Good St Joseph

This year St Joseph's feast was celebrated on the 15th due to today falling in Holy Week but since it is the 19th and we are thinking and praying to him today, I thought I'd link you back to my posting last year - you must take a look at the little video, it is just fabulous. Enjoy!

Thank you St Joseph!

We received wonderful news last week in regards to my husband’s interview for a new job. He had applied to an advertisement for a general hand at a funeral parlour and at the end of the interview process, they offered dh 3 days a week to start with to train as a funeral director in view to it becoming full time, they were so impressed with his demenor and character. We were stunned! It has been a wonderful answer of prayers to St Joseph, who has been so good to us.

In thanksgiving we went to a Marian Shrine in our state, Marian Valley. There they have an outdoor grotto to St Joseph. We wanted to visit and give the Fathers money for a novena of Masses in honor of St Joseph and also to have three Masses offered for the intentions of all those who have lovingly prayed for us. We are in a drought at present but Marian Valley is usually ever green being in a valley, it is situated just inland of the famous Gold Coast. I hope you enjoy the pictures we took on the day and there are so many, I will probably show them over a few postings in the next few days.

Here is a shot of part of the Gold Coast from Mt Tamborine. Marian Valley is situated right next to this mountain.

It is about 9.30am and we have arrived at the valley, we have taken this photo near the car park and we will follow dd (in view) towards the outdoors church.

This statue of Pope John Paul II is new, only been installed a couple of weeks ago by the Polish community. It will be blessed on the 13th of October. This is beautiful and it ‘greets’ us as we walk towards the church.

Marian Valley is under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians. Under this title, Our Lady watches and guides all her Australian children here below. This shrine is near the church and is the first marian shrine we see in the valley. It is peaceful here, with a little pool and water fountain near Our Lady’s image.

If I come out of the little shrine to Our Lady Help of Christians I face the monastery where Father Columba and Father Gabriel live. The Valley is fundraising at present, to build a new monastery in it’s place. One side of the monastery is draped in Jasmine and it is in flower, the exquisite fragrance wafts everywhere!

This is outside of the closed-in ‘sanctuary’ of the outdoors church, with roses (yet to flower) and a beautiful white statue of Our Lady.

We are sitting inside the church where I am looking over at the monastery. I have to say, that this church is so peaceful, nestled among the beautiful surroundings of the valley that you can look out on.

Here is a photo on the other side of the church, you can see Father’s outdoors confessional just in the forefront and at the back of the church you can see the sails of the undercover area where everyone has lunch.

Another similar shot but you can see the bell tower clearly, at the base of the bell tower is a tank full of holy water where pilgrims come and fill their bottles. The bell is rung at the angelus.

This beautiful shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes is situated right behind the church, it is covered in Jasmine and is a picture to behold. The children love to visit this shrine in particular!

As you walk deeper into the valley, past the church, St Joseph’s grotto is one of the first shrines you see and it is one of their oldest shrines.

Just walking a little closer, when we visited it in the morning – I have some lovely photos taken in the afternoon that are really lovely and peaceful, which I will post later on.

Finally come to the end of our first post of a series of three, of our pilgrimage to Marian Valley. Here is a great photo of one of the many Kookaburras that make this valley their home, can you blame them? Wish I could too!

I hope you come back to see the rest of this holy, blessed place.

Breaking Bloggers Break with St Joseph

Image of staircase has come from http://www.jamitpublishing.com/

ST JOSEPH'S MYSTERIOUS STAIRCASE

I am not certain where this video has come from as I received it last year via email on the feast of St Joseph the Worker. (May 1st) Click on the words "St Joseph's Mysterious Staircase" above to start the video. It might take a short time to load up but it is WELL worth the wait!

I have an extended blogger's break due to Winter's flu's hitting our home pretty hard this year with sickness in the house going on for a good month. We have also had the turmoil of my dh taking a redundancy after 18years, (after praying earnestly to St Joseph for this) but it still brings uncertainty and a period of transition. But we do not worry, only trust in St Joseph who has looked after as in a way we have not deserved.

