Saint Joseph

March 19th - Patron of the Universal Church 

St. Joseph, the pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of our Blessed Lord, was descended from the royal house of David. He is the "just man" of the New Testament, the lowly village carpenter of Nazareth, who among all men of the world was the one chosen by God to be the husband and protector of the Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate. To his faithful, loving care was entrusted the childhood and youth of the Redeemer of the world.

After the Mother of God, not one of the children of men was ever so gifted and adorned with natural and supernatural virtues as was St. Joseph, her spouse. In purity of heart, in chastity of life, in humility, patience, fortitude, gentleness and manliness of character, he reveals to us the perfect type and model of the true Christian.

Poor and obscure in this world's possessions and honors, he was rich in grace and merit, and eminent before God in the nobility and beauty of holiness. Because St. Joseph was the representative of the Eternal Father on earth, the divinely appointed head of the Holy Family, which was the beginning of the great Family of God, the Church of Christ, on December 8, 1870, the Vicar of Jesus Christ, Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed the foster father of Jesus, Patron of the Universal Church, and from that time his feast has been celebrated on March 19th as a feast of high rank. In some places it is observed as a holy day of obligation.

Devotion to St. Joseph, fervent in the East from the early ages, has in later times spread and increased in such a marvelous way that in our day the Catholics of all nations vie with one another in honoring him. Besides the feast of March 19th there is another feast called the "Patronage of St. Joseph", which is celebrated in the more joyous Easter time. It was formerly observed on the third Sunday after Easter, but it is now celebrated with the octave on the Wednesday before the third Sunday after Easter, and its title is "The Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church."

From his throne of glory in heaven, St. Joseph watches over and protects the Church militant, and no one who calls on him in need ever calls in vain. He is the model of a perfect Christian life and the patron of a happy death. His patronage extends over the Mystical Body of Christ, over the Christian family, the Christian school, and all individuals who in their need appeal to his charity and powerful intercession, especially in the hour of death; for he who, when dying, received the affectionate ministry of his foster Son, Jesus, and his Virgin spouse, Mary, may well be invoked and trusted to obtain for us poor sinners the mercy of God and the grace of a peaceful and holy death.

Prayer: We beseech You, O Lord, that we may be assisted by the merits of the Spouse of Your Most Holy Mother, so that what we cannot obtain by our own power may be given to us through his intercession. Amen. 


Source: "Lives...of the Saints; for every day of the year", Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, June 1, 1955.

From 1910 The Rosary

Saint Dominic Institutes the Rosary 

"The Rosary.  There is no devotion not connected wit the Liturgy or Office of the Church which has been more widely extended, or been taken up, age after age, by persons of every rank and station than the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin.  In its present form it was instituted by the great Saint Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Order of Friars Preachers.  But grew out of a devotion older than Christianity, and a mode of prayer that dates back to a very early period.  The Psalms of David were in constant use as prayers among the Jews; the primitive Christians adopted them, and the pious, as well as all who, as hermits or monks, sought religious perfection, recited the whole hundred and fifty psalms daily.  Of this there are constant proofs in the early ages.  Some, who could not read and were too dull to remember so much, were allowed to recite, instead, the Lord’s Prayer the same number of times; later, the Angelical Salutation was substituted for the Lord’s Prayer.  To keep the record of these prayers, belts or strings of beads were used; in fact, our word bead is from the same source as the German beten, and means to pray. 

That the mind should not be unoccupied during the recital of these prayers, the Life of our Lord and His Blessed Mother was commended as a matter of meditation.  Saint Dominic divided the hundred and fifty beads into three parts, each containing five decades of ten beads, and assigned to each part five mysteries of the life of our Lord.  The Joyful Mysteries were the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of our Lord, His Presentation in the Temple, and His Finding in the Temple.  The Sorrowful Mysteries, forming the second part, included His Bloody Sweat, His Scourging, His Crowning with Thorns, the Carriage of the Cross, His Crucifixion.  The Glorious Mysteries, which were the subject of the third part, were the Resurrection of the Lord, His Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, His Assumption of His Blessed Mother into Heaven, and her Coronation.  The division was simple, easily grasped, full of pious thought, and kept before the people the chief events in the history of our Redemption.  It became the general devotion in all countries of Europe, and the rosary was said by all, from the king of his throne to the leper and the beggar. 

