Saint Joseph Catholic Church

The archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, said that he was grateful to President Donald Trump for drawing attention to Islamist terrorism in the West African nation but said that U.S. strikes there in December have proven counterproductive.

“That incident, coupled with Donald Trump’s words, has greatly inflamed the passions of the Islamists,” Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama said during a briefing in Madrid. “The number of attacks, the number of kidnappings carried out by Boko Haram and other groups, has been rising ever since.”

“So we say to Donald Trump: give us intelligence reports, give us weapons, collaborate with our government, and then find a way to eradicate all these military groups,” Archbishop Kaigama added.

We begin the fifth and final full week of Lent. In previous times the crosses and statues in church were veiled at this time to indicate Passion Time. Now the liturgical readings, day after day, tell of the lowering storm clouds that next week will break open. Today's ancient Lenten readings taught the penitents (and teach us) that every sin is adultery to God--and is pardonable by Christ. --The Vatican II Weekday Missal

From the Gospel of the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A: Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, He will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." (John 11: 21-27)

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent in the early ages of Christianity, was called Sitientes, taken from the first word of the original Introit of the Mass meaning "Thirsting." The Church was addressing her catechumens in the words of Isaiah and invites them to thirst after the grace to come and receive it in the holy Sacrament of Baptism. This marked the last day of the Lenten season before entering into Passiontide. In the current Liturgical calendar the last day of Lent before Holy Week would be Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent, but the beginning of the Paschal Triduum on Holy Thursday evening marks the official end of the Lenten season.

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