share our JOY

JOY{filled}family

striving to radiate Him always

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Filed Under: 03 March, 03 March Saints, St. Joseph 2 Comments

 joseph(1)

Joseph, a member of the royal family of David, was leading the obscure life of a village carpenter when God chose him to be the spouse of the Blessed Virgin and the foster father of the Incarnate Word. Scripture tells us that Joseph was just, pure, gentle, prudent, and a lover of holy silence. Above all, this humble guardian of the Child Jesus was unfailingly obedient to the divine will.
Joseph is not mentioned after he and Mary lost the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple and, following three days of agonized search, found their boy discoursing divinely with the learned doctors of the Law. The great task of the foster father of Christ must have been finished before the marriage feast at Cana and the beginning of the Savior’s public ministry. Untold millions have since then invoked St. Joseph as the patron of a happy death.

~~~

SAINT JOSEPH
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Confessor
Patron of the Universal Church

~~~

Our simple feast day celebration for the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our earthly father, Dad.

P3191241

The table is made up of three tiers, symbolizing the Most Holy Trinity. The top tier held a statue of St. Joseph.  We included our Handprint Lilies and a topiary for the greenery.  Each child added a dish to the table.  The boys coordinated the arrangement of the plates.

The celebration began when Dad came home.  We served up his favorite dish, parmesan chicken.  Conveniently, our meal was made of left overs from the baptism.  Rose made two sweet treats in honor of St. Joseph and Dad. 

~~~

Swallow's nestSwallow on St. Joseph's feast day

We had timely visitors for the feast of St. Joseph.  A family of swallows have made our porch their home.  Their nest was built with the previous owners and has remained since.  The swallows return every year.  We didn’t notice when they came in the previous year but we were on the lookout for them this year.  We did not have a citing until the morning after St. Joseph’s feast day.   It was a glorious morning surprise.

~~~

Resources:

Virtual St. Joseph Altar BLOG: 4th Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest

Act of Consecration

by Filed Under: 03 March, Annunciation, Consecration, Marian, Total Consecration

In honor of my family’s recent renewal of our Total Consecration, I am sharing with you a printable Act of Consecration.

You are free to print and share this printable.

AD JESUM PER MARIAM

~~~

Act of Consecration - Feast of the Annunciation 3.25 - full color

Full Color – Printable Act of Consecration

White – Printable Act of Consecration

~~~

After Consecration

from Fish Eaters

Once you have consecrated yourself to Jesus through Mary, live that consecration. St. Louis-Marie de Montfort recommended the following:

  • Keep praying to develop a “great contempt” for the spirit of this world
  • Maintain a special devotion to the Mystery of the Incarnation (e.g., through meditation; spiritual reading; focusing on Feasts centering around the Incarnation, such as the Annunciation and the Nativity, etc.)
  • Frequently recite the Ave, Rosary, and the Magnificat
  • Recite, every day if it is not inconvenient, the “Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin” — a series of Paters, Aves, and Glorias — one Ave for each star in the Virgin’s Crown. St. Louis has a special way of praying the Little Crown, which is recommended.
  • Do everything through, with, in and for Mary for the sake of Jesus, with the prayer, “I am all thine Immaculate One, with all that I have: in time and in eternity” in your heart and on your lips
  • Associate yourself with Mary in a special way before, during, and after Communion (see Supplement of the book, “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary” above)
  • Wear a little iron chain (around the neck, arm, waist, or ankle) as an outward sign and reminder of holy slavery. This practice is optional, but very recommended by St. Louis. The appearance of this chain is not further specified.
  • Renew the consecration once a year on the same date chosen above, and by following the same 33-day period of exercises. If desired, also renew the consecration monthly with the prayer, “I am all thine and all I have is thine, O dear Jesus, through Mary, Thy holy Mother.”
  • Optional: Join the Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts. Their address:
    Director, Confraternity of Mary Queen of All Hearts
    26 South Saxon Avenue
    Bay Shore, NY 11706

Yes Day

by Filed Under: 03 March, Annunciation, Picture Recap

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a beautiful feast day that is also known as YES Day in our home.

We usually start the day with Mass and a renewal of our vows of Total Consecration to Mary.  Last year didn’t go as planned.  This year was almost a repeat.  Rose, Papi and Sparkles were all sick.  In addition, I was becoming preoccupied with prepping for a special dinner with Father M & Father Louis Baudon de Mony.  Dad was running on 3 hours of sleep.  The trials were building up.

Praise God that we did not let these very small obstacles steal our joy. 

We did not get to attend Mass but we did complete a renewal of vows in our home as a family. 

We were also able to keep our tradition — our simple way to celebrate the big feast day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Dad and I say yes all day to all reasonable requests.  The children are also encouraged to say a profound and JOYfilled yes to all requests asked of them.  In addition, the children must give all praise to God for the granting of their requests.

Let’s just say there was plenty of praise giving happening in our home.  Deo gratias!

clip_image001

This was my yes to dad.  He asked me to turn my Marian ParFIAT into a Marian SmoothYES with whip cream on top, of course.  And If you give a dad some whip cream, he’ll find some kids to spray.

