as alms to the poor: traditional etiquette is that no one can be turned away from this table. The origin of the celebration comes from the Middle Ages and is attributed to the end of a devastating drought and famine through a prayer-devotion that the Sicilian people made to St. Joseph. Food crops for both people and livestock withered and died. The people prayed to St. Joseph for help. Desperately-needed rain poured down. After the harvest, to show their gratitude, they prepared a table with special foods to honor St. Joseph. After thanking and honoring the saint, they distributed the food to the poor and less fortunate. This celebration became an annual tradition and eventually spread throughout the world. As there is no meat on the Saint Joseph Table, a dispensation is unnecessary if March 19 falls on a Friday. In Italy is also Father’s Day. (Learn more at https://yearofstjoseph.org/devotions/st-joseph-table) There are parishes in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown who have assumed this tradition but are unable to do so this year. Please go to www.dioceseaj.org for a taped presentation on the Saint Joseph Table with Fr. Brian Saylor, Pastor of Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Altoona. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Pope Francis Prayer and Novena Prayer
Pope Francis’ deep devotion to Saint Joseph was highlighted when he chose his inaugural day to be on a March 19, the Solemnity (Feast) of Saint Joseph. Writing Patris Corde during the Covid-19 Pandemic, he was inspired that Saint Joseph, “has helped us see more clearly the importance of ‘ordinary’ people who though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation’.” (https://www.vatican news.va/en/pope/news/2020-12)
In the closing of Patris Corde, Pope Francis shared the prayer of trust he has prayed for over 40 years at the conclusion of Morning Prayer: “Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us on the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.”
Faithful believers pray the ancient Nine Day Novena Prayer to Saint Joseph during the Church Year all throughout the world. It is extremely powerful to begin the Nine Days leading up to March 19, the Feast of Saint Joseph. This year the 9 days would begin on Wednesday, March 10 and conclude on the Eve of the Feast Day. For the full Novena see: https://www.praymorenovenas.com 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Prayer and Plenary Indulgence options for the Year of Saint Joseph
The first way to get to know Saint Joseph is through reading and praying with the Gospels of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew and Saint Luke. We learn the history of Saint Joseph in an indirect way through the story of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The actions and facts of Saint Joseph’s life are revealed through his relationships and roles as the foster father of Jesus and the spouse of Mary.
During this special year in the Catholic Church, the Faithful will have the opportunity to commit themselves “with prayer and good works, to obtain, with the help of St. Joseph, head of the Heavenly Family of Nazareth, comfort and relief from the serious human and social tribulations that besiege the contemporary world today.” They will be granted what is called a “Plenary Indulgence,” a time to repair the sinful relationship that we entered into because of personal sin, even though we have been forgiven. “It is in offering actions and prayers that allow for "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins." (#1471, Catechism of the Catholic Church).
There is a very lengthy list of options named by Pope Francis and the Vatican Committee on Indulgences in addition to the standard obligations. You will be able to see a growing list of pilgrimage opportunities offered by the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in addition to what may be happening in your parish. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Pope Francis proclaims Year of Saint Joseph
On December 8, 2020, the 150th Anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron Saint of the Universal Church, Pope Francis issued the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart) as an extended reflection of the holy foster father of Jesus and spouse of Mary. Written in the backdrop of the Covid-19 Pandemic he shares, “Saint Joseph devoted himself as a father in varied ways: beloved, tender and loving, obedient, accepting, creatively courageous, working, and “in the shadows.”
Because of Pope Francis’ deep devotion to Saint Joseph, he also announced on December 8 that the Church would be celebrating a Year of Saint Joseph, “which would take place for one year up to December 8, 2021. This is to be a special year with a special focus of the Church’s prayers and activities devoted to Saint Joseph. This year can also be a special year for those in need of Saint Joseph’s healing intercession in their relationship with their own father. It will be a year of discovery and growth for all. (Church Grants Plenary Indulgence for the Year of Saint Joseph, https://www.vatican news.va/en/pope/news/2020-12)
There will be prayer experiences, liturgies, special activities and local pilgrimage sites named throughout the eight counties in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. There will be many opportunities to gain Plenary Indulgences during the year according to the norms of the Church. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
An Accepting Father, Head of the Holy Family
“The faith Christ has is what we see in St. Joseph. He did not look for shortcuts, but confronted reality with open eyes and accepted personal responsibility for it.” Many fathers today do not take seriously the responsibility that is placed on their shoulders. In many cases, fathers turn their backs on their wives and children in order to pursue their own interests. Even when they have not literally abandoned their children they have been spiritually absent, failing to provide the love, guidance, support and example that children need for their spiritual and personal development.
