St. Jospeh's Day Prayer & Soundings Update



Joseph on the Journey by Mary Southard, CSJ
on grounds of CSJ Orange Motherhouse
photo: Joanne, CSJ, June, 2009



God of Great Love, Your son, Jesus,

was nurtured by St. Joseph.

May we look to Joseph

 as our model of justice, gentleness, and humility.

May we, with Joseph,

nurture the life of Christ in our lives

and in the lives of others

Uniting all people and all creation

with God and with one another.

May Joseph’s life inspire us

to be a hopeful, healing presence within our world.

Amen.

© 1999 -- Joanne Gallagher, CSJ

Happy Saint Joseph's Day

View Soundings Udate for March 16, 2011, at http://www.csjboston.org/su-March-16-2011.pdf
 This issue is packed with events in which you or someone you know may be interested:

• A Lenten Retreat for women with children with various challenges -- March 26, 2011
• Food, Inc, -- a movie about the story of our food -- March 26, 2011
• An Evening of Prayer and Conversation for Women and Men Interested in Religious Life. It is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Boston Delegate for Religious and is coming up on April 7
• A Sympsoium on Human Trafficking offered by the Anti-Trafficking Coalition of the Boston Unit of LCWR
• Tenebrae Service -- March 30
• Taize Prayer dates
• There are many other dates of liturgies, prayer services, etc. to which all are welcome.

Maxim Monday: Everyday Actions & Associate Commitment

Accomplish with great diligence and perfection everyday actions and unexpected ones, and never become careless in this respect. Maxims of the Little Institute # 90.

This past weekend we welcomed five new associates and celebrated the renewal of commitment of our Boston CSJ associates. As the brochure that advertises the associate program states:

"We are women and men who desire to share our faith journeys with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston in a mission of unity and reconciliation. We come from ordinary walks of life, and while affirming our own vocations, acknowledge a call to realizing the prayer of Christ “that all may be one with God and with one another.Wherever we are, we strive to serve in a spirit of simplicity and joy."

Maxim 90 seems to speak the life of our associates who, although they do not profess vows, make a commitment to the Sisters of St. Joseph that they renew each year on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

Sister Marilyn, who welcomed us at the beginning of the liturgy, spoke of the celebration saying:

We come together on this feast of St. Joseph to witness the mutuality of presence, of companioning that allows us to build a relational community where we strive to keep the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph alive and evolving in the neighborhood, in the global community, in the everyday....

I am constantly amazed and humbled by the many ways in which our associates live our spirituality and mission in their day-to-day lives. As Sister Marilyn also stated in her welcome:

"It will be the connection between vowed members and associates that will hold the passion...that sustains and enflames the mission.”

Happy St. Joseph's Day!

We look to Joseph

as our model

of gentleness,

justice,

and humility...

Boston CSJ Constitution

Spirit and Purpose #5

As Sisters of St. Joseph and associates throughout the world celebrate St. Joseph's Day, I share this prayer to St. Joseph. It is on a prayer card produced by our Mission Advancement Office in 1999. Although it was written a few years ago, I continue to receive requests to use it. So I share it here once again.

Prayer to St. Joseph

God of Great Love,

Your son, Jesus,

was nurtured by St. Joseph.

May we look to Joseph

as our model of justice,

gentleness, and humility.

May we, with Joseph,

nurture the life of Christ

in our lives

and in the lives of others,

uniting all people

and all creation

with God and with one another.

May Joseph's life inspire us

to be a hopeful, healing presence

within our world.

Amen

© 1999 -- Joanne Gallagher, CSJ

Many will also recognize the photograph as the statue of St. Joseph by Mary Southard, CSJ, that is located on the grounds of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, CA. This is only one of many garden sculptures by Mary Southard, CSJ.  I'm including a photo that shows the full view of the statue so you can see it in context. The statue is a meditation in itself.

Also, I would like to call your attention to a lovely article by Father Richard Erikson, Moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese of Boston, that is in this week's editon of The Boston Pilot. It's titled Celebrating the Sisters of St. Joseph. Thank you Father Erikson!

A very happy St. Joseph Day to all.

Happy St. Joseph's Day

March 19 is the Solemnity of St. Joseph. It's a big feast day for all Sisters of St. Joseph. We have a liturgy at our Motherhouse this evening. It's always a celebration I look forward to. There are usually close to 200 sisters and associates who participate.



The other day a Dominican sister who is a friend of mine wrote and asked if I had any St. Joseph prayers. I remembered this one that I wrote a few years ago. It was printed on a little prayer card with a picture of St. Joseph on the front and given to all our friends and donors. Since I wrote it, I don't need to worry about copyright so I'll share it here. This picture is the statue of St. Joseph that is outside our Motherhouse. It also shows a little of the Motherhouse Residence building and part of the chapel.

Prayer to St. Joseph

God of Great Love,
Your son, Jesus,
was nurtured by St. Joseph.
May we look to Joseph
as our model of justice,
gentleness, and humility.
May we, with Joseph,
nurture the life of Christ
in our lives
and in the lives of others,
uniting all people
and all creation
with God and with one another.
May Joseph's life inspire us
to be a hopeful, healing presence
within our world.
Amen

© 1999 -- Joanne Gallagher, CSJ