If He's Good Enough for Jesus, Then He's Good Enough for Me!
March is traditionally dedicated to St. Joseph the foster father of Jesus. I have recently come across the Seven Sorrows/Joys of St. Joseph which I had never heard of before, but have found very beautiful. Perhaps you can increase your devotion in some way to this saint that is so often forgotten but is not unimportant. He is the patron saint of the Universal Church and workers among many other things.
The Seven Sorrows/Joys of St. Joseph
(Directed in prayer to St. Joseph)
1. The sorrow of your heart to find Mary with Child / the Joy as the Mystery made known by the Angel.
2. The sorrow of not finding a suitable birthplace / The Joy as you beheld the Glories of Angels.
3. Your sorrow as you shed the First Blood of the Savior / the quiet Joy as you announced The Holy Name of Jesus to the world.
4. The prophecy of Simeon did cause you to shudder with dread / yet the Joy of the Resurrection and Salvation he also foretold.
5. The sorrow of leaving home and the fright of being pursued by those who wished Jesus dead / the Joy of having (near thee) The Savior (God Incarnate)
6. The sorrow and trepidation of returning to a land and people who would reject this Son of God (and Son of man) / the assurance of the Angel you would dwell in joy and gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary.
7. The sorrow in the seeking of Jesus for three days / the Joy in finding Him teaching in the Temple.
St. Joseph, pray for us in our sorrows / in our Joys. Amen.
1 comment:
To
The Archbishop Of Madras-Mylapore 13 March,2007
Santhome,Chennai,India.
Your Grace,Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ.I am a Marine Engineer from the States,currently sailing through the Indian Ocean,who spends considerable periods of time in Chennai and Colombo.In both ports of call,my contacts are Catholics and I,being a staunch Catholic myself,am pained to hear,and notice,the striking contrast between the Clergy in Sri Lanka and Chennai.Sri Lankan priests seem to have a spontaneous compulsion to present themselves as priests,both in attire and practice.It is noticeable to see how people respect them from their hearts.Sri Lanka does seem to be holding on to the traditional Catholic approach as far as the Clergy are concerned.At a time when churches are being converted into restaurants and night clubs in the West,the residual Catholic community there has a lot of hope and respect for the Catholic Church and its Clergy in India.But,from what I have heard and seen,the Clergy,under you pastoral care and supervision in Chennai(the truly devoted servants of Jesus apart)are making a mockery of the principles of Jesus Christ.My good friend,R V,told me that when he was travelling to Bangalore by train,his co-passenger,a non-catholic,asked R V whether he could exercise his influence to convert him into a Catholic.R V,puzzled,asked" why?"His answer was,"it's useless to pawn my mother's wedding chain and go to Dubai or Singapore by paying the agent in Tirchy for peanuts.I have seen a couple of Don Bosco priests,without any visible sign of austerity or obligation to God's command,having a layman's approach to life by helping their close relatives.I thought all Catholic priests and nuns would be like Mother Teresa,but these priests have no semblance of sacrifice.Why shouldn't I become a Don Bosco priest and help my poor relatives in the name of God?"Your Grace,how disturbing!We can only turn to you to share our profound concerns.We beseech you,in the name of Jesus Christ,to exercise our Lord's command to you by considering the following points:
1.Please insist that every priest under you is recognisable as an enthusiastic Representative of God.This would enable people to revere and keep them as role models to serve Jesus.When a lad,working for a super-market chain,could sport his uniform proudly to show that he is a part of a prestigious chain,why is a Catholic priest,representing the largest faith in the world,finding it a burden to present himself as an instrument of God,focused on a rich harvest for Jesus through his public display and and behaviour of being a Catholic priest.Your Grace,please look at some of the web-sites maintained by your priests--most of them are in smart casuals Couldn't they find at least a cross as an indicator that they are serving Jesus Christ.In the West,most of our priests present themselves as individuals to be revered for Christ's sake.Should they come out without their collar,they have the Cross hanging as an indicator.
2.Even in a small organisation,as a management policy,it is discouraged to recruit an individual who has a relative working there.Why do you allow your priests to minister in a neighbourhood where their close relatives live?Don't you agree this would hinder their priestly duties.Why are you allowing priests,especially from the Don Bosco Order,to render financial,material and educational help to their close relatives?These essentials could easily be met by those relatives who are comfortably placed and physically fit.It is understandable(and heart-warming),if a priest's involvement in his relative's family is directed towards spiritual guidance and well-being.We have proof of a Catholic layman pulled from the verge of committing suicide because a Don Bosco Priest failed to deal with his problem in a sympathetic manner.This priest was driven by passion for his relative,completely oblivious of his Vocation.
3.A priest who gets his Theological training in Rome tends to consider himself a step above other priests.Didn't you send him at considerable expense to the Catholic Church to equip him as a better person for his ministry?Please send such priests to a seminary in India,make them read the lives of Great Catholics,who worked for Jesus in tough and appalling conditions.How privileged they are to work for Jesus in this relatively comfortable world of today!
4.Let every member of the Human Race,be it a Christian,Hindu,Muslim,Buddhist or an atheist,see Jesus in our priests.Their faces,their conduct,their sacrifice,their devotion and their selflessness.
5.Before finding out how much revenue each Catholic church or an institution has generated,let the priests and nuns derive satisfaction from the knowledge of how many souls they have harvested for Our Good Lord,Jesus Christ.
Your Grace,as you will agree,the word integrity en capsules the contents of this letter.When somebody decides to become a spiritual leader,in whatever Church,they are not taking a job,they are not joining a business or a club.They are committing themselves to the spiritual guidance and well-being of others,thankfully with God's help.
It is an awesome responsibility that becomes heavier the higher they climb the spiritual ladder of promotion,within their Church or general belief.If many of those who took on the challenge(not job),were truthful to themselves,they would have to admit after quite a short space of time that they were not up to it and should therefore leave.
Looking around the Catholic Diocese of Madras,it would seem there are quite a few "members" who should be having a serious word with themselves..........?
Your humble friend in Christ,
Nicholas.
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