Joseph trusted in the angel’s message and lovingly accepted Jesus as his own son. He provided a protective home for Mary and Jesus and accepted his call to be a husband to Mary and a father to the Son of God, even if he believed himself unworthy to do so. By following this example, fathers today have a perfect model to mirror.
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
September 19
An Accepting Father, Mirror of Patience.
St. Joseph’s entire life was committed to quiet, hidden unassuming service to Mary and to his Son. His actions were also his response to God’s will. This example should provide hope to us. We often wonder whether our actions are making a difference. By going about our daily routines in seemingly unremarkable ways in the home, at work, and in countless other places, our quiet, steady and reliable presence is our answer in accepting God’s will for us.
“The spiritual path that Joseph traces for us in not one that explains, but accepts. Only as a result of this acceptance can we begin to get a glimpse of a broader history, a deeper meaning. Joseph is certainly not passively resigned, but courageously and firmly proactive.”
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph, Mirror of patience, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
September 12
An Accepting Father, Joseph Most Brave.
Imagine how perplexed Joseph must have been dealing with the mystifying events taking his place in his and Mary’ life. In Patris corde, Pope Francis explains that, “Often in life, things happen whose meaning we do not understand. Our first reaction is frequently one of disappointment and rebellion. Joseph set aside his own ideas in order to accept the course of events and, mysterious as the seemed, to embrace them, take responsibility for them and make them a part of his own history.” As Joseph did, are we willing to accept with faith, the challenges that face us?
We are reminded every time we celebrate Holy Eucharist that St. Joseph had indeed accepted his role in history. In 1962, Saint John XXII, Pope, inserted St. Joseph’s name in Eucharistic Prayer I. Pope Francis, then decreed on May 1, 2013, in Paterna vices (Fatherly care) that the inclusion of St. Joseph would be extended to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV.
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph most brave, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
September 5
An Accepting Father, Joseph most prudent
In Patris corde Pope Francis writes, “Joseph accepted Mary unconditionally. He trusted in the angel’s words. The nobility of Joseph’s heart is such that what he learned from the law he made dependent on charity. Today in our world where psychological, verbal and physical violence towards women is so evident, Joseph appears as the figure of a respectful and sensitive man. Even though he does not understand the bigger picture, he makes a decision to protect Mary’s good name, her dignity and her life. In his hesitation about how to best to act, God helped him by enlightening his judgement.”
Pray that we too can make the right judgments as we progress throughout our earthly journey.
St. Joseph, An Accepting Father, Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris corde, 2020, 4. Dec. 8, 2020; 2021), Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 29
An Obedient Father, Faithful Servant
St. Joseph’s total obedience as a faithful servant to God is evidenced by his immediate actions in response to the four dreams from an angel sent by God. Joseph must have had a very rich interior life in order for him to hear angels, dwell in silence, give way to Mary, live chastely with her, share nonphysical intimacy with her and abide in loving attentiveness to God. St. Joseph saw Jesus grow daily in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.
According to Saint John Paul II, “Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus, directly through the exercise of his fatherhood” and that in this way, “he cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation and is truly a minister of salvation.”
Living the virtue of obedience to God should be our goal too. As we complete this month of August 2021, honoring and recognizing St. Joseph’s exemplary life of obedience and mission, let us participate in some Spiritual and Corporal of Mercy, including our meditations and prayers to St. Joseph. St. Joseph, obedient father, faithful servant, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2020, 3. Dec. 8, 2020; Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos, 8. August 15, 1989).
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 22
An Obedient Father, Teacher of Children
During the return journey, “When Joseph heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. He went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth.” (Mt. 2:22-23) Joseph taught Jesus to walk, taking him by the hand: he was like a father who raises an infant to his cheeks, bending down to him, and feeding him.
