It’s Easter!!!!  He’s Alive!!!!   Jesus has risen from the dead!!!  Our world has changed!!!!!  Our very LIVES are changed!!!!

Meh.  Ho hum.  Ya think?  Prolly not.  Really?  Is he?  How can we prove this to the world?  Better yet, what are you doing, how are you living, to prove that you believe it?  In what way does your life reflect this? 

It is so easy for us to celebrate the Easter  Season, with all the accompanying fanfare, the music, the bunnies and chicks and eggs and ham…..  We dress up in our best, go to church, and celebrate.  And then what happens the next Monday and all the days after that???  We talk about how nice Easter was and go back to business as usual.

If Christ is alive as we proclaim he is, if Christ rose again from the grave to save us from our sins, to change our lives, then should our lives not reflect a profound change?  One that is visible to all with whom we come into contact?

If Jesus Christ is the very God we claim, come in the flesh of humanity, if He is the Lord “through Whom all things were made,” as we recite in the Nicene Creed, it is up to us to proclaim this with all that we are, with all that we do.   Think about those whom Jesus had following Him: sailors, insurgents, tax-farmers, prostitutes, widows, lepers, and, on occasion wealthy folks. Rulers, workers, and the dregs of society. Young and old.  Their lives were changed in such a drastic measure that they died for their faith.   Many of them left all that they had, the security of their homes, their jobs, their families, to follow Jesus.  Would you? 

Nothing, NOTHING irritates me more than when folks proclaim from the rooftops, loudly, that they are “born again Christians,” who “live by the Bible”, and then live their lives working their hardest to be anything other than what Jesus commanded them to be, and following the parts of the Bible that are directly opposed to what Jesus taught. 

If you are one of those “Christians” who loudly and proudly proclaim that any group of people are less than, are undeserving, are not welcome;  if you are one of those who believe that any person should be other than who God created them to be, who are undeserving of medical treatment, who are not worthy of the same rights as anyone else, who should be treated as ‘other,’ then you are far, FAR from truly Christian.   Jesus kinda summed it up pretty nicely when he said, ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28)

Jesus told us EXACTLY what to do, how to live, who we should be:  “As I have loved you, love one another.” He lived out the ultimate example of what this means. Then he said, “No greater love hath any man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Then He did just that. He also taught us, in Matthew 25:31-46 just exactly how we should live our lives:   “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry .and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

If He really is risen, then we have an obligation one to another to serve our fellow man as He served us.  And we have an obligation to share this Good News with everyone. We have to make the blessings we have gained available to every human. EVERY.   SINGLE.  ONE.  And we have an obligation to show that there really is truth to the old song, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”   We have an obligation to reflect Christ’s goodness, His holiness, in our lives.  By our speech, by our actions, by our very thoughts. Especially for the least, the lost, the forgotten, those who are “other.”

As you have heard me say a couple of zillion times, YOU are the only Jesus some folks will ever see.  YOU are the only Bible some folks will ever read.

He is alive!  Let us allow Him to live anew through our lives, reflecting His love and His promise in all that we do, in all that we say, in all that we are.  He is alive!!!!!  Amen.

Today on The Passion of The Lord (Good Friday), we hear the account of Jesus’ victorious death upon the cross. Victorious death you may ask? Yes, the cross is where the path of faithfulness leads. Jesus is victorious in his faithfulness to the end. Especially in the Gospel of John, we are told that Jesus knew about the betrayal, the abandonment, the suffering, and his death that was to come in his last days. Jesus knew the danger that was to come, and he continued directly to it. To die on the cross was to triumph. It is the central reason Jesus had come down to earth. Jesus’ death is key in Jesus’ victory and in our Salvation.

Jesus has foreknowledge of what is to come and is confident in continuing his mission, knowing that mission leads to his death.

Let’s consider a few examples of Jesus’ faithful confidence from the Gospel of John. After Jesus enters Jerusalem with palm branches waving on Palm Sunday, he declared, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” and speaks of his death as the falling of a grain of wheat which dies and bears much fruit. He continues to tell us of the hour of his death as the reason for which he has come. As he preaches this, the crowds hear affirmation in the thunder of God’s voice. In today’s Holy gospel, when the Roman soldiers  come to arrest Jesus in the garden, Jesus does not fight back or run away, rather he declares, “Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” Jesus carries his cross to the site of the crucifixion.. Even John’s description of Jesus’ death emphasizes Jesus’ powerful choice to follow through with his mission: “When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30). Jesus “gave up his spirit” in the active voice: Jesus is not a passive victim in this gospel. John paints a portrait of one who knows what is to come and desires to follow through with it. Jesus chooses to suffer and die for our Salvation.

