This weekend is already the first weekend of March! As we enter this month — a month traditionally dedicated to St. Joseph in the Year of St. Joseph, I thought I would share with you some thoughts about St. Joseph and the importance of this year for all of us.

    At present, there are a group of men in the parish preparing for the Consecration to St. Joseph on March 19. We are doing it first in English and then will also do it again in Spanish. These weeks of preparation have been a beautiful experience as we learn about St. Joseph and his role in the life of the Church and in our personal lives. There is so much that can be shared but I offer two reflections for us to consider as a parish.

    Through Baptism, we are called to bring Jesus into our world. This is what it means to evangelize. St. Joseph was the first to do this — he brought Jesus and Mary into Egypt! He was the first to carry the Living Word to another land. In this year, as a parish, we are called to imitate Joseph as missionaries! So many of our sisters and brothers right here in Port Chester/Rye Brook find themselves distant from the Church — some because of the pandemic — many because they no longer find meaning in their faith. How can we bring Jesus to those who don’t know Him? St. Joseph’s humble quiet example can teach us. We don’t need to make a lot of noise. We don’t need to say a lot of words. We need to live our faith clearly and unabashedly. Joseph’s life had meaning because of the presence of Jesus and Mary in it. Our example will tell people: life has meaning with Jesus and Mary.  St. Joseph Pelczar tells us St. Joseph’s life was one “of prayer, quiet work, and constant sacrifice, at the same time a life shining with esplendor of all virtues”. Living in this way, we too, can carry Jesus into our neighborhoods! St. Joseph will help us re-evangelize our parish.

    The other reflection for us as a parish is the responsibility we have as the only Catholic parish in Port Chester/Rye Brook to teach about and safe guard the sacredness of marriage and the family. We know already that marriage and the family are under serious attack in our world. Gender ideology is confusing our young people and our culture is a mess. It almost seems as if our entire civilization is heading towards self-impulsion.  We seem to be living in a state of total relativism. St. Joseph, who taught Jesus in his human nature, what it was to be a man; who protected and led the Holy Family; who taught his son, Jesus the value of work, who “cherished Mary with a husband’s love” and who lived in a vibrant and chaste marriage, has so much to teach us at this particular time. Studying Joseph and his place in the Holy Family can help us regain a proper understand of human sexuality, marriage and family.

    In these next couple of weeks I hope to share more with you about this Year of St. Joseph, however, as we approach the feast of St. Joseph I thought it would be special if we could celebrate March 19th with St. Joseph’s Table. Naturally, due to the pandemic we can’t do it in the usual way, but, we will set up a table at the altar of St. Joseph and we can bring some food that we can then distribute to some needy families of the parish. Next weekend I will share more with you about this.

    Go to Joseph. Visit our altar; light a candle; pray to St. Joseph and you will see what miracles are!

    God bless you!   

Fr. Pat