As head of the family, Joseph taught Jesus to be obedient to his parents. During the hidden years in Nazareth, Joseph being a craftsman surely transmitted his modest trade to his Son, according to the customs of the time, as a master to his apprentice. Thanks to Joseph’s workshop, work takes on great worth, since Jesus dedicated to it much time. Jesus learned at the school of Joseph, (not only the Carpenter’s trade) to do the will of the Father.
All this makes it clear that Saint Joseph was called by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood, and in this way h
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde,3. Dec. 8, 2020, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 15
An Obedient Father, Model of Patience
While in Egypt, Joseph awaited the angel’s notice that he could safely return home. In the third dream, the angel told Joseph that those who sought to kill the child were dead and ordered him to rise, take the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel. Once more, Joseph promptly obeyed—he got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. Again, it was a long and dangerous trip.
In the Gospel of Luke, it is specifically written that Jesus’ parents observed all the prescriptions of the Law: the rites of the circumcision of Jesus, the purification of Mary after childbirth, the offering of the firstborn to God and attending the annual celebration of the Feast of Passover. This would have involved many journeys to the holy city of Jerusalem to the temple.
St. Joseph, we ask you to intercede to Jesus and Mary for as we journey in our spirituality and in our humanity. May our patient obedience to God’s commands be our goal too.
St. Joseph, obedient father, model of patience, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 3. Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 8
An Obedient Father, Protector of the Holy Family
As an obedient servant of God, Joseph upon a message from God. Jesus, the Son of God, was an infant when the angel in a second dream tells Joseph, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child and destroy him.” Joseph did not hesitate to obey, regardless of the hardship involved. He got up, took the child and his mother by night and went to Egypt.
It was a long and dangerous 90 mile journey on foot with only a donkey—no wheels of any kind, no highways, no paved roads, but only dirt roads, windy paths, and treacherous walking with many possible dangerous hills.
This week as we think of Joseph’s second dream, would we even consider such a trip under those conditions? We pray to St. Joseph to accept changes and hardships, always asking for courage and his Divine assistance.
St. Joseph, obedient father and protector of the Holy Family, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 3. Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
August 1
An Obedient Father, Believer of Truth
This week we ponder St. Joseph’s acceptance of the Lord’s commands. As he had done with Mary, God revealed his saving plan to Joseph with the use of angels. With Joseph God used dreams. In the Bible and among all ancient peoples, dreams were considered a way for God to make his will known. In the first dream depicted in scripture, the angel of God said “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife into your home. The child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins’.” Joseph immediately responded. Obedience made it possible for him to surmount his difficulties and spare Mary.
This week we pray to St. Joseph to help us practice the virtue of obedience, especially in following God’s will daily.
St. Joseph, obedient father, example of virtue, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde,3, Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 25
A Tender and Loving Father, Believer of Truth
The family went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. On their return Jesus became separated from his parents. They first thought he was in the caravan with others. They searched for three days. When they found him, he was discussing matters of his faith with the teachers in the synagogue. Joseph and Mary expressed their concern and worry. He told them that he must be about his Father’s work.
“Tenderness is the best way to touch the frailty within us. Pointing fingers and judging others are frequently signs of an inability to accept our own weaknesses. Only tender love will save us from the snares of the accuser. That is why it is so important to encounter God’s mercy especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we experience his truth and tenderness. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us. Pope Francis compared that truth always to the merciful father in the parable Jesus told of the Lost Son. Truth comes out to meet us, restores our dignity, sets us back on our feet and rejoices for us.”
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, believer of Truth, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 18
A Tender and Loving Father, Strength in the midst of Fear
An angel told Joseph in a dream that King Herod was searching for the Child to kill him. As an obedient man, Joseph takes the child and his Mother and leaves for Egypt. It is a new departure, a new exodus. In letting himself be led by God, Joseph becomes the guide of the Holy Family. As every good father of a family, he risks his life for his Son.
“Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history and his plan were at work. Joseph, then teaches us that faith teaches us that amidst the tempest of life we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.”
