Saint Joseph's feast is March 19th (and the 20th this year) and this month is also dedicated to him. How can we honor Saint Joseph this month? You can say the short prayer on our Home page and perhaps memorize it....and share it with others! Of course there are many other wonderful prayers and devotions to Saint Joseph. Also, if you don't have a statue of him in your home, now might be the time to get one.
Lent has commenced, the beautiful yearly time of spiritual renewal that we all need-how wise is Mother Church! The photo above is the window in my dining room....my husband made fun of me last weekend when I decorated the window-he said, "Some people, they're always putting the Lent decorations up early!" I don't know what's funnier, the fact that I put them up early or the fact that I put up Lent decorations. So, I know you all know about no meat on Fridays, but do you know that traditionally, meat was eaten only at one meal each day of Lent (except Sundays)? I have never successfully kept to that before, but I am going to try this year....the real issue is forgetting, so I have marked my calendar to remind myself and am hoping for the best. Dear Lord, guide us in observing a holy Lent, which is pleasing to Thee and may we be that much closer to Heaven at the celebration of Thy glorious Resurrection!
And...we have the Ember Days of Lent as well. This is a time of prayer and penance for the coming season of Spring (we can pray for Saint Isidore's intercession, whose feast is the 22nd), a Christianized version of pagan customs. On these days, I love to read the masses in the traditional missal. It is sad the Ember Days have largely been lost-this is what I mean when I say it is time to create new traditions-be creative with it!
What else is going on this month? We have three Doctors of the Church, three people involved in Christ's Crucifixion and death, several Marian feasts and Saint Patrick's Day. Saint Gabriel's feast is appropriately, the day before the Annunciation. It is also interesting to note that the Annunciation and the feast of Saint Dismas fall on the same day, giving us a perspective from Our Lord's conception to his death. And let us not forget to retire from our penance and be joyful on Laetare Sunday....remembering that its really all about the Resurrection and an eternity in Heaven!
3/1-Ash Wednesday-Fast and abstinence
3/3-Saint Katharine Drexel, 1955
3/6-Saints Felicitas & Perpetua, Martyrs, 203
3/7-Saints Felicitas & Perpetua (new)/Saint Thomas Aquinas,"The Angelic Doctor," Doctor of the Church, 1274
3/8-Ember Wednesday in Lent
3/10-Ember Friday in Lent
3/11-Ember Saturday in Lent
3/12-Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church, 604/Saint Theophanes the Chronicler, 817
3/15-Saint Longinus, Pierced the Heart of Our Lord
3/17-Saint Joseph of Arimathea, Provided the Tomb for Christ/Saint Patrick, Patron of Ireland, 461
3/18-Our Lady of Mercy/Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Doctor of the Church, 386
3/19-Saint Joseph
3/20-Saint Joseph (new, transferred)
3/22-Saint Isidore the Farmer, 1130
3/23-Our Lady of Victories
3/24-Saint Gabriel the Archangel
3/25-The Annunciation of Our Lord/Saint Dismas, "The Good Thief"
3/26-Laetare Sunday
(this blog provides new and traditional feasts)