St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker:

 This Sunday is a very special one for our country.  HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all men who are dads in any way.  This is your time to shine, celebrate, and relax.  Let the people around you who love you pamper you and spoil you for at least 24 hours!!

In this day and age, we need men who step up and be good dads.  Time and time again, studies have shown how important a strong father figure is to a family.  And, this is especially true when it comes to faith and the practice of it.  Again, studies have proven that a family in which there is a strong father /male figure will be much more likely to attend church and be grounded in the faith.

What an awesome, yet maybe scary, responsibility for you all as dads.  You are called to be those shining examples of Jesus Christ to your wife and children.  They depend on you to lead them closer to the Lord.  They are counting on you to show them the love and sacrifice and obedience that our patron saint, St. Joseph the Worker, showed to the Blessed Virgin and to Jesus.  Your family will be a better family unit if you are the example of prayer and commitment to the Holy Eucharist each weekend. 

How blessed I was that my dad lived for 89 years.  He never missed weekend Mass.  NEVER.  It was his first priority.  Even when he would golf on Sundays, he would go to Mass first—no matter what.  He taught me the importance of giving to the Church, whether it be of my time and talent, or my treasure.  I grew up with that stewardship example from him.  My dad was always there to impart his wisdom when I would be at a loss as to know what I should do.  My dad always listened to me, forgave me, challenged me, and loved me. 

I remember one of the most poignant times in my life with my dad.  It occurred the last time I would visit him on earth.  It was a Monday, and he had gone into a nursing home two weeks prior.  When I was leaving and on my way to my car, I looked back and he was at his bedroom window waving to me with a smile.  Little did I know, that the next Monday when I planned to visit him and could not due to a funeral, that the wave of goodbye to me a week earlier was his way of saying goodbye to me for the last time. That smile and wave are etched into my brain and on my heart forever.  I can’t wait one day to wave HELLO to him in heaven.

If your dad is still alive, HUG him, KISS him, EMBRACE him, THANK him, EMAIL/TEXT him.  You never know if you will get to again.  Take it from me.

Your Pastor, FATHER Joe