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, strength in the midst of fear, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020; Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 11
A Tender and Loving Father, Hope for the Hopeless
When Joseph had to take Mary and travel to Bethlehem to register for the great census they were unable to find a place to spend the night. Joseph persisted until he found a mere stable where Jesus was born. Joseph is the privileged witness of the birth, which happens under difficult conditions. Joseph cared for Mary and the Child Jesus. Joseph saw Jesus grow daily. By their bold faith, their lively hope, and fruitful love, Mary and Joseph are examples to all believers and parents.
The history of salvation is worked out “in hope against hope” through our weaknesses. All too often, we think that God works only through our better parts, yet most of his plans are realized in and despite our frailty. Since this is a part of the entire economy of salvation, we must learn to look upon our weaknesses with tender mercy.”
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, hope for the hopeless, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020; Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
July 4
A Tender and Loving Father, Man of Compassion
Joseph was never quoted in the Gospels, but he spoke through his actions. When Mary became pregnant, but before she was living with Joseph, he had decided to divorce her quietly to spare her life. However, after an angel spoke to him in a dream about how she would be the mother of the Son of God, he took her into his home as his wife.
“In the synagogue, during the praying of the Psalms, Joseph would surely have heard again and again that the God of Israel is a God of tender love, who is good to all, whose ‘compassion is over all that He has made.’ “(Ps 145:9)
St. Joseph, a tender loving father, man of compassion, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 2. Dec. 8, 2020;
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 27
A Beloved Father, Glory of Domestic Life
Saint Joseph served God and his plan of salvation by being a faithful husband and father, day by day, week by week, and month by month. By doing these ordinary tasks out of love for his family, he made an offering of himself. “Joseph was the responsible and tender man who takes care of Mary and Jesus. He watches over them, helps them in their needs, gives himself to his daily tasks, sings the Psalms as the Jews of his time, dances with the words of the Torah, participates in the Shabbat, and leads Jesus to the synagogue. He rejoices interiorly when Jesus calls him abba, dear dad. Even though he knows in the depths of his silence that Jesus must serve another Abba.”
We should follow his example. No matter what our state in life, we all have daily chores and responsibilities. By being faithful to these and carrying them out to best of our ability, we help to continue God’s plan of salvation for us.
St. Joseph, a beloved father, glory of domestic life, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020; Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 20
A Beloved Father, Pillar of Families
St. Joseph was a beloved father. St. Joseph placed himself at the service of his vocation as husband and father. Pope Francis in his apostolic letter Patris Corde, expressed it this way “He turned his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of himself, his heart and all his abilities, a love placed at the service of the Messiah who was growing to maturity in his home.”
Joseph makes his home into a small church in Nazareth, a village of about forty houses. Imagine Mary
speaking to the women of her village around the well, praying the Psalms with Jesus and Joseph, blessing God at every simple meal, participating in the great pilgrimages, and learning by heart the principal blessings which begin thus, “‘blessed may you be, O Lord our God, King of the Universe…’ ” Let us each live our vocation faithfully.
St. Joseph, a beloved father, pillar of families, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020; St. Joseph Man of Faith, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014) 2021,
Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 13
A Beloved Father, Watchful Defender of Christ.
St. Joseph was an example of a father tenderly loving his Son and a father obediently following God’s will when he did not fully understand its purpose. The carpenter from Nazareth had to trust deeply in God while dealing with the concrete challenges his family faced in a world particularly marked by poverty, oppression, and injustice. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple prefigures Jesus’ offering on the Cross and the offering of our own lives for love of God and others.
“Joseph shapes his life in conformity with what God expected of him. God gave him all the needed graces to carry out his special mission, as God also did for Mary and of all to whom he entrusts a mission.” May we have that same trust in God.
St. Joseph, A beloved father, watchful defender of Christ, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020 St. Joseph Man of Faith, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
June 6
A Beloved Father, Head of the Holy Family
The greatness of St. Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. In this way, he placed himself, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, “at the service of the entire plan of salvation.” In a similar way, every father plays an essential role in bringing their families to Christ, because fatherhood is at the service of God’s plan for salvation.
The veneration and naming of the Feast of St. Joseph was established by Pope Sixtus in 1479 for the growing commemoration of his marriage to Mary and his conscientious fatherhood and his defense of life. So let us pray that all fathers fulfill that role well, as they love and serve their families.
