Comu semu tutti muti?

Preparation is half the fun for Feast of San Giuseppe

by Debra Samuels, The Boston Globe

GLOUCESTER — In the garage-cum-kitchen of Nina and Franco Groppo’s home here, more than 20 friends and extended family are preparing for the Feast of San Giuseppe. That means pasta making — lots of it — along with plenty of fun. Flour sifting through the air around him, Pasquale Vitale throws his head back and calls out: “Comu semu tutti muti?’’ (Let me hear your voices.) The pasta makers respond: “Viva San Giuseppe Viva!’’ . . . keep reading and don't miss the slide show!

Virtual Altar on NewOrleans.com

NewOrleans.com listed the Virtual St. Joseph Altar as an alternative for those who can't make it to an actual Altar in New Orleans. How exciting!

Solemn High Mass for St. Joseph's Day

On March 19, 2010 St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia. celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph with a Solemn High Mass, Extraordinary Form, Tridentine Rite approved by Diocese of Richmond Bishop DiLorenzo. They also set up a beautiful St. Joseph's Altar. Thanks, Victoria, for sharing!

Thank you all . . .

. . . for a wonderful 2010 Feast of St. Joseph, with over 7,000 visitors and 160 offerings. There were over 900 visitors on March 19 alone!

This blog has gotten more attention this year. Many people have sent in stories and photos for me to share here.

The most fun for me this year has been the 1st Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest. I have really enjoyed making the rounds and seeing everyone's personal and distinct Altars. It's not too late to join the fun. Linking continues through the end of March.

I want to thank all who participated in some way with this year's Virtual Altar, helping to make this a worthy honor to St. Joseph.

Moms and kids craft mini altars

So nice to see these little Altars getting around. This email, and photos, came today:

Our mother and child's group had a great time building St. Joseph's altars this past Friday on the Feast of St. Joseph.  All of the children are preschool age or younger and we want to share our photos with you.


The little ones were so excited and it was very sweet to see all the mama's telling stories as they colored or cut out the pictures of St. Joseph.  I think the oldest child is 4 1/2, and the focus was phenomenal :)


Holly
St. Mary's Old Town Alexandria, VA
craft coordinator for Mother and Child Holy Hour

More mini 3D Altars

I love to see these little Altars being built. If you made one of the mini 3D altars, please send me a pic so I can post it here.

Carrie, and her cute daughter Reagan, made this mini 3D altar:  

1st Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest

Happy Feast of St. Joseph and welcome to the 1st Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest!

The ultimate way to give honor to St. Joseph on his feast day is with your very own St. Joseph Altar. The goal of the Blog Fest is to link all those who have created a St. Joseph Altar for the 2010 Feast of St. Joseph. It will be fun to see the variety of approaches and styles. Simple or extravagant, we want to see it!

To participate, all you need to do is:
1. Erect a St. Joseph Altar. Be sure to get the whole family involved.
2. Make a post on your blog about your Altar. We want to see photos if possible!
3. Use the MckLinky form below and enter the exact link to your St. Joseph Altar post.
4. Link your post back to this post. Grab a button to make linking easier and link it to http://stjosephaltar.blogspot.com/2010/03/1st-annual-st-joseph-altar-blog-fest.html
5. If you already have a button on your blog, please change the link to http://stjosephaltar.blogspot.com/2010/03/1st-annual-st-joseph-altar-blog-fest.html
6. Be sure to make the rounds and visit all the St. Joseph Altar posts.

Here is our 2010 St. Joseph Altar.

For more pics and details, visit my Homeschool Goodies blog.

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1st Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest participants:

Evann - - 2010 St. Joseph Altar St. Joseph Altar and Crafts from Paper Dali Gae ~ Cherished Hearts At Home Catholic Icing Grace @ Our Field of Little Flowers Beads4Prayer Food Pantry Altar @ Waltzing Matilda

Faith Hope and Love Jessica @ Shower of Roses : In Honor of St. Joseph Jessica @ Shower of Roses 3 - D Cut and Color Altar St. Joseph Altars 2010 - New Orleans Our Saint Joseph Altar 2010 A St. Josephs Day dinner party The Church Ladies St Joseph Altar

An expression of art and love

Author studies St. Joseph traditions
by Debbie Glover, St. Tammany News

“I’ve been writing about food since the 1960s and teaching cooking for 40 years,” said Sandra Scalise Juneau, local food connoisseur, author and St. Joseph altar teacher.

“One of the things I love about the St. Joseph altar is that each one is totally unique. It’s an expression of art and love,” she said. . . . keep reading!

Friday feast day

According to Canon law: if a feast day falls on a Friday during Lent, the obligation to abstain from meat or do penance is lifted. So, enjoy all those cakes, cookies, and forbidden treats you are planning for your Altars. But remember, traditionally there is no meat on a St. Joseph Altar.

Elizabeth's mini Altar

This email made me happy. Elizabeth and her family made the 3D cut & color mini St. Joseph Altar, accompanied by food items appropriate to donate to a local shelter. Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your family altar with us.

