Celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph
/Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph!
While the Bible gives us few details about the life of St. Joseph, we do know that he was the husband to Mary, Jesus’ foster father, and a carpenter. He was a good man who cared deeply for Mary and Jesus and took his responsibility to do so very seriously. He is often portrayed in art pieces with lilies to represent his purity and holiness. Here are a few activities to help you reflect more on St. Joseph.
Elementary School Adaptation:
Lilly origami (with detailed instructions)
Middle School Adaptation:
Though the middle school students and families are not able celebrate at OLMC with the planned spaghetti meal, I do want to encourage your family to celebrate this great solemnity with a nice dinner at home. Traditionally the meal is Italian because of the Italians great devotion to St. Joseph, but that is up to you. Take some time during (or just following) dinner to reflect on the life of St. Joseph and what makes him a saint.
Things to meditate as a family: imagine that your wife is the Queen of Heaven and your son is the Son of God, this is the position St. Joseph found himself in. He was human, but lived a life of holiness. He was a saint through his faithfulness to God, his prudence in leading his family to safety, and his good stewardship as the head of the Holy Family. St. Joseph is the patron of the universal Church and models for us obedience to God’s Will for our salvation.
High School Adaptation:
What is the difference between a feast day and a solemnity? Check out the chart below to see some of the differences between solemnities, feasts, and memorials in the liturgical calendar. Today we celebrate the solemnity of St. Joseph. Though it is not a holy day of obligation in USA, we still are called to celebrate this day, glorifying God for the gift and life of St. Joseph to the Church. Solemnities even give us a break from our fasts during Lent, like Sundays (so enjoy that piece of chocolate today). Solemnities are the celebrations of greatest importance.
Though there are no recorded words in Scripture from St. Joseph, his life modeled true and complete faithfulness to God’s plan. St. Joseph had a role in raising our Savior, and he continues to have a role in protecting the Church through his holy intercession. Check out today’s saint reflection page to look at the life of St. Joseph and how we too can follow his example in obedience and holiness.
Also as a family, take some time to reflect on the Mass readings for today found here on the USCCB’s website.
St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church, pray for us!