As John tells of Jesus’ passion, he lifts up meanings for his community and also for us. Kingdom and power emerge as major themes.

The major exploration of kingdom and power begins as Jesus is brought before Pilate, the governor of Judea. Pilate has heard Jesus has been called the “king of the Jews” and questions him about his kingship. Jesus replies that his kingdom “is not from this world.” Jesus’ kingdom is greater than this world, it existed even before this world was ever brought into being. Jesus declares that Pilate’s power is dependent on a greater power. Pilate is both fearful and scornful.

When the crowd outside Pilate’s headquarters gets involved, the debate about kingship expands to a reflection of whose leadership we follow. The faithful response is to acknowledge God alone as the one to whom we owe allegiance. But, instead of declaring “God is our king,” the chief priests declare “we have no king but the emperor.” They reject the promised king that God has sent. Many Christians have done violence to modern Jews because of John’s portrayal of their rejection. But that was not his point. Rather, John was reflecting on the rejection his Christian community felt from the Jewish communities in which they worshipped and with whom they identified. For us today, the religious authorities’ rejection invites us to consider our rejection. When God acts other than we expected, when we don’t get what we think God should give us, when other people or things look more likely to give us life and security, do we also reject God? Do we also claim another as our king?

Pilate twists and mocks the idea of Jesus as being king. He has Jesus dressed in a royal purple robe and crowned with thorns. Jesus is shackled and is beaten then is condemned to death. As he hangs on the cross, Pilate’s royal declaration hangs above: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Pilate sees crucified Jesus as the furthest thing from an image of a king.

The cross is the throne which Our Lord Jesus ascends. Humility is the path which he chooses. But his kingship is sure. Jesus is one with the God the Father whose power is greater than all. Jesus sets aside power in his incarnation and death. Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning testifies to the kingship and power that rightly belong to him. Pilate intends to mock the powerless king, but Jesus proves his victory in setting aside power. Jesus is ruler of a different kind of kingdom, in which the powerful one gives up themself for the sake of the weakest.

The cross is the moment of Jesus’ victory. But what is it Jesus is victorious over?

Jesus is victorious over sin, over death, and over the devil. Jesus breaks the powers of this world that hold us captive and separated from God. Jesus opens his kingdom to all people.

The powers of evil, and of death, were broken when they tried to claim Jesus. From the beginning of the gospel, John wants us to know that Jesus is the word of God, Jesus is from God, Jesus is God. Jesus Christ is present at the creation, bringing life into being, making light out of darkness, creating out of where there was nothing. So when this Jesus Christ enters into the darkness of death, and death tries to turn him into nothingness, death fails in his task. The one who creates life, light, and creation  cannot be conquered by death. Jesus makes light in the midst of the darkness of death and turns the nothingness of death into full life and eternal life. Jesus emerges from suffering death fully restored in newly created life.

So what does all this mean for you and for me?

The cross is the place of victory for Jesus, and also the place of Victory for each of us who truly love, believe and follow. Jesus draws all peoples to himself as he is raised up on the cross. We who have been united with Jesus through baptism are united with Jesus in his death. Jesus’ death breaks apart the kingdom of this earthly world that is opposed to God and firmly establishes the kingdom of God. We are brought into the kingdom of God.

This means that you have been freed from all those things which take life away. From eternal Death, fear, greed, the need to live up to other’s expectations or ways of valuing life- none of these things have a hold on us anymore. Jesus has won us away from these powers.

This night, we welcome the cross into our midst. We honour the cross as the symbol and place of Jesus’ victory, in doing so, we glorify our Lord Jesus who died there. As Jesus transforms the world with his kingdom, Jesus has transformed the cross from a place of shame to a place of victory.

Easter Sunday, the empty tomb, and the risen Jesus Christ are the final affirmations to Jesus’ victory on the cross. We know that the cross was a battle won because Jesus emerges from death. We celebrate Jesus’ faithfulness to the cross and God’s faithfulness in providing life. We rejoice in Jesus’ death, because we know that it is not the end of the story. On Easter morning, we will celebrate the bloom of the seed of victory planted this day.

Let us pray:

We remember today, the pain and suffering of the cross, and all that Jesus was willing to endure, so we could be receive salvation. He paid the price, such a great sacrifice, to be victorious over sin and death, and to win us the gift of eternal life.

Help us never to take for granted this huge gift of love on our behalf. Help us to be reminded of the cost of it all. Forgive us for being too busy, or distracted by other things, for not fully recognizing what you freely gave, what you have done for us.

