January 24

Weekend Bulletin
Children’s Bulletin

Fr Terry’s Teaching…
The Year of St Joseph

Pope Francis has proclaimed this the year of St. Joseph.  This goes from December 8 of 2020 to December 8 of 2021. One of the reasons was that the pope saw Joseph as having a father’s heart. Pope Francis made this decision as he watched the world struggle with the Pandemic during which he noted that many people had made hidden sacrifices during this crisis offered for the care and protection of others. He continues: “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, support and a guide in times of trouble.  St Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”
We hear little in the scriptures of Joseph, so I turned to the historical book about our Diocese called: “The Cathedral of St. Joseph.”    It tells us that The Church celebrates three feasts in honor of St. Joseph.
The first is the principal feast day as patron of the Universal Church on the 19th of March, then the third Sunday after Easter which is dedicated to his patronage, and finally the 23rd of January in commemoration of his espousal to the Blessed Virgin of May.
Among all the remarkable features of St. Joseph are his person, position, and character. In the universality of his intercession and patronage, St Theresa writes: It seems that to other saints the Lord has given the power to succor us in only one kind of necessity, but this glorious saint assists us in all kinds of necessities; hence our Lord wishes us to understand that as He was obedient to Him when on earth for he was called his father.  As his tutor of Jesus growing up, he is so a universal intercessor invoked and venerated by all classes of the faithful.
Joseph is a special patron for all classes of persons, for every condition of life, and for every emergency. He is the patron of the mystic Body of Christ because of his faithful guardianship over the physical body of Christ during his life on earth. He is the patron of childhood, because of his paternal goodness and care of the Divine Infant. He is the patron of those who is discerning doubts of one’s vocation because of the unusual relationship with Mary when engaged and therefore a patron of matrimony and devotion to the Holy Family. He is the patron of the working men to seek to earn the needs for his family, but also through his gifts care for the needs of others as laborers and humble artisans. He is a patron to students as he was a devote to the education of Jesus as he grew up. He was a man of prayer both in this life and in eternal life.  He is a patron to parents who encourage their children to enter into religious life. He is the patron of Purgatory and the special helper of the souls at the time of their death.
We here in the Diocese of Sioux Falls are blessed to be dedicated to his care in a special way.