Happy St. Joseph's Day!

Here's the last one in our week of feasts: The Solemnity of St. Joseph. This is a big day at our house. Joseph's name day and a break from Lent. (It says so in Canon Law. Who am I to argue?) Happy name day, Joseph!

We read two stories of St. Joseph today. One of which is a favorite book of Joseph's: Good Saint Joseph from the Catholic Book Publishing Co. Then we sang some St. Joseph songs. The old favorite "St. Joseph was a Carpenter" is still a big hit with the preschooler. And we have recently learned a song that goes, "St. Joseph, St. Joseph, teach us how to obey. St. Joseph, St. Joseph, protect us on our way..." It includes verses about each time angels came to St. Joseph and told him what God wanted, emphasizing his obedience and protection of the holy family. Matthew then made a card for John, since St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers. And I had a little card ready for Joseph, too, since it's his name day. Fun stuff!


Joseph chose the dinner menu: hot dogs, mac & cheese, corn, and strawberries. I made cream puffs for dessert, as I traditionally do. I read about the Italian tradition in The Year and Our Children by Mary Reed Newland (now back in print from Sophia Institute Press). That was one of the first books I read when we started thinking of home schooling, and it has become one of my favorite books about living the liturgical year. Over the years, we have incorporated quite a few of her ideas into our family celebrations.

After dinner, John gave Joseph a Name Day Blessing from the Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers book (USCCB).

Enjoying every bite!

Deliziosa!

Patrick took a couple of cream puffs with him when he left this evening. He's on his way to Tokyo with the soccer team again, this time, for games against Kinnick High School. He'll be back in the wee hours of Sunday morning, take a nap, go to Mass with us, and sleep again for awhile in the afternoon. These trips involve 12-hour bus rides each way, a day on the base where they're playing, and playing at least 2 soccer games, sometimes 3 during the visit. Thankfully, when our snow melts, he'll have some weekends off when the other teams travel up here.

St. Joseph, protect him on his way!

To You O Blessed Joseph (Ad Te, Beate Ioseph)

To you, O blessed Joseph,
do we come in our tribulation,
and having implored the help of your most holy spouse,
we confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity which bound you
to the immaculate Virgin Mother of God
and through the paternal love
with which you embraced the Child Jesus,
we humbly beg you graciously to regard
the inheritance which Jesus Christ
has purchased by his Blood,
and with your power and strength
to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family,
defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ;
O most loving father,
ward off from us
every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
O our most mighty protector,
be propitious to us and from heaven assist us
in our struggle with the power of darkness;
and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril,
so now protect God's Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity;
shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example and your aid,
we may be able to live piously, to die holily,
and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.
New St. Joseph People's Prayer Book