Thank you Lord that by your wounds we are healed. Thank you that because of your huge sacrifice we can live free. Thank you that sin and death have been conquered, and that your Victorious Power is everlasting.

Thank you that we can say with great hope, “It is finished…” For we know what’s still to come. And death has lost its sting. We praise you for you are making all things new.

Amen.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, grace and peace be with you this Palm Sunday.

Today, as we enter into this most sacred week, our hearts are a whirlwind of emotions. We wave our palms, echoing the joyous cries of the crowds lining the road to Jerusalem: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” We celebrate Jesus, our King, entering his city, seemingly in triumph.

But even as we lift these symbols of victory, a somber undercurrent runs through our celebration. We know the rest of the story. We know that the cheers of “Hosanna” will soon turn to the venomous cries of “Crucify him!” The palms of praise will give way to the crushing weight of the cross.

As a priest in the Order of Preachers, a Dominican, I am particularly drawn to reflect on the Word, on the truth that God reveals to us. And what does today’s Gospel reveal? It reveals the paradoxical nature of our Savior, the mystery of God’s love poured out in suffering.

Think with me for a moment about the readings we have just heard. From Isaiah, we hear the suffering servant, a figure who bears the sins of many, who is struck and afflicted, yet opens not his mouth. We see a foreshadowing of the silent endurance of Christ in his Passion.

Then, in Philippians, Saint Paul unveils the profound humility of Jesus: “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 

This, my brothers and sisters, is the heart of Palm Sunday and the Holy Week that unfolds before us. We acclaim a King, yes, but a King who reigns not from a throne of earthly power, but from the wood of the cross. A King who conquers not through armies and might, but through love, sacrifice, and ultimate obedience to the Father’s will.

As Dominicans, our vocation is to contemplate and to share the fruits of our contemplation. And what we contemplate today is this immense love of God, a love that embraces suffering, a love that seeks the salvation of all humanity, even those who would betray, deny, and condemn.

This week, we are called to walk with Jesus. Not just to remember the events of the past, but to enter into them with our hearts. To feel the betrayal of Judas, the fear of Peter, the abandonment of the disciples. And most importantly, to witness the unwavering love of Jesus in the face of such profound human frailty.

The palms we hold today are a reminder of our own fickle nature. How often do we offer praise and then turn away when things become difficult? How often do we shout “Hosanna” with our lips, but our hearts are far from the self-sacrificing love that Christ embodies?

This Holy Week is an invitation to examine our own lives. Where do we need to empty ourselves, as Christ did? Where do we need to be more obedient to God’s will, even when it is challenging? Where do we need to offer true compassion and forgiveness, even to those who have hurt us?

My dear parishioners, as we carry these palms home, let them be more than just decorations. Let them be a tangible reminder of the King we acclaim today, the King who loved us so much that he willingly embraced suffering and death for our sake. Let them be a symbol of our commitment to follow him, not just in moments of glory, but also in the shadows of the cross.

May this Holy Week be a time of deep reflection, profound conversion, and a renewed appreciation for the boundless love of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Alright, family, let us dive into the profound depths of the Gospel you just heard, a passage that resonates deeply with my Dominican, calling to preach truth and extend mercy…

As your parish priest, and as a member of the Order of Preachers, I find this Gospel to be a mirror reflecting our own human frailties and the boundless, transformative power of God’s grace. We see the stark contrast between the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and the gentle, yet firm, compassion of our Lord.

They brought the woman, caught in adultery, into the light, not for justice, but to trap Jesus. They wielded the Law as a weapon, a stone ready to be hurled. How often, my friends, do we use our own understanding of righteousness to condemn, rather than to heal? How easily do we forget that we, too, are sinners in need of God’s mercy?

Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, doesn’t engage in their game. He bends down and writes on the ground. As a Dominican, a student and preacher of the Word, I find myself pondering what those words might have been. Perhaps, as tradition suggests, he wrote the sins of her accusers, forcing them to confront the darkness within their own hearts. This act, this silent, powerful gesture, speaks volumes about the power of truth to convict and to liberate.

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”

These words, so simple, yet so devastating, expose the hypocrisy that lurks within us all. In our parish, in our community, how often do we cast judgment upon others, blind to the flaws within ourselves? How quick are we to condemn, and how slow are we forgive? As s Dominican parish, we are called to bring the light of truth, not the darkness of judgment.