The full fifteen decades form a rosary; that the general use called a chaplet or pair of beads, consists of five decades, each of a large bead for the Our Father and ten smaller ones for the Hail Marys; where the ends join, the chain is continued by three small beads and two larger, a crucifix or medal being attached to the end.  These are for the introductory prayers, the Creed, Our Father, and three Hail Marys, with a Glory be to the Father, etc.  These form no part of the rosary properly so called. 

It is usual, when the rosary is said in public, to call the several mysteries to mind by a few preliminary words.  When the rosary is said with others, a leader or person saying it, who need not even be a cleric, recites half of each prayer, and the rest recite the other half.  After the five decades are said, it is usual to sing or recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. 

Saint Dominic, who had labored almost in vain to convert the Albigenses, had no sooner introduced this devotion than a change was at once seen.  Hearts that no arguments could move were attracted by this devotion; the work of conversion was rapid.  St. Dominic reaped a harvest of souls, and the Blessed Virgin a harvest of glory. 

From that day to this the devotion of the rosary has never lost its hold on the affections of the faithful.  It became the prayer in which they were gathered together for general particular wants.  When Europe was menaced by the Turks the rosary was said with fervor, and while the Sodality of the Rosary were walking in solemn procession through the streets of Rome, praying for victory of the Christian army, the battle was raging at Lepanto, October 7, 1571, and the Turkish power on the seas was broken forever.  It was not the band of men that broke the power which had so long threatened Europe; it was the hand of God, put forth in answer to the prayers of the Confraternity of the Rosary. 

The reigning Pontiff, St. Pius V., in gratitude for so signal a favor, ordered the first Sunday in October to be observed as an annual commemoration in the Church of St. Mary of Victory; this feast was extended to other churches and countries by other Popes, till at last, after another victory, Clement XI., in 1716, made the Festival of the Rosary a feast for the Universal Church. 

There are few devotions to which the Holy See has granted so many indulgences as to the rosary: one hundred days for each Our Father and Hail Mary, and a plenary indulgence once a year to those who approach the Sacrament of Penance, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the wants of the Church.  To gain these indulgences, the beads must be blessed by a priest who has received faculties from the Pope, and the person must say the rosary, meditating on the mystery assigned to each decade. 

Besides the Confraternity of the Rosary, another has been established in this century.  This is the Confraternity of the Living Rosary.  In this, five persons are associated, each saying one decade each day, so that the five say the whole chaplet; two similar beads, with them, will thus recite the whole rosary daily.  This is called the Living Rosary, and the fruits produced by it have been so great and manifest, that the holy Fathers have enriched it with my indulgences. 

Nothing should deter Catholics from adhering to a devotion so holy, so consoling.  Many, indeed, think it one of the ignorant only; but this is a grave error.  Mediation on the life of our Lord is something to occupy the most exalted and the most cultivated minds, and give them light and strength.  The example of officers in the army and navy, who faithfully adhered to this pious practice, would alone suffice to show that the greatest ability and learning are found among the faithful adherents to this devotion, which is, in itself, an almost certain test of real Christianity."  

Source: The Catholic Instructor: An Educational Library of Ready Reference [pages 513-515] Published by the Office of Catholic Publications 1910 – Imprimatur Johannes M. Farley, D.D., Archiepiscopus – New York, May 16, 1910 


In Christ, 

Julie

What's up with Life Teen Catholic Youth Ministry?

So I'm on Twitter when I see Ryan Fitz retweet a Creaky tweet about Catholic Life Teen Youth Ministry that caught my eye. 

Something about the Virgin Mary and "poop" to be specific. Be prepared, I'm gonna get all fire and brimstone in this post. 

Before I click on the blog post "Seeing Beyond the Poop: Mary’s Perfect Love" by RACHEL PENATE, I go see what "Life Teen" is all about. 

Our Mission"As a Eucharist-centered movement within the Roman Catholic Church, Life Teen leads teenagers and their families into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. With the Blessed Virgin Mary as our intercessor and guide, Life Teen seeks to unleash the fullness of the Sacramental power present within the young Church."

That part sounds great, so I clicked on the video...