Notice that my littles already had a popsicle, a result of dad’s earlier yes.

ALL FOR!

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Filed Under: 03 March, Annunciation, Marian

"Ecce ancilla Domini; fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum." ~ Luke 1:38

Annunciation BVM  THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

New Calendar – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
FIRST CLASS / WHITE
Every year this feast recalls anew Mary’s reply to God’s angelic messenger: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." Every work of the Creator is called to perfection, and perfection consists in obedience. The heavens and the earth inevitably announce the glory of God, but to human beings alone God granted a free will to serve Him. At the Annunciation, the obedience of Mary brought Christ down on earth to save fallen humanity. we, too, are called upon to co-operate with the Creator. The glory of God awaits our human word of obedient consent.

~~~

Colloquy:

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Not only is God the Son with you, to whom you gave your blood, but also God the Holy Spirit, by means of whose operation you conceived, and also God the Father, who generated from all eternity Him whom you conceived. The Father, who gives you His Son, is with you; the Son is with you, who, wishing to accomplish a prodigious mystery, conceals Himself in. your maternal bosom without violating your virginal integrity; the Holy Spirit is with you, who, together with the Father and the Son, sanctifies you. God is truly with you" (St. Bernard).  

"0 Mary, my sweet love, you opened to the eternal Divinity the door of your will, and the Word immediately became incarnate within you. BY THIS YOU TEACH ME THAT GOD,  WHO CREATED ME WITHOUT MY HELP, WILL NOT SAVE ME WITHOUT IT…but knocks at the door of my will and waits for me to open it to Him.  (St. Catherine of Siena) 

O Mother Mary, I beg you to teach me and help me always to open wide the door of my soul to every divine appeal, to every solicitation of grace. At each manifestation of the divine will, may I repeat with you a humble, prompt, " Ecce, fiat!"

~ Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen OCD (Divine Intimacy)

~~~

"Like Mary, let us be full of zeal to go in haste to give Jesus to others. She was full of grace when, at the annunciation, she received Jesus. Like her, we too become full of grace every time we receive Holy Communion. It is the same Jesus whom she received and whom we receive at Mass. As soon as we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, let us go in haste to give Him to our sisters, to our poor, to the sick, to the dying, to the lepers, to the unwanted, and the unloved. By this we make Jesus present in the world today." ~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

~~~

RESOURCES:

 

 

 

~~~

"O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen" (Memorare).

St. Gabriel the Archangel

by Filed Under: 03 March, 03 March Saints, 09 September, 09 September Saints, Archangels, St. Gabriel

image

SAINT GABRIEL
Archangel

"Man of God" or "God Has Shown Himself Mightily."

Traditional Calendar – March 24 ~ New Calendar – September 29

GREATER DOUBLE / WHITE
Gabriel the Archangel announced to Daniel the time of the coming of the Messias (Dan. 9:21), and to Zachary the future birth of the Precursor of the Word Incarnate (Luke 1:10). Then came the sublime message to Mary at Nazareth and the God-inspired salutation, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28).
In the "Hail Mary," the words of the Angel of the Annunciation have been repeated through the centuries by countless millions of human beings. Thrice daily the church bells ring the "Angelus" to recall through the ages how the strong angel who stands before God bowed in reverence to a humble Jewish virgin, soon to become the Mother of Christ and the Queen of heaven and earth.

 

~~~

Novena for the Annunciation

O most holy Virgin Mary, to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel to announce that you should be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son, pray for us who have recourse to you. Holy, lovely Mary We give our all to you What is past and present, And the future, too. Blessed be the holy and Immaculate Conception of the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

300 days. Plenary, under usual conditions, if said daily for a month. S. Pen., Nov. 8, 1934.

~~~

HYMN I
Let us all exult with joyous hearts,
and strike the tuneful lyre;
’tis the great Gabriel that comes
in all his brightness from the high heavens.
This is the feast of the glorious Virgin’s messenger,
and with him comes the whole host of Angels,
singing in varied hymns
the praise of Christ.
Let our choir, therefore,
sing the praises of Gabriel the prince,
for he is one of the seven that stand
before the Lord and do His biddings.
Gabriel cheerfully descends whithersoever God wills,
for he is the messenger of Heaven,
nay the mediator that reveals to the world
the secret decrees of the omnipotent God.
Be thou, O Gabriel, we beseech thee,
messenger to us of the special gift of eternal peace,
wherewith we may finally reach Heaven,
and everlastingly rejoice.
May the Godhead ever blessed of
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Whose glory is proclaimed through the whole world,
grant us this our prayer. Amen.

~~~

RESOURCES:

~~~

Pray, O Gabriel, for the Church militant, and defend her against the attacks of hell. The times are evil; the spirits of malice are let loose, nor can we make stand against them, unless with God’s help. It is by His holy angels that He gives victory to His bride. Be thou, O strength of God! foremost in the ranks. Drive heresy back, keep schism down, foil the false wisdom of men, frustrate the policy of the world, arouse the well-minded from apathy; that over the earth He has redeemed, and that we may sing together with thee and the whole angelic choir: ‘Glory be to God, peace to men!’

~ Dom Prosper Gueranger

Subscribe to our Newsletter