St. Joseph, a beloved father, head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
(Pope Francis Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, 1. Dec. 8, 2020; St. Joseph Man of Faith, Jacques Gauthier, Catholic Book Publishing, N.J., 2014)
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 30
Saint Joseph, Man Chosen by the Blessed Trinity, pray for us.
“We know that Joseph was a lowly carpenter, betrothed to Mary. He was a just man ever ready to carry out God’s will as revealed to him in the Law and through four dreams. After a long and tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, he beheld the birth of the Messiah in a stable…He witnessed the adoration of the shepherds and the magi, who represented respectively the people of Israel and the pagan peoples.” (Mt 1:18, 19, 20; 2: 1-13.19.22; Lk 1:22.27.39; 2:1-12, 7-20)
Saint Joseph was chosen by God, the Father, to be his representative on earth. God granted him all the graces and blessing he needed to be a worthy representative. Joseph was chosen by God, the Son, to be his foster father. After Mary, Joseph is the holiest of the saints. Joseph was chosen by the Holy Spirit. He is the mutual Love of the Father and the Son-the heart of the Trinity. Joseph had a most responsible vocation-to open the way for redemption of the world and to prepare for it by the education and guidance of the youth of the God-man. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/day-three.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 23
Saint Joseph, Protector of the Church, pray for us.
According to historical theologian, Fr. Joseph F. Chorpenning, “The name Joseph means ‘a son that grows’ and in Hebrew this refers to a beautiful tree, because beneath this tree…Mary and Jesus were protected and sheltered.”
Joseph is told by an angel in a dream, “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell thee, For Herod will seek the child to destroy him.” (Mt 2:13) After returning to his own country, he led a hidden life in the tiny and obscure village of Nazareth of Galilee. [1]
Joseph then nurtured his foster son, Jesus, and protected him during his childhood. Because of Joseph’s protection of his foster son and of Mary, we consider him to be the protector of the Catholic Church.
“O God, who in your inexpressible providence were pleased to choose Saint Joseph
as spouse of the most holy Mother of your Son, grant, we pray, that we, who revere
him as our protector on earth, may be worthy of his heavenly intercessions.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen” (Votive Mass of Saint Joseph)
Chorpenning, Joseph, O.S.F.S., Just Man Husband of Mary, Guardian of Christ; An Anthology of Readings from Jeronimo Gracian’s Summary of the Excellencies of St. Joseph, (1597), Phila., St Joseph’s University Oress, 1993. Pope Francis Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, December 8, 2020,1.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 16
Saint Joseph, Patron of the Dying, pray for us.
Pope Francis wrote Patris Corde against the backdrop of the global Pandemic. He writes that amid the crisis, “our lives were woven together and sustained by ordinary people, people often overlooked. People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines, or on the latest television show, yet in these very days, are surely shaping the events of our history. Each of us can discover in Joseph-the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence-an intercessor, and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear or are in the shadows, can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”[6]
According to tradition, Joseph died sometime before the beginning of Jesus’ public life. Because he died in the loving presence of Jesus and Mary, he is also invoked as the Patron of a Happy Death. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1014)
“O glorious St. Joseph, I entreat you as my special patron
at the hour of my death. Help me to live each day in God’s grace,
that I may always be spiritually prepared for death.
St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.”
Pope Francis Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, December 8, 2020, 6.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 9
Saint Joseph, Husband of the Mother of God, pray for us.
“After Mary, the Mother of God, no saint is mentioned more frequently in the papal magisterium than Joseph, her spouse. My predecessors reflected on the message contained in the limited information handed down by the gospels in order to appreciate more fully his central role in the history of salvation.” [2]
Saint John Paul II declared St. Joseph as “Guardian of the Redeemer” [4] God revealed his saving plan to Joseph by using dreams, Pope Francis tell us in his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde. In the first dream an angel speaks to Joseph. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 1:20-21) So Joseph defended her virtue and kept her from public disgrace and possibly death. May all husbands choose to be Josephs for their wives, and the mother of their children. Patris Corde,, December 8, 2020, 2. 4.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
May 2
WITH A FATHER’S HEART: that is how Joseph loved Jesus, whom all four Gospels refer to as “the son of Joseph”. [1] Matthew and Luke, the two evangelists who speak most of Joseph, tell us very little, yet enough for us to appreciate what sort of father he was, and the mission entrusted to him by God’s providence. [2]
Saint Joseph, Model of Workers, pray for us.