...and I was more than a bit disappointed. As a convert to the Catholic Church, seeing anything remotely Protestant-like used to bring anyone (especially our youth) to a deeper understanding and love of our Faith is very bothersome to me. We are Catholic, we don't need Protestant gimmicks! Folks, this is NOT what Catholicism is supposed to look like. This is not the Catholicism of our great Saints and the Apostles in the Bible. This is what happens when Catholic clergy think they need to be "hip" and mimic Protestant mega churches and televangelists to keep the attention of Catholic youth. Life Teen claims their mission is "Eucharist centered"...I have to ask after watching that video, just what do they believe the Eucharist to be?

"When the Eucharist is being celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with countless angels who adore the divine victim immolated on the altar." ~ St. John Chrysostom 

From watching the video, this screenshot (below) seems to be a Mass (I hope it's not,and if anyone knows for sure please share). But if it is...

...Mass is NOT a rock concert. Put your arms down, shut up, get on your knees and worship God the way the King of Kings is supposed to be worshiped! These youth sadly seem to have little idea what they are participating in. It's all about the happiness they feel, the joy, the music and holding hands and swaying back and forth. Isn't this fun?! Shout if you love Jesus! Woohoo! 🙌

The Mass IS Calvary. Does anyone seriously think, if they traveled back in time, that this is how they would act on Calvary while Jesus was nailed on the cross suffering for our sins? If you wouldn't behave like this THEN don't do it at Mass now! 

"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the centuries until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us" (Sacrosanctum Concilium 47)

Before anyone gets on my case about shredding Catholic youth ministries, I am all for it. I love to see Catholic youth get together for love of their Faith. That's great, I'm not criticizing everything in the video. But lets keep it Catholic. Authentic Catholicism, not to ever be confused with Protestantism- who reject the Eucharist as the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. When you blur the lines you get folks leaving the Church because hey, they're all the same right? The Church had no problem before the spirit of Vatican II came along, raising Catholic kids who stayed in the Church and became Catholic adults - without all the hands in the air and Kumbyah moments. Okay, enough about the video.

I clicked back to the "poop" post and read in part...

"Even the Poop - Have you ever felt as though you can’t relate to Mary because she is so perfect?
Being a mom has taught me that Mary actually doesn’t mind all of our “poop.” Before my daughter was born, I probably changed a total of three diapers, and each time I gagged a whole lot. I was a little bit surprised upon spending the first few days with my little girl that I didn’t care one bit about her poop. It was still poop, it was still gross, but it was somehow different – she was my daughter. Mary looks at all the “poop” in our lives – those dumb situations we often weasel ourselves into – and she

doesn’t bat an eye. It doesn’t bother her, but (the best part is) she doesn’t leave us in our filth. She sees the messiness in our lives, and with her assistance, she offers us a change of heart and practice.

For Real -Do you ever feel undeserving of Mary’s attention and love?
Me too. But the good news is this: By simply being her child (despite any insecurity or impurity), Mary loves us. My daughter hasn’t done much of anything to win my love. She poops, she sleeps, she does smile, but she also has a terrifying scream. There has been no conversation, no plea in which she’s vied for my attention or poetically tried to win me over. She is my daughter regardless of what she has, says, or does. And, I love her intensely. Mary’s love for us is even deeper than this, and thank goodness for that! Because, my insecurities and impurities are overwhelming sometimes and a life in which we need to constantly prove ourselves is exhausting. We don’t need to prove anything to Mary. Her love is unconditional." 

Horse-hockey! 

Really? "Mary looks at all the “poop” in our lives – those dumb situations we often weasel ourselves into – and she doesn’t bat an eye. It doesn’t bother her..." Maybe I am wrong here, but is "poop" supposed to be sin? If so, then the author is wrong. Any time we sin it bothers Mary because it hurts her Son and separates us from God! Duh! How anyone can say that the Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother God "doesn't bat an eye" when we sin is beyond me. But hey, maybe the "poop" the author is talking about is not sin. To be honest, its hard for me to tell from her post just what she is talking about by "those dumb situations we often weasel ourselves into". Like what? The author doesn't tell us so we are left guessing. 

'There are many who arrive at the faith, but few that are led into the heavenly kingdom.' -Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor and Father of the Church

All this "unconditional love" talk can be misleading. No one should confuse "unconditional love" with a free pass to sin -which is a mistake most Protestant groups make. Does Mary love us? Sure! Doesn't Jesus? Sure Jesus loves us and we are sinners, but he didn't come so we could stay in our sin and end up damned. That's the link that is missing in all this "poop" talk. Sin leads to Hell. I sincerely hope no Catholic of any age, actually believes that Mary "doesn't bat an eye" at people in sin. 

