Saturday 19 March 2011

St Joseph's Joys and Sorrows

Today being the Solemnity of St Joseph, my mind wandered to Spain and to the beautiful setting of the Shrine at Torreciudad. There, running up the rise towards the Basilica, you will find the Way of the Joys and Sorrows of St Joseph. Until walking this several years ago I had never really meditated on the person of St Joseph and his role in the Holy Family. The Joys and Sorrows are:
     The Doubt of St Joseph (Matt 1:19)         The Message of the Angel (Matt 1:20)
     The Poverty of Jesus Birth (Luke 2:7)   2     The Birth of the Saviour (Luke 2:10-11)
     The Circumcision (Luke 2:21)               3    The Holy Name of Jesus (Matt 1:25)
     The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34)    4    The effects of the Redemption (Luke 2:38)
     The Flight into Egypt (Matt 2:14)          5   The overthrow of the idols of Egypt (Is 19:1)
     The Return from Egypt (Matt 2:22)       6      Life at Nazareth (Luke 2:39)
     The loss of the Child Jesus (Luke 2:45) 7     The finding in the Temple (Luke 2:46)
 What an example for fathers! A man who trusted God in all the sad, worrying, bewildering, frightening and frantic moments that all families experience and how, through it all, he was able to be a faithful guardian, a loving husband, a courageous protector, dependable and ever obedient. 
  Let us pray today for all fathers and for all Josephs especially The Holy Father

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