And then, there is the woman. Standing before Jesus, exposed and vulnerable, she faces the weight of her sin. Yet, in the presence of divine love, she finds not condemnation, but grace. “Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus says. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

This, brothers and sisters, is the heart of our Gospel, the heart of our Dominican preaching: a message of forgiveness, redemption, and new beginnings. Jesus, the Word made flesh, does not condone sin, but he offers a path to transformation. He extends his hand to the broken, the lost, and the marginalized, offering them a chance to start anew…

As your parish priest, and as a Dominican, I urge you to reflect on these lessons:

The danger of hypocrisy: We must examine our own hearts before we judge others. We must be preachers of truth, starting with ourselves.

The power of forgiveness: God’s mercy is greater than any sin. We are called to be instruments of that mercy, extending grace to those in need.

The call to transformation: Jesus invites us to turn away from sin and embrace a new life. We are called to preach this transformative message, to lead others to Christ.

Let us, therefore, strive to emulate the compassion of Christ. Let us extend mercy to those who have fallen and let us remember that we are all in need of God’s grace. May we walk in the light of his love, and may we be instruments of his peace in our parish and in the world.

Amen.

Today, we find ourselves drawn into one of the most profound and moving stories our Lord ever told: the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It is a tale that, though ancient, resonates with the deepest currents of our human experience. We begin by noting that Jesus was being criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees and scribes grumbled, and Jesus responded with the parable. This setting is important. It shows us that Jesus’s heart is always oriented toward the lost.

“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” (Luke 15:1-2)  

Think about that. Who do we grumble about? Who do we exclude? Who do we judge? Jesus shows us, we must welcome all.

Then we hear the story, a story of two sons, and a father. It is a story of rebellion, repentance, and above all, boundless, unconditional love.

The younger son, restless and foolish, demands his inheritance, as if to say, “Father, I wish you were already gone.” He takes his share and squanders it in a distant land, sinking into the depths of despair. He finds himself in a pigsty, a place of utter degradation.

But then, a glimmer of hope: “When he came to himself.” (Luke 15:17)

This is the moment of grace, the moment of recognition. He realizes the folly of his ways, and he turns his heart towards home. He prepares his plea, a plea of unworthiness, yet a plea, nonetheless.

And what does he find? A father, who has been watching, waiting, longing. A father who, upon seeing his son in the distance, runs to him, embraces him, and kisses him. The father does not wait for the son’s rehearsed speech; he interrupts it with the overwhelming outpouring of his love.

The father clothes him, restores his dignity, and throws a feast, a celebration of homecoming. This is not a reward for good behavior; it is a testament to the father’s immeasurable grace.

Then we have the older son, who stands outside, resentful and bitter. He represents those of us who, in our self-righteousness, forget the depth of our own need for mercy. He complains about justice, but he misses the point of love.

The father goes out to him as well, pleading, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:31-32)  

Folks, this parable is not just a story; it is a mirror. In which son do we see ourselves? Are we the prodigal, lost and found? Or are we the elder brother, consumed by resentment?

The Father in this story is God. God’s love is not something that is earned, it is freely given. Like the father in the story, God waits for us, longs for us, and runs to embrace us when we return.

As Dominicans, we are called to preach this message of mercy, this Gospel of grace. We are called to be instruments of reconciliation, to bring the lost back to the Father’s embrace. Let us, therefore, open our hearts to the boundless love of God, and let us extend that same love to all those who are lost and searching. Amen.

Today, on this third Sunday of Lent, we stand at a pivotal point in our Lenten journey. We have already walked through the wilderness of temptation, and we are now faced with the stark reality of God’s unwavering call to repentance. Our readings today, particularly the Gospel of Luke, illuminate the urgent need for conversion and the consequences of ignoring God’s persistent invitation to change.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of two tragic events: the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, and the eighteen people upon whom the tower in Siloam fell. These events, though seemingly random, serve as a powerful reminder of our mortality and the unpredictable nature of life. Jesus’ response to these tragedies is not to offer philosophical explanations for suffering, but rather to issue a direct and uncompromising challenge: “Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.”

This is not a threat, but a loving warning. It is a call to recognize that our lives are fragile, and that time is precious. Jesus is urging us to examine our hearts, to acknowledge our sins, and to turn away from the paths that lead us away from God. He uses these shocking examples to penetrate our complacency and shake us from our spiritual slumber.

The parable of the fig tree further emphasizes this theme. The owner of the vineyard, frustrated by the barren fig tree, orders it to be cut down. But the gardener, standing for Jesus, pleads for mercy and offers a chance for renewal. He promises to cultivate the soil, to fertilize the tree, and to give it one more year to bear fruit.

This parable is a powerful image of God’s patience and mercy. He does not wish the death of the sinner, but rather that we turn to Him and live. He gives us time, he gives us opportunities, he gives us grace. But this time is not infinite. We must respond to his love and cultivate the soil of our hearts, removing the weeds of sin and allowing the seeds of faith to flourish.