Read what the Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God told Saint Bridget of Sweden about sin: 

'They pierce his side when they have the intention of persevering in sin. 
I tell you truly, and you can tell this to my friends, that in the sight of my Son such people are more unjust than those who sentenced him, worse enemies than those who crucified him, more shameless than those who sold him. A greater punishment is due to them than to the others. . . 
Pilate sentenced him due to fear, in accordance with the petition and intention of others. These people sentence him for their own advantage and without any fear, by dishonoring him through sin that they could abstain from, if they wanted. But they neither abstain from sin nor are they ashamed of their already committed sins, for they do not take into consideration their unworthiness of the kindness of the one whom they do not serve.' -Our Lady, 'The Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden'

Anyone still think Mary "doesn't bat an eye" at sin?

I think our youth and their parents need to learn more about the reality of hell and understand that they might very well end up there if they insist on following heretical nonsense because it gives them the warm-fuzzies. 

'Meditate on the horrors of Hell which will last for eternity because of one easily-committed mortal sin. Try hard to be among the few who are chosen. Think of the eternal flames of Hell, and how few there are that are saved.' - St. Benedict Joseph Labre

The confused author goes on to say: 

"There is nothing we can do to lose her favor as her children. Even when we don’t deserve it. I think of my own mom who always stood right by me in the mess I made but then pointed me to something greater. I want to be just like that – always there by my daughter’s side guiding the way; always there with her while she chases her dreams, even running right by her side if necessary. This is Mary, Our Lady. She has hope for our future and is always leading us back to the One — the only One — who has the power to fulfill our every hope and desire."

That my friends is NOT the Gospel message. Jesus is NOT there to "fulfill our every hope and desire." Sure, He's got the power, but the author is being misleading here. Jesus came as our SACRIFICE, our SAVIOR. He is not our genie in a lamp to grant us wishes so all our hopes and desires are *poof* magically given to us. 

Jesus was tortured and died so we could have eternal life in Heaven with Him, IF we repent of all sin, live our Catholic Faith as it was handed down from the Apostles. Jesus told us to pick up our crosses and follow him. He didn't say He'd give us "our every hope and desire" in this life. If we make it to eternity with Him in Heaven, then and only then will we have "our every hope and desire" precisely because we are in Heaven for eternity with Christ! What more could anyone want? The issue is, very few ever make it to Heaven. Our Catholic youth would do well to understand this and never forget it.

'Woe to you who command others! If so many are damned by your fault, what will happen to you? If few out of those who are first in the Church of God are saved, what will happen to you? Take all states, both sexes, every condition: husbands, wives, widows, young women, young men, soldiers, merchants, craftsmen, rich and poor, noble and plebian. What are we to say about all these people who are living so badly? The following narrative from Saint Vincent Ferrer will show you what you may think about it. He relates that an archdeacon in Lyons gave up his charge and retreated into a desert place to do penance, and that he died the same day and hour as Saint Bernard. After his death, he appeared to his bishop and said to him, "Know, Monsignor, that at the very hour I passed away, thirty-three thousand people also died. Out of this number, Bernard and myself went up to heaven without delay, three went to purgatory, and all the others fell into Hell."' -St. Leonard of Port Maurice

The road to salvation is not easy and along the way Jesus is NOT giving us "our every hope and desire", that is pure Protestantism and no one should be teaching our Catholic youth this heresy! What Jesus gives us in this life is the GRACE we need to get to eternity with Him. What we do with that grace is up to us. 

Our youth don't need gimmicks folks! Just the Truth. Tell the youth the Truth, teach them reverence and holiness and scare the Hell right out of them! Teach them that the Mass is Calvary and how to properly behave, dress and worship. Priests must feed the sheep with what God gave His Holy Catholic Church alone, and for the love of God Himself, quit feeding them Protestantism! It's poison! 

