Saint Joseph Catholic Church

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The hostility of the enemies of Jesus becomes increasingly clear, and the agitation around His person continues with greater intensity; but He awaits His "hour." Satan and the forces of evil will appear to triumph, but the real victory will come and that is God's. --St. Andrew Missal

The Church celebrates the Solemnity St. Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. St. Joseph was probably born in Bethlehem and probably died in Nazareth. His important mission in God's plan of salvation was "to legally insert Jesus Christ into the line of David from whom, according to the prophets, the Messiah would be born, and to act as his father and guardian" (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy). Most of our information about St. Joseph comes from the opening two chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel. No words of his are recorded in the Gospels; he was the "silent" man. We find no devotion to St. Joseph in the early Church. It was the will of God that the Virgin Birth of Our Lord be first firmly impressed upon the minds of the faithful. He was later venerated by the great saints of the Middle Ages. Pius IX (1870) declared him patron and protector of the universal family of the Church.

The first reading from Isaiah represents one of the most striking passages of the Bible that affirms the love of God for his people. It was a message of consolation addressed to the Jewish captives in Babylon promising them the joys of Messianic times. We are also captives and exiles because of our sins and human failings. Our deliverance is also near. The Messiah will come to us at Easter to give us all the blessings promised by God in this reading. --St. Andrew Bible Missal

The mercy of God is not an invitation to sin. He may forgive us and take away the punishment due to sin. But let us not take it as an encouragement to sin more freely. The warning which Christ has just given to the man cured of his long infirmity is also meant for us: "See, you are well again; now sin no more, for something worse may happen to you." Christ demands a permanent and sincere conversion after we have received his forgiveness. --St. Andrew Bible Missal

During the next two weeks the Gospel for each Lenten weekday Mass is from St. John. We shall read, day after day, about the growing hostility against Jesus that climaxed in the horror of Good Friday. The tragedy begins today on a happy note--a continuation of yesterday's Laetare Sunday spirit. --The Vatican II Weekday Missal

From the Gospel of the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A: As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" -- which means Sent --. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. (John 9:1, 6-7)

The gifts received by us from God are derived not from ourselves but from the Holy Spirit, and are to be used, in a spirit of humility, in the service of the Church and of our brothers.