St. Joseph of Nazareth

The "hidden years" of Jesus, which consisted of his early childhood years till the age of thirty when he began his public ministry, must have been very special years for him in the company of Mama Mary and St. Joseph.

Joseph was Jesus' first teacher in the school of love. How many times the child Jesus and his playmates must have climbed up Joseph's lap to listen to his stories about Abraham or Moses and how God loved and spoke with them.  How often Joseph must have walked with the young Jesus around the neighborhood, showing him what it meant to really look after the blind man or the sick woman or the shamed leper. Then when Joseph was nearing death, what instructions and last words might he have whisphered to Jesus to further embed in him his love for his mission. No doubt, Jesus must have treasured all that Joseph was to him and all that Joseph taught him, and carried these in his heart throughout his whole life and all the way until his own death on the cross.


PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

Blessed Joseph, husband of 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.


(author unknown)

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Quiet Space

There is a garden in my heart

Where words stay silent

While colors speak

Where flowers bask in light

While gentle winds blow

Where God tenderly gazes

Then prayer flows

    

   

Two in One, on the Cross

  
Lord,

 Your Father said, "This is my Beloved Son, on whom my favor rests."
And yet on the cross, your body was broken.
You were Beloved, yet broken.

 You were so broken but you did not give us up.
You loved us until your death on the cross.
You were broken, yet you proved we were your Beloved.

 And now, on the cross
We know that brokenness and belovedness can co-exist.
The two together embodied in one cross.

 Like you, we are all broken yet Beloved
In our brokenness, we can believe in your love for us
In your love, our brokenness can find a home.

 Two in one, on the cross  +

 

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Prayer of Letting Go

Our good Lord gifted me with 25 years of being in exactly the organization I had always wanted to be in, doing the nature of work I have been very happy with, in the company of many good supervisors and colleagues, and amidst friendships that will endure for a lifetime. One couldn't ask for a better comfort zone!  Gratitude for the all these blessings overwhelm.

But "all things indeed have their season and all things have their time."  So after the numerous warm goodbyes, now comes the task of letting go, self-emptying, and movement into solitude and inner stillness. Into more attentive listening and responding to the gentle promptings of His Spirit.   

"Unless the grain of wheat falls deep into the earth;

Unless it dies, it remains alone.

But if it dies, the harvest indeed is great.

From this one seed comes a hundredfold."

My dearest Lord, I now offer up to You the next 25 years, or whatever remaining life you give me. Please lead me into whatever and wherever You desire. To a life of love and unity with You.

With all my heart, I beg, that like the grain of wheat, I may learn "to die, so that I may truly live in You." 

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Immanuel!



Immanuel!
"God is with us."

I kneel before you with head bowed
In gratitude, love and awe
Over your gift of self so generously
Shared on that Christmas night long ago.
 
You chose to become one with us
In all our human frailty
Feeling the full range of our human emotions
Through childhood and into adulthood.

You showed us the many ways we can 
Offer up ourselves to the Father
In a surrender of love and faith
That enables us to touch your divinity.

"Be not afraid, I go before you always.."
"Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me.."
"Love one another as I have loved you.."
"Go instead after the lost sheep.."

"That where I am, you may also be.."
"I am in my Father, and you in me and I in you.."
"He will give you another paraclete to be with you always.."
"I am with you always, until the end of the world.."

Immanuel!
Oh God, You are truly with, for and in us.
Thank you for your birth!



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Advent Prayer

You sent your beloved son to be born among us

Even if You knew that He would one day

Suffer and die a harsh death on the cross

You chose that He be born in a poor stable

Even if His mission was to establish

A heavenly Kingdom here on earth

You gave Him a mind that could be tempted
A heart that could feel anguish and frustration
A body that was not immune to pain 

Even dear Mama Mary was not spared
Her heart most pure and immaculate
Pierced with sorrow at the foot of the cross 
  
Why, Lord God, did you choose to love us this much?
Why gift us more than we could ever deserve?
Why this Christmas mystery?

Guiding Star, Shining Light of our hope
This Advent season I pray, lend me Your eyes that I may see
Through the heart of your Christmas mystery

Amen


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Christmas Giving

If Jesus were to physically appear on the scene today, I suspect He would be quite uncomfortable with the way the malls or some businesses position themselves at Christmas and make it their main objective to let people open their wallets and purchase more items than they can afford at the moment, all under the name of Christmas giving. Perhaps Jesus might avoid the cities and decide to hie away instead to the farthest, poorest provinces

and opt instead to bring simple offerings of food or clothing if at all, or more importantly just His very presence, knocking on people's doors, asking to go into their homes to find out how their families are doing with regards to their growth as persons within their family, work and community. 

Then He would probably come back to the city, refreshed in the conviction that the Christmas spirit is still alive and well, and then decide to also visit people here - only to find out that here in the city we are just too busy - multi-tasking left and right, wading through crowded calendars with all sorts of high tech gadgets.. stressed out by traffic, tensely running after the year-end business targets, last minute shopping or party arrangements. 

He would probably knock at the gates of our homes, wait patiently, then leave a note for us to just call Him when we have time so He can chat with us about how we are  growing as persons in our family, work and community.  He would probably also invite us to join Him in His other visits, but telling us to bring only ourselves - our listening ear, our open mind and caring heart - so that the same light of Christmas that shone brightly during His Nativity long ago may also shine  through us and on to those whom we visit together with Him. 

Then, like the vibrant colors of the poinsettias now abloom, our gifts of presence and time may bring to others the sense of love, peace, hope and joy which He longs to gift all of us at Christmas.

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