News Item: : Celebrating St. Joseph in the Traditional Liturgy
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
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Sunday 01 May 2016 - 20:26:12

Today we will share a brief reflection on two related aspects in the Traditional Latin Mass for this second feast of St. Joseph (the first being the 19th March). 

1). The Epistle was taken from Col 3: 14-15, 17, 23-24.

In it we read: ''Whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that you shall receive the reward of inheritance. Serve ye the Lord Christ.''

2). The Gospel was from Matthew: 13:54-58.

It begins: ''At that time, when Jesus had come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered and said: ''How came this man by this wisdom and miracles? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his bretheren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude: And all his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence therefore hast he all these things?'' And they were scandalized in His regard. But Jesus said to them: ''A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.'' And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.''

At times, orthodox Catholics who try to serve the Lord and His Church can feel somewhat discouraged when their sincere efforts are misunderstood, sidelined or outright rejected.

Although this must be a hard cross to bear, it is a most worthwhile one. This particular cross, if given to Our Blessed Lord can preserve such Catholics from thinking that they are in any way important in the overall picture. For sure, they are important in one sense, but only in so far as they fulfill what God's will is for them. Anything else might lead to pride or self-assertion. The cross of rejection contains within it the opportunity for death to self, spiritual growth and an opening to total dependence on Christ. 

If you can keep going in your apostolate and journey of conversion when there seems to be little success, or even little point in continuing, then you can be more certain that you are doing things for Christ and not for your own vainglory. The lack of success can also serve as a purification from such vainglory as we are prone to in our fallen nature. The key is to allow God to work in all circumstances by staying very open to Him and His grace. It can even be beneficial to ask God to hide your fruits from you if this will best serve your salvation and sanctification.

In today's Gospel, we see that even Our Lord Jesus, St. Joseph and Our Blessed Lady found themselves being rejected as though they were a group of ''nobodys'' by their local community - in a certain sense by their local ''church''.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God Incarnate.

Our Lady, who is the only person, aside from Christ to be totally without all stain of sin.

St. Joseph, who is not just some carpenter from the back of beyond, but the Just Man of Sacred Scripture; the greatest of saints after Our Lady.

The local people were not able to recognise the greatness of these greatest of persons ever to have lived on this earth.

And what does it matter to be rejected by limited, sinful, changeable and often pedantic human creatures? St. Teresa of Avila had it right when she observed that one day human creatures might be singing your praises and the very next be found criticizing you. This is why detachment is a step towards freedom in Christ. 

Today's readings help us to see that what is most important in this world is to do all things well and to do them for the love of God in Jesus Christ. Human affirmation, though nice when it happens, is not so important and is not to be our goal.

If you don't yet have a copy of the excellent book The Glories of St. Joseph by Traditions Monastiques, then we encourage you to get hold of a copy as soon as possible. It has been literally life-changing for us; this was the book in which we found our often-mentioned 30-Days Prayer to St. Joseph at the start of 2004.

The book contains a most helpful reflection on the heavenly virtue of chastity by St. Francis de Sales.

One of the great saint's points in his discussion of that theme can be related to our reflection today.

St. Francis de Sales wrote: ''Precious things, such as sweet-smelling ointments, are not exposed to the open air, as the fragrance would gradually be lost in the environment and be spoiled by insects. Likewise, holy souls, fearing to lose the value and merit of their good deeds, should place them for safe-keeping in a vessel, not in a common one, but in a precious alabaster vessel, like the one used by Mary Magdalene as she poured out the ointment over the Sacred Head of Our Lord (see Mark 14:3)...

... This alabaster vessel is the humility in which we must, in imitation of Our Lady and St. Joseph, keep our virtues and all that would draw admiration from the world, being happy to please the Lord and dwell under the sacred veil of self-abjection. We wait for God to come and take us to a safe place filled with His glory, and where He will Himself display our virtues for His honour and esteem.''

And so, let us conclude with those beautiful words from today's Traditional Latin Mass Epistle: ''Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that you shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance. Serve ye the Lord Christ.''

Therein lies true liberty.

St. Joseph the Worker, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church - Pray for us!

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1304 )