DAY 2: SEVEN (7) SORROWS AND JOYS OF SAINT JOSEPH // REFLECTION ON SAINT JOSEPH

1. Leader: Chaste Lover of Mary, how overwhelmed you were when you thought that you would have to end your betrothal to her. But when the angel of God came to you in a dream, you were filled with awe to realize that Mary would be your wife, and you would be the guardian of the Messiah.

All: Help us, St. Joseph, help our families and all our loved ones to overcome all sadness of heart and develop an absolute trust in God’s goodness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

All: Through your example and prayers, help us St. Joseph and all we love to become like sinless mangers where the Savior of the world may be received with absolute love and respect.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

All: Pray for us St. Joseph, that the sacred blood of Christ, poured out for our salvation, may guard our families, so the Divine Name of Jesus may be written in our hearts forever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

All: Help us, St. Joseph, to see with eyes of faith that even the sorrows and pains of those we deeply love can become the pathway to salvation and eternal life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

All: Teach us by your example, St. Joseph, to keep far from the false idols of earthly attractions, so that like you, we may be entirely devoted to the service of Jesus and Mary.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

All: Show us, St. Joseph, how to be free from all useless fear and worry, so we may enjoy the peace of a tranquil conscience, living safely with Jesus and Mary in our hearts.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

All: Help us, St. Joseph, never to lose Jesus through the fault of our own sins. But if we should lose Him, lead us back with unwearied sorrow, until we find Him again; so that we, like you, may finally pass from this life, dying safely in the arms of Jesus and Mary.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Leader: Pray for us, o holy Joseph.

All: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Leader: Let us pray.

All: O blessed St. Joseph, tenderhearted father, faithful guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, I pray and beseech you to offer to God the Father my praise to Him through his divine Son, who died on the cross and rose again to give us sinners new life. Through the holy name of Jesus, pray with us that we may obtain from the eternal Father, the favour we ask . . . (make your request) . . . We have been unfaithful to the unfailing love of God the Father; beg of Jesus mercy for us. Amid the splendours of God’s loving presence, do not forget the sorrows of those who suffer, those who pray, those who weep. By your prayers and those of your most holy spouse, our Blessed Lady, may the love of Jesus answer our call of confident hope. Amen.

DAY 2 REFLECTION: “JOSEPH AND THE RELEVANCE OF SILENCE IN A NOISY ERA”

From the disturbing sound pollution perceived from automobiles to the regular noise produced from various sound systems at Churches, Mosques, clubs, restaurants, etc., not to mention the incessant ping/vibration of text messages/calls issuing from our cell phones wherever we go, there is no denying the fact that modern life comes with a displeasing noise, such that there appears to be no room for silence. “Without silence, God disappears in the noise, and the noise becomes all the more obsessive because God is absent. Unless the world rediscovers silence, it is lost,” writes Cardinal Robert Sarah in “The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise.”

In his Apostolic Exhortation “Redemptoris Custos” (Guardian of the Redeemer), Pope St. John Paul II particularly stressed the silence of St. Joseph; “a silence permeated by the contemplation of the mystery of God, in an attitude of complete openness to the divine will.” Put differently, St. Joseph’s silence was not an expression of interior emptiness, but of the fullness of faith that he carried in his heart, and that guided his every thought and deed. Through his silence, he was able to contemplate the plan of God deeply in his heart, and act so strongly as reflected in Scripture (cf. Matthew 1:24). Here, we can see a clear parallelism between “St. Joseph’s act of faith”, made in response to the message of an angel, and “Mary’s act of faith” made at the moment of the Annunciation. Mary speaks (“Let it be done to me as according to your word” – cf. Luke 1:38), while Joseph acts; apparently, in both cases there is a free decision, a readiness of will, to cooperate with the grace and plan of God, trusting in the divine providence.

Prayer: Through the intercession of St. Joseph, may we be “infected” by the virtue of silence, in a world that is often too noisy, that does not favour meditation or listening to the voice of God. Amen.

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Shalom!
© By Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Paroquia Nossa Senhora da Immaculada Conceição, Paulo Ramos, Maranhão, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?