Saint Joseph

1. Saint Joseph is the patron for faith & confidence; treasurers of universities; carpenters, engineers and workers of all kinds; dying people; immigrants; fathers, mothers (especially expectant mothers) & families; marriages; social justice; travellers and much, much more!

2. Most kids don't enjoy doing chores. It takes time away from play time and it can be boring as well as hard sometimes, but chores are very important in a family. Everyone must do his part to help out. Not only this, there is actually happiness to be found in working because to do chores is to offer something to the ones you care about in the same way that you give someone a gift – but in the case of work, the gift that you are giving is the gift of yourself. St. Joseph was the foster father of Jesus and he is the patron saint of workers. He is a patron of workers partly because he was a worker himself – a carpenter – but also because of the gift that he gave of himself when he agreed to take care of Mary and Jesus. Joseph and Mary were not yet married when Joseph found out that Mary had been chosen to be the Mother of God, created to give birth and take care of Jesus. Mary and Jesus would need someone to care for them. That person was St. Joseph.

3. Through an angel, God asked Joseph to take Mary to be his wife. This was so that Jesus could grow up in a holy family with two holy parents. Joseph gladly gave of himself to be a husband to Mary and a father to Jesus.  Although it is such a big job to take care of a family, it was even more important when you consider that the family he was caring for were Mary, the Mother of God, and Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus was also a good worker. When Jesus was a child, until it was time for him to go out into the world, He helped his foster father St. Joseph with the carpentry work that needed to be done. We know that because Jesus never sinned, He certainly would have followed God's commandment to honor His parents. It is certain that Jesus never dishonored St. Joseph by refusing to do the work which St. Joseph asked Him to do. Families help each other even though it sometimes requires work. If you are ever frustrated by the work that you have to do to help your family, ask Jesus and St. Joseph to help you to be strong inside so that you can put away your bad feelings about it. Ask them to help you to remember how important it is for us not to ever be lazy and, most importantly, to serve each other for the sake of God's Kingdom.

4. If you are struggling with the duties of work, ask St. Joseph for help. You may use this prayer or ask him in your own words. Dear St. Joseph, I sometimes have trouble doing the chores that I am asked to do.  Please be with me when I have these struggles and help me to be a good servant.  Please ask God to protect me from all of my fears, be with me when I work and help to keep any temptations to be lazy away from me.  ~Amen.~

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm1rUs39XWY - Hidden Life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwsQf02phgw&feature=related - Prayer to St Joseph. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZmlt6kLyoM&feature=related - Prayer to St Joseph. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_euHsq-PPw&feature=related - Prayer to St Joseph (movie). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKDMqkQXaL8&feature=related - Song of St Joseph.

7. Fact 1 - St Joseph was the Spouse of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Fact 2 - He is the Patron Saint of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers and immigrants Fact 3 - Memorial Day / Feast Day of Saint Joseph: March 19 Fact 4 - Joseph was by birth of the royal family of David, although he was poor and lived as a humble carpenter Fact 5 - When Herod decreed that babies should be killed (massacre of the innocents) an angel told Joseph in a dream to flee with the Child and His Mother into Egypt Fact 6 - After the death of King Herod the family returned to Nazareth in Israel. Fact 7 - Nazareth was an obscure village in Galilee, about 65 km from Jerusalem Fact 8 - He was present on the visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 Fact 9 - None of the Gospels mentions Joseph as present at any event during Jesus' adult ministry, so it is believedthat he died before Jesus was thirty. Fact 10 - In Christian art Joseph is normally associated with the colours black or green; this is similar to his wife's association with blue.

12. Litany to Celebrate the Feast of Great St Joseph As we celebrate the feast of St Joseph let us pray this Litany together. The response is – Pray for us to God. Joseph, faithful son of Jacob. Pray for us to God Joseph, caring foster father of Jesus Pray for us to God Joseph, loving husband of Mary Pray for us to God Joseph, protector of the Holy Family Pray for us to God Joseph, trustworthy man Pray for us to God Joseph, brave man of courage Pray for us to God Joseph, quiet hard working man Pray for us to God Joseph, strength of the dying Pray for us to God Joseph, inspiration of working people Pray for us to God Joseph, model for families Pray for us to God Joseph, protector of the Church Pray for us to God Great St Joseph, we thank God for your life and the ways it show us how to live. Show us how to love Jesus as you did. Remind us to be caring people in our families as you were. Help us to be diligent workers like you. Guide our church as the patron of our diocese and lead us each day in God’s holy ways. Amen.