Pope Pius XII proposed Saint Joseph as Patron of Workers. [3] Each year the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. We know that Joseph was a carpenter (Mt 13:55) who was always ready to carry out God’s will. In his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, Pope Francis states, “there is a renewed need to appreciate the importance of dignified work, of which Saint Joseph is an exemplary model.” Patris Corde, December 8, 2020, 1. 2.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 25
Pope Francis’ Devotion to Sleeping Saint Joseph
“After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the time came for purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (Lk 2:21-22; 39-40)
In his apostolic letter Patris Corde, the Pope describes many of St Joseph’s qualities as “a true husband and father, the fiancé who accepted Mary unconditionally and the man in whom Jesus saw the tender love of God.” Pope Francis has a practice of placing his concerns under a statue of Sleeping St. Joseph. He speaks of the saint saying, “Joseph is a man who goes unnoticed, who welcomes the mystery and puts himself at its service, never putting himself at the center, but who resolves things that are impossible.”
This devotion to the Sleeping Joseph was made public by Pope Francis while on a Papal visit in 2015 to the Philippines at a meeting with families in Manila. “Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! Yes!” June 12, 2015, Valerie Schmalz, CSF, Catholic San Fracncisco; https://catholic-sf.org/news/pope-francis-popularizes-devotion-to-sleeping-st-joseph.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 18
Saint John Paul II and the Church’s devotion to Saint Joseph
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety. Then he went down with them to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.” (Lk 2:46-49)
Saint John Paul II speaks of the Church’s devotion to St. Joseph: “This patronage must be invoked as ever necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also, and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization in the world and to re-evangelization in those lands and nations where religion and the Christian life were formerly flourishing and are now put to a hard test.”
“Besides trusting in Joseph's sure protection, the Church also trusts in his noble example, which transcends all individual states of life and serves as a model for the entire Christian community, whatever the condition and duties of each of its members may be.” Homily of St. John Paul II, Solemnity of St. Joseph, 19, March 1998.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 11
150th Anniversary of Naming Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church
“Joseph was warned in a dream that Herod sought to kill the child. He fled with his family to Egypt. In Egypt “parents and child remained until after Herod’s death.” (Mt 2:13; 19)
One hundred and fifty years after Pope Pius IX named St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, on December 8, 1870, Pope Francis noted the anniversary on December 8, 2020, by dedicating an entire year to the saint. As Pius IX and the entire Church were undergoing great darkness in the world, all were entrusted to the providence of God in 1870 and St. Joseph.
Moving forward to the 21st century, we look at how the Church is again endangered with persecution, troubled by sin and evil, and under attack for her sovereignty and pro-life stance. And who do we turn to? We turn to St. Joseph, because he remains our patron in these dark times too. https://www.ncregister.com/news/pope-francis-proclaims-year-of-st-joseph.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
April 4
Pope Pius IX Names Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church
“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but he knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.” (Mt 1:20-25)
The earliest traces of public recognition of the sanctity of St. Joseph are to be found in the East. His feast, was kept by the Copts as early as the beginning of the fourth century. The feast of "Joseph the Carpenter" is entered, on 20 July, in one of the old Coptic Calendars of the eighth and ninth century. In the West the name of the foster-father of Our Lord (Nutritor Domini) appears in local martyrologies of the ninth and tenth centuries. (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08504a.htm)
In 1870 on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Pius IX named St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. Pius IX recognized, along with the world bishops, that they had sought the intercession of St. Joseph often during a time of great persecution and turmoil in the Church in Italy and around the world. “Because of the sublime dignity which God conferred on His most faithful Servant, the Church has always most highly honored and lauded the Most Blessed Joseph next after his spouse, the Virgin Mother of God, and has implored his intercession in all her great necessities.” In the same declaration, March 19th was designated as the double feast day of the Solemnity of Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. https://stjsa.org/pope-pius-ix-and-st-joseph.