'I truly am supreme charity itself; for all things that I have done from eternity, I have done out of charity; and, in the same way, all things that I do and shall do in the future proceed entirely from my charity. For charity is as incomprehensible and intense in me now as it was at the time of my passion when, through my death and out of exceeding charity, I freed from hell all the elect who were worthy of this redemption and liberation. For if it were still possible that I might die as many times as there are souls in hell so that for each of them I might again endure such a death as I then endured for all, my body would still be ready to undergo all these things with a glad will and most perfect charity. But, in fact, it is now impossible that my body could once more die or suffer any pain or tribulation. And it is also just as impossible that any soul that after my death has been or will be condemned to hell would ever again be freed from there, or would enjoy the heavenly gladness that my saints and chosen ones enjoy at the glorious sight of my body. 
No, the damned will feel the pains of hell in an everlasting death because they did not will to enjoy the benefit of my death and passion and did not will to follow my will while they lived in the world.' - Christ, to St. Bridget of Sweden, 'The Revelations'

In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 



Links: 

http://lifeteen.com/blog/ladys-perfect-love-looks-beyond-poop/

http://lifeteen.com/about/

https://twitter.com/Sir_Creaky/status/887723790343524352

Donald Trump prophecy?

You decide...

Will Donald Trump help turn the United States and its people back to God? Time will tell. 





Hat tip: https://www.romancatholicman.com/hermit-loretos-1980s-premonition-president-trump/



In Christ, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

EWTN Press Release: "Son of God" Movie

EWTN Exclusive: Behind-the-Scenes of
The New Blockbuster Film ‘Son of God’

Plus, LIVE Coverage of the Installation of New Cardinals,
The History of Our Lady of Fatima & More

Irondale, AL – If you’re planning on seeing “Son of God” when it opens in theatres on February 28, you won’t want to miss this!  EWTN Host Raymond Arroyo interviews a host of prominent people about how screening the film impacted their lives. See what Rwandan Genocide Survivor Immaculee LLibagiza, Father Barron’s “Word on Fire Ministries (“Catholicism”), Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez , Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, Bloggers Lisa Hendey & Brandon Vogt and many more have to say about the movie when “Faithful Reflections On Son of God” airs at 9 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb 23. Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

There’s a Fee to join the Catholic Church?—Convert Rick Fee that is! Find out how this former Lutheran discovered the spiritual wealth of Catholicism while on his “Journey Home! Join Host Marcus Grodi  and Fee for a discussion of his conversion when “The Journey Home” airs at 8 p.m. ET, Monday Feb.25—exclusively on EWTN!  Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

Quiet on the set! Abbot Fr. Philip Anderson of Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey joins the set of “EWTN Live” and Host Fr. Mitch Pacwa to discuss the contemplative life of the Benedictine Order, and how silence is essential to a person’s prayer life.  Request some quiet time and tune in when “EWTN Live” airs at 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday Feb 19—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

He’s working day and Knights for  Catholic youth!  “Life on the Rock” Co-hosts Fr. Mark and Doug Barry welcome Fr. John Kalisch, Director of Chaplain & Spiritual Developers for the Knights of Columbus, to discuss his work with young adults  and teens throughout the United States. Join us for “Life on the Rock,” LIVE at 10 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 20—exclusively on EWTN!  Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

Were you “lucky” enough to catch the first part of “Bakhita?” The thrilling second part of the story of Sudan’s Patron Saint airs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 22—exclusively on EWTN! (Not available via Livestream or Roku) Missed the first part? “Bakhita” (whose name means “lucky) is now available through EWTN Religious Catalogue here:http://bit.ly/18QdSQn                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for us: From the Blessed Mother’s first appearance to three shepherd children to Blessed Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1982, follow the history and miracles associated with this sacred site. Witness “Fatima, Our Hope” when it airs at 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb 20—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

EWTN is seeing red—but it’s a good thing this time! Join Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica as he celebrates Mass and the installation of new Cardinals! Early birds can catch this Mass LIVE at 5 a.m.  on Sunday, Feb. 23—or watch  the encore later that day at 12 p.m. ET—exclusively on EWTN! Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

Embark on a holy pilgrimage from home!  Traverse the Holy Land with Dianna von Glahn in her six-part miniseries as she goes from Mount Carmel to the Dead Sea and beyond. Journey with the “Faithful Traveler” every day this week at 6:30 p.m. ET—only on EWTN! Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

What does man’s best friend have to do with our relationship with Our Heavenly Father? Fr. James Mallon and his faithful canine Monzi have some pretty good ideas as to how we can better understand our relationships with each Person of the Trinity. There’s no need to beg—“Dogmatic Theology” airs  10 p.m. ET, Sunday, Feb. 23—exclusively on EWTN!  Find EWTN on a channel near you: www.ewtn.com/channelfinder

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Today is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. Today is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catholic Catechism #491

"The centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."