As promised attached to this email is a picture of our family's St. Joseph Altar.  We have placed several nonperishable items symbolic to the real food that might be placed on an altar.  Our plan is to later take those items to our local Mission (homeless shelter).  We've incorporated books and the memory cards Jessica shared to further celebrate this wonder saint.

Thank you for the inspiration and the help in creating this memorable altar for our family.

God bless,
Elizabeth

St. Joseph goodies

Shop for one-of-a-kind St. Joseph items at thankevann.


You'll find:

• t-shirts
• sweat shirts
• framed art
• note cards
• mouse pads
• and more

Reminder: St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest

Don't forget,  the 1st Annual St. Joseph Altar Blog Fest will open this Friday. To be included, make a blog post about your Altar, including details and pics, then link it here. I will begin the linking on the March 19 Feast of St. Joseph and continue till the end of March. Simple or extravagant, we want to see it! So come back on March 19 to link your Altar post. In the meantime, head to the Virtual St. Joseph Altar for all the info you need to get started planning your Altar. Place this button on your blog, spread the word and let's honor St. Joseph.

Listing of New Orleans Altars

The Clarion Herald, official newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, has published a list of parishes, schools and entities of the Archdiocese that are hosting St. Joseph Altars for the 2010 Feast Day: St. Joseph Altars Open For Viewing & part 2 (these are pdfs)

WWLTV.com has an online listing of local Altars as well.

7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph — #7

Although this devotion can be done anytime, one of the more traditional times to start is seven Sundays before the March 19 Feast of St. Joseph.

Today is the seventh Sunday:

O glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all holiness, when thou didst lose, through no fault of thine own, the Child Jesus, thou sought Him sorrowing for the space of three days, until with great joy, thou didst find Him again in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors. By this sorrow and this joy, we supplicate thee, with our hearts upon our lips, to keep us from ever having the misfortune to lose Jesus through mortal sin; but if this supreme misfortune should befall us, grant that we may seek Him with unceasing sorrow until we find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass over to enjoy His presence in Heaven; and there in company with thee, may we sing the praises of His Divine mercy forever. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)


Antiphon: And Jesus Himself was beginning about the age of thirty, being (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.


V: Pray for us, O holy Joseph,


R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Let Us Pray.


O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer taken from fisheaters.com

New Jersey St. Joseph's Altar

For those of you in the Bloomfield New Jersey area:

St. Joseph's Altar celebration March 14
The 22nd annual St. Joseph's Altar celebration will be held Sunday, March 14 at 1 p.m. at St. Thomas R.C. Church, 64 Byrd Ave., Bloomfield. . . . keep reading

A spring tradition

St. Joseph’s Altars on display 
by Debbie Glover, St. Tammany News

A unique display of Sicilian and Italian culture is on display this month at the Madisonville Museum, 201 Cedar St. in Madisonville.

South Louisiana Catholics have showed their devotion to St. Joseph for generation through the building of altars laden with edible breads, fruits, pastries and other treats. The tribute was originally built in homes as thanks for a favor granted through the year or in remembrance of a loved one.

While altars are still made in some homes, church parishes and even some businesses, such as Anne Dale in Mandeville, now have altars as part of their Lenten, or spring, tradition.

The altars are not simply built of lavish displays of foods and pastry. They are a symbol of a culture and tradition handed from one generation to another and everything included in an altar has meaning. . . . keep reading

Testimonials to St. Joseph

A reader sent in the following testimonial:

Hello there, i came across your blog and i would like to give my testimony to the intercession of Saint Joseph and the works of God. I have posted this on several Catholic sites as well, for thanksgiving and homage. Please help to spread it about and pray for further improvements. Thank you.

About 2 weeks ago, my best friend texted me that her grandmother has been re-hospitalized. This is due to her organs deteoriating and/or the growth in her lungs. She was hospitalized once early last year in 2009 and she got better, thanks to the intercession of Saint Joseph and God's miraculous works too. I said the novena to Saint Joseph to intercede to God and to Jesus to let her grandmother get better. After several days, my best friend told me over the phone that her grandmother is now recovering, which is wonderful and no suprise at all, as I trusted in God and Saint Joseph. However, I'd like to ask for everyone to pray that her grandmother continues to recover and be free from her illness and also for the family to realize the awesome works of God and Christ and to open their hearts to Him and believe in Him. Everything accounted in here really happened. Thank you for taking your time to read through this testimony and to pray for them.

If you have a testimonial, or prayer request report, regarding the intercession of St. Joseph, feel free to share it with us in the comment box below.

The Symbols of St. Joseph

The Symbols of St. Joseph

by Father Michael Van Sloun
for The Catholic Spirit
Tuesday, 17 March 2009

The Church has assigned two special feast days each year to honor St. Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus: March 19, the solemnity of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary; and May 1, the memorial of St. Joseph the Worker. A number of symbols are associated with this great saint.

A Carpenter’s Square. The gospel indicates that Joseph was a carpenter: “Is he [Jesus] not the carpenter’s son?” (Mt 13:55). A square is an indispensable tool of the trade for carpenters, a two-sided instrument in a 90 degree angle used to form right angles, and it is the tool most frequently used to represent St. Joseph.

Other Carpenter’s Tools. Other tools associated with St. Joseph include a hammer, a saw, an axe, a planer, and a workbench. St. Joseph is the patron saint of carpenters and workers.

A White Lily or One or Three White Flowers. The whiteness of the flower represents Joseph’s virtue, holiness, innocence, and obedience to God: “he did as the angel commanded” (Mt 1:24; see also Mt 2:14,21,22). The white flower also represents his faithfulness to Mary, as well as his chastity and sexual purity because he respected her virginity and remained celibate throughout their marriage: “he had no relations with her” (Mt 1:25a).

A Flowering Staff. There are a number of apocryphal or non-scriptural texts that describe Joseph as the one especially chosen by God to be the husband of Mary. The imagery is drawn from an incident when Aaron’s staff sprouted with almond blossoms as a sign that he was especially chosen by God (Num 17:23).

The Child Jesus. St. Joseph is frequently depicted with the young child Jesus in his arms to represent his role as the father of Jesus (Lk 3:23; 4:22; Jn 1:45; 6:42). Joseph served as Jesus’ guardian and protector, especially during their travels. He also provided for Jesus, cared for him, and instructed him.

A Star of David. Joseph was a good and faithful Jew, a “righteous man” (Mt 1:19), “son of David” (Mt 1:20), who devoutly and obediently observed the commandments and the statutes of the Mosaic Law.

A Pair of Turtle Doves. Joseph and Mary together brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22), and according to tradition, Joseph brought the pair of turtle doves that were to be offered in sacrifice (Lk 2:24). They represent his material poverty.

The Letter “J.” “J” is the first letter of Joseph’s name, and it is sometimes used alone or with other symbols to represent him.

When to begin the novena?

That's the big question. Some folks say to start today, others say to start tomorrow. If you start today, March 10, you will be finished your novena on the Eve of the Feast of St. Joseph. That, I believe, is the more traditional procedure. Start tomorrow and finish on the actual Feast Day. Really, I don't think St. Joseph minds either way!

Once you've decided when to start, jumpstart your novena at aeternus with some words from Saint Teresa of Avila and a beautiful image of St. Joseph: Devotion to St. Joseph.

Our St. Joseph lapbooks

Check out our St. Joseph Lapbooks.

Mt. Carmel and the unveiling

Aeternus has a beautiful reflection on St. Joseph’s Virtual Altar, Mt. Carmel and the unveiling! This post draws from The Life of St. Joseph by Edward Healy Thompson, published in 1891. As well as the lovely reflection on St. Joseph, Aeternus shares her visit to my home. I am still speechless!

7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph - #6

Although this devotion can be done anytime, one of the more traditional times to start is seven Sundays before the March 19 Feast of St. Joseph.

Today is the sixth Sunday:

O glorious St. Joseph, an angel on earth, thou didst marvel to see the King of Heaven obedient to thy commands, but thy consolation in bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt was troubled by the fear of Archelaus; nevertheless, being assured by the Angel, thou dwelt in gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary. By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts may be delivered from harmful fears, so that we may rejoice in peace of conscience and may live in safety with Jesus and Mary and may, like thee, die in theri company. (Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be)


Antiphon: And Jesus Himself was beginning about the age of thirty, being (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.


V: Pray for us, O holy Joseph,


R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Let Us Pray.


O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, grant we beseech Thee, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer taken from fisheaters.com

Favorite Fava

The fava bean (vicia fava) is one of the more popular and interesting items found on St. Joseph Altars.

In Sicily, the fava was fodder for cattle. During a great famine the people resorted to eating them to survive. They were considered lucky to have favas to eat, hence the fava bean is also known as a "lucky bean." Some believe that the pantry that contains a fava bean will never be bare. The fava, or lucky bean, serves as a token of the Altar - a reminder of God's provisions through the intercession of St. Joseph.

Fava beans, also known as broad beans, pigeon beans, horse beans, and windsor beans, are one of the oldest cultivated food plants. They have a distinct flavor and creamy texture. This member of the pea family is popular in Mediterranean cuisine, and can be eaten year round.

Favas are now much easier to find. Even Amazon sells a 10 Lb Bag for just $16.65.

St. Joseph Lapbooks

Shower of Roses has done it again! Jessica has an extensive post on creating St. Joseph Lapbooks. Lapbooks are a great way for kids to learn about one topic, and these are a great way to get to know St. Joseph.

St. Joseph Memory Match card game

Jessica at Shower of Blessings has created a printable St. Joseph Memory Match card game. Head over to Shower of Roses, download the two card files, and print two of each page. Cut out your cards and you're ready to play. Great fun for your little ones as we approach the Feast of St. Joseph!

Creating the Cult of St. Joseph: Art and Gender in the Spanish Empire

A reader shares the following book recommendation:

Creating the Cult of St. Joseph: Art and Gender in the Spanish Empire by Charlene Villasenor Black

It is a very interesting and informative book with numerous photos depicting Saint Joseph in various ways. It is an excellent compilation of Saint Joseph imagery and the history of reviving the cult to Saint Joseph. I learned many things from this book. I did not know that a remnant of his cloak survives and it saffron in color!

Find books and more on St. Joseph at the Virtual Altar.