2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
March 28
DIOCESE OF ALTOONA-JOHNSTOWN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES
This is a snapshot of communities serving in the diocese under the patronage and in devotion to Saint Joseph.
Sisters of Saint Joseph: The first convent was established in Ebensburg, PA in 1869. A small group came to the U.S. through St. Louis in 1836. The order began with six French women who formed a community without cloister or habit and devoted themselves to the needs of the ordinary people. Joined by a Jesuit priest in 1650, (Fr. Jean-Pierre Medaille S.J., in LePuy France), the Sisters of St. Joseph were among the first Catholic communities to be founded for the ordinary woman. Placed under the protection of St. Joseph, by His Excellency, Henri de Maupas, in 1651, he named them to be the Congregation of the Sisters or the Daughters of Saint Joseph. Found in the Primitive Constitutions, “A Sister of Saint Joseph works in sincere charity-the manner of Saint Joseph whose name she bears…with an orientation towards excellence tempered by gentleness, peace and joy.”
Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Carmelite Monastery, Loretto: Mother Celine of the Eucharist, OCD, Prioress, shared, “Did you know that behind the walls of cloistered Carmelite monasteries around the world, St. Joseph is prayed to daily, loved, and honored in a special way? That is because our foundress, St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila), had a passionate devotion to him. She would affectionately call him the “glorious St. Joseph.” While she worked to bring about the Discalced (without shoes) reform with the Carmelite Order in 1562, St. Joseph appeared to her many times promising to bring about great blessings and success on the renewal Teresa was called to initiate.
Carmelite Community of the Word, Gallitzin: Sr. Marilyn Welch, CCW., “As daughters of Teresa of Avila, our spirituality follows her lead, recognizing St. Joseph as one who is always ready to guide and intercede on our behalf as he did for Mary and Jesus during his life on earth. “Teresa of Avila teaches us that wisdom and spiritual fruitfulness come from a spirituality rooted in total dedication to the Incarnate Word.” (CCW Constitutions #12) 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 21
Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father During this Special Year of Saint Joseph you may want to enter into the 33 day prayer to consecrate yourself to Saint Joseph. What does it mean for a person? It is basically you acknowledging that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To show it, you entrust yourself entirely into his paternal care so that he can help you acquire his virtues and become holy, you make a formal act of entrustment in prayer to you spiritual father. Saint Joseph in turn, will give those consecrated to him his undivided attention, protection, and guidance.
Father Donald Calloway, MIC has written a book, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father, to assist you. The prayer can be made in a group or by a single person. Based on the Litany to Saint Joseph and his 24 different titles, a series of special prayers and quotes of holy man and women is followed by a reflection on a wonder of St. Joseph. You are bound to be enlightened by your broadened sense and appreciation of the “silent St. Joseph” and find a trusting companion and protector in him and the entire Holy Family. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 14
March 19, 2021 is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to the gospels, Joseph was a skilled craftsman and a descendant of King David. Joseph, learning of Mary’s pregnancy with a child that was not his, and under penalty of the law she would be put to death, deciding to quietly dissolve the marriage “as he was a righteous man. Told in his dreams by an angel of God that he was to take Mary as his wife and make her child as his own. “Joseph did as the angel commanded him, he took her as his wife.” (Matthew 1:19-25)
On this special day of the Church year many parishes will offer a banquet of blessings called the Saint Joseph Table. If your parish does not celebrate this tradition, or is not celebrating this year, consider making an offering of food donation to your local food bank or parish collection. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 14, 2021
The Saint Joseph Table
The Feast of St. Joseph is always on March 19th, in the middle of Lent, and is especially commemorated and celebrated in Italy, particularly in Sicily. St. Joseph has been long-regarded as the island’s patron saint. It is there that the tradition of the “Tavola di San Giuseppe” or “St. Joseph’s Table” has its origins. The celebration is a symbolic “thank you” and a renewal of the Sicilian people’s devotion to Saint Joseph. It is a shared celebration with the entire community where the riches of food are given as alms to the poor: traditional etiquette is that no one can be turned away from this table. The origin of the celebration comes from the Middle Ages and is attributed to the end of a devastating drought and famine through a prayer-devotion that the Sicilian people made to St. Joseph. Food crops for both people and livestock withered and died. The people prayed