I post this video on the day of my husband's first interview for a new job, asking for St Joseph's intercession only if it is God's will - and in that I rest.

I really hope you love this short video as much as we all did here on the feast of St Joseph the Worker, earlier this year and hope you share it with all those who you know will love it, or save it for St Joseph's feast next year!

Memorare to St Joseph

"Remember, O most chaste spouse

of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known

that anyone who implored your help

and sought your intercession

was left unassisted.

Full of confidence in your power

I fly unto you and beg your protection.

Despise not O Guardian of the Redeemer

my humble supplication,

but in your bounty, hear and answer me.

Amen."

Thanks to St Joseph in the Month of the Precious Blood

I wanted to post a beautiful prayer in honour of St Joseph from The Precious Blood & Mother manual (pg 96) as we have received a singular, special grace from him today. One prayed for, asking for a miracle if it be God's Will.

We have felt the need for a while to turn to this powerful advocate for our family and work needs and I had been keeping a look out for a lovely statue of St Joseph for a while. Last September we went interstate for a holiday and we visited a Marian Shrine where I found that statue! I asked dh if we could buy it but we hadn't brought cash with us this day, only our credit card and this shrine in the middle of nowhere did not have any facilities for it. Dh said, "If St Joseph wants us, he will provide the money, even here in the this isolated place."

For some reason I was full of a miraculous trust (not particuarly normal for me) so much so, that I felt sure that this money ($100 or so) would turn up behind a bush or under the mat of our car, on the floor - I just had TRUST!

We saw a beautiful Eucharistic procession wind it's way down to a grotto at the bottom end of the shrine and we followed. There we were given a sermon and had Benediction. My oldest daughter (who makes friends in an instant) and found a little friend a couple of years younger than herself and when the day had finished we started to make our way back to the cars. I chose to take a slower route to visit a few more little shrines along the way. As I looked at the last one, I saw my daughter, her little friend and the girl's mother walking towards me...."Anne?" said the girl's mum. The long and short of it was I sell Catholic dolls for the Carmelite Sisters in Lismore and this lady was my main seller in this state! She had been walking along, talking to my daughter and she had said, "Has your mother seen the Faithdolls for sale at the stall?" And my daughter chirped back, "My mother is the Faithdoll lady in Australia!!" I had not told this lady I was visiting her state but here we met up under the most incredible of circumstances!!

Next moment as we are deep in conversation, my friend says, "Oh, while you are here, I might as well give you all the money I have from the sale of the dolls as I was about to make it into a money order and send it to you! "

Do I have to tell you what happened next?

It was the amount I needed!! I couldn't get to the piety stall quick enough (nearly fell headlong over a small, chain fence in my eargerness) and as I walked up to the building, someone was walking out with a statue of St Joseph!!!! There had been two in the stall, but I was SO afraid they had bought the last one......but there was one left and it was the one I had chosen out of the two IF I had had the money.

Needless to say, I felt very LOVED by Saint Joseph that day. We all did and we also knew that St Joseph wanted us to entrust our future to him in a special way.

Thank you St Joseph, we love you!

Act of Thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for the Privileges Granted to Saint Joseph

O Eternal Father! I adore Thee, I love Thee, and I thank Thee with all my heart, because in Thy infinite power Thou hast chosen St Joseph to be the Spouse of Mary Immaculate. In thanksgiving for this privilege and for all the favours bestowed on St Joseph, I offer the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

O Eternal Son! I adore Thee, I love Thee, and I thank Thee with all my heart, because in Thy infinite wisdom, Thou hast chosen St Joseph to be Thy Foster-Father on earth. In thanksgiving for this privilege and for all the favours conferred on St Joseph, I offer Thee Thy Most Precious Blood.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

O Eternal Holy Spirit! I adore Thee, I love Thee, and I thank Thee with all my heart, because in Thy infinite love, thou has chosen St Joseph to be the Guardian of Jesus and Mary. In thanksgiving for this privilege and for all the favours conferred on St Joseph, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.

Glory be to the Father, etc.