Every Lent I am so grateful for what we call our “Lenten Triduum” — the Feast of St. Patrick, our own Will's birthday (21 yesterday!), and the Feast of St. Joseph, all in a row. I'm not super good at fasting. In fact, I think that my oral fixation increases with my determination to abstain from indulgence. The more austere the day, the greater my need for ice cream.
So it's just a blessing not to have to think about it on these three glorious days, smack in the middle of Lent.
I really love St. Joseph, and I just want you to know that. He is a good father.
For all of you who enjoy the blessing of having had a good father, you know what I mean by all the protective and strong love encompassed in that term, “good father.” We are meant to learn of the fatherhood of God in just this way — growing up in a family and coming to know our own father — and each child is programmed, you could say, from birth, to love, admire, and yes, fear his father. Fear is the beginning of wisdom, after all….
For those who lack this blessing, St. Joseph is there, silently searching for us in the midst of the city. He is coming out to meet us over the fields as we make our way home. Don't refuse this help, but little by little, get to know him more. He will heal your hurt, interceding with the Father in heaven, of Whom he is the shadow on earth.
Dragon baby. |
And, well, I think it's a good day to let you in on the news:
Our son, our first child, Nicholas, who lives on the other side of the world in Hong Kong, is going to be a father! We are so excited and really, overjoyed!
Nