Today’s Blessing Prayer: Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph and Friday greetings to all. I was looking at my reflection for the feast of St. Joseph last year and I shared with you a sad happening – on this date last year my childhood parish, St. Joseph’s in Port Vue, PA was to have had a closing mass for the parish and the church. The parish had been a part of a combined parish called St. Mark’s for many years, but the physical building had remained open as a worship site. The worship site of St. Joseph’s Church was officially closed. I had been hoping to go to the closing mass last year, but all masses were canceled in the Pittsburgh Diocese as the virus broke out.
Since that time I have been hoping that as things opened up again that the closing mass might be rescheduled but no luck. It would have been a nice way to honor St. Joseph and the many years that the parish was a part of many people’s lives. I believe my own vocation was given life and nurtured for many years in that holy space. While the church was dedicated to St. Joseph the Worker there is still a flood on memories as I will remember the parish and its people at mass this morning as we honor St. Joseph under his title as Husband of Mary! I would like to say thanks to all the people who touched my life in that space and who looked upon and continue to look upon St. Joseph as a source of grace, life and inspiration! As always, I hope and pray you are continuing to navigate through these unusual and at times difficult days with faith and a hopefulness for the future. Once again as we journey through this uncertain time, I offer you Pope Francis’ Prayer… O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis) My prayer of blessing today is that through the intercession of St. Joseph, all of us will remain focused on our faith, on our relationship with God, on all the journeys of life that God has invited us to enter into and all the healing God has provided. May we never give in to hopelessness and look elsewhere to a god the world creates. Many blessings to all today, may faith be central in our living today, may our hope be steadfast and may we encounter the presence of God’s love throughout the day! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P.A prayer or two to help you through your day! Archives
April 2024
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