to St. Joseph for help. Desperately-needed rain poured down. After the harvest, to show their gratitude, they prepared a table with special foods to honor St. Joseph. After thanking and honoring the saint, they distributed the food to the poor and less fortunate. This celebration became an annual tradition and eventually spread throughout the world. As there is no meat on the Saint Joseph Table, a dispensation is unnecessary if March 19 falls on a Friday. In Italy is also Father’s Day. (Learn more at https://yearofstjoseph.org/devotions/st-joseph-table) There are parishes in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown who have assumed this tradition but are unable to do so this year. Please go to www.dioceseaj.org for a taped presentation on the Saint Joseph Table with Fr. Brian Saylor, Pastor of Saint Rose of Lima Parish, Altoona. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Pope Francis Prayer and Novena Prayer
Pope Francis’ deep devotion to Saint Joseph was highlighted when he chose his inaugural day to be on a March 19, the Solemnity (Feast) of Saint Joseph. Writing Patris Corde during the Covid-19 Pandemic, he was inspired that Saint Joseph, “has helped us see more clearly the importance of ‘ordinary’ people who though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation’.” (https://www.vatican news.va/en/pope/news/2020-12)
In the closing of Patris Corde, Pope Francis shared the prayer of trust he has prayed for over 40 years at the conclusion of Morning Prayer: “Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us on the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.”
Faithful believers pray the ancient Nine Day Novena Prayer to Saint Joseph during the Church Year all throughout the world. It is extremely powerful to begin the Nine Days leading up to March 19, the Feast of Saint Joseph. This year the 9 days would begin on Wednesday, March 10 and conclude on the Eve of the Feast Day. For the full Novena see: https://www.praymorenovenas.com 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
Prayer and Plenary Indulgence options for the Year of Saint Joseph
The first way to get to know Saint Joseph is through reading and praying with the Gospels of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew and Saint Luke. We learn the history of Saint Joseph in an indirect way through the story of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The actions and facts of Saint Joseph’s life are revealed through his relationships and roles as the foster father of Jesus and the spouse of Mary.
During this special year in the Catholic Church, the Faithful will have the opportunity to commit themselves “with prayer and good works, to obtain, with the help of St. Joseph, head of the Heavenly Family of Nazareth, comfort and relief from the serious human and social tribulations that besiege the contemporary world today.” They will be granted what is called a “Plenary Indulgence,” a time to repair the sinful relationship that we entered into because of personal sin, even though we have been forgiven. “It is in offering actions and prayers that allow for "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins." (#1471, Catechism of the Catholic Church).
There is a very lengthy list of options named by Pope Francis and the Vatican Committee on Indulgences in addition to the standard obligations. You will be able to see a growing list of pilgrimage opportunities offered by the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in addition to what may be happening in your parish. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Pope Francis proclaims Year of Saint Joseph
On December 8, 2020, the 150th Anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron Saint of the Universal Church, Pope Francis issued the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart) as an extended reflection of the holy foster father of Jesus and spouse of Mary. Written in the backdrop of the Covid-19 Pandemic he shares, “Saint Joseph devoted himself as a father in varied ways: beloved, tender and loving, obedient, accepting, creatively courageous, working, and “in the shadows.”
Because of Pope Francis’ deep devotion to Saint Joseph, he also announced on December 8 that the Church would be celebrating a Year of Saint Joseph, “which would take place for one year up to December 8, 2021. This is to be a special year with a special focus of the Church’s prayers and activities devoted to Saint Joseph. This year can also be a special year for those in need of Saint Joseph’s healing intercession in their relationship with their own father. It will be a year of discovery and growth for all. (Church Grants Plenary Indulgence for the Year of Saint Joseph, https://www.vatican news.va/en/pope/news/2020-12)
There will be prayer experiences, liturgies, special activities and local pilgrimage sites named throughout the eight counties in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. There will be many opportunities to gain Plenary Indulgences during the year according to the norms of the Church. 2021, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Liturgy Committee, Liturgy Office, Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center, 2713 W. Chestnut Avenue, Altoona, PA 16601.
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