What does it mean to repent? It is not simply about feeling sorry for our sins. It is about a fundamental change of heart, a turning away from sin and a turning towards God. It is about acknowledging our need for his forgiveness and embracing his grace.

First, it means acknowledging our sins. We must be honest with ourselves and with God about the ways in which we have fallen short. We must examine our consciences and find the areas of our lives where we need to change.

Second, it means turning away from sin. This requires a conscious effort to avoid the temptations that lead us astray. It means making choices that are consistent with our faith and our commitment to Christ.

Third, it means turning towards God. This involves seeking his forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation, praying for his guidance, and striving to live a life that is pleasing to him.

Lent is a time of grace, a time of renewal. It is a time to cultivate the soil of our hearts, to remove the obstacles that prevent us from bearing fruit for God. Let us heed Jesus’ call to repentance and embrace the opportunity to turn to him with renewed faith and love.

Let us ask ourselves:

Are we listening to God’s call to repentance?

Are we taking advantage of the time he has given us?

Are we using the sacraments, prayer, and fasting to grow closer to God?

May this Lent be a time of true conversion for each of us, a time when we allow God to transform our hearts and make us fruitful branches in his vineyard. Amen.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, we come together as the Church to commemorate St. Joseph, the Spouse of The Blessed Virgin Mary, and the foster Father of our Lord and Saviour,Jesus, when he became one of us here upon the Earth.

In the same way in which God, our Heavenly Father, who gives each of us as his children, unconditional love, care, stability and who sets us the standard with which we should strive to live our lives with his holy word in the scriptures, a true Father to each and every single one of us, who only ever wants the very best for all his children.  St. Joseph follows our Father’s example, as both husband and foster father.  He gives us examples which men should follow in their lives. Joseph cared for and provided for the Holy Household. There are many qualities that Joseph had which we could use to be the role model for Christian husbands and fathers. Joseph was a very compassionate man.  We can see an example of this when he suspected his wife of infidelity; he planned to divorce her quietly rather than denounce her publicly and expose her to public shame and penalty.

Joseph was always obedient to God and did what he knew was God’s will without thought or hesitation.  Examples of this are that he kept Mary as his wife; he protected and provided for his family when they had to flee to foreign lands to protect them from danger.

Joseph led a life of deep prayer and was in communion with God, and would always seek out that which was God’s will. God often told Joseph his will using dreams.

Joseph was a provider of care, When Jesus’s life was threatened, Joseph would take them out of danger. He took his family to Egypt and only returned when it was safe to do so, and when Jesus went missing at aged twelve, Joseph went searching for him because obviously, both parents were obviously extremely worried about Jesus’s safety.

Joseph also brought much more to Jesus’s life, he taught him his trade which Jesus worked in for about twenty years, he gave Jesus the love and stability he as any child needs, and was his earthly male role model, which was and still is vitally important for a good father to give any child.

He was a man with a firm faith in God coupled with a resilient personality, who did not complain and was not appalled nor distressed in the midst of trials and tribulations, St. Joseph knew how to face, carry and solve the burden of his vocation, of life’s difficulties and responsibilities with serenity, with complete faith and love, entrusting himself totally and unconditionally to God’s plans.

Sadly not all children are brought up in such a way today, but husbands and fathers truly should seek to follow this sincere man of God in the way they run their lives. Are you married? Do you give all the love, trust and respect to your spouse? Or with stresses and strains do you always argue or not truly make time for each other? If you have children, do you know where they are and if they are safe, or who they might be talking to online? Do you give emotional stability, patience and unconditional love? Do your children see you as the role model they need in a Father?  We should always strive to be as our heavenly Father is to each of us, whether that be to our spouses, to our children, and in fact to all as our brothers and sisters.

While the Gospels do not shed much light on St. Joseph’s life, it is believed that he died before Jesus’ public ministry.

St. Joseph is the patron of fathers, spouses, priests and seminarians. But also, St. Joseph teaches  us so much by his silent example of his life, and just how we should love God faithfully and obediently.

Let us pray:

Blessed St. Joseph, Spouse of The Blessed Virgin Mary,

be with us this day.

You protected and cherished the Virgin;

loving the Child Jesus as your Son,

you rescued Him from the danger of death.

Defend the Church,

the household of God,

purchased by the Blood of Christ.

Guardian of the Holy Family,

be with us in our trials.

May your prayers obtain for us

the strength to flee from error

and wrestle with the powers of corruption

so that in life we may grow in holiness

and in death rejoice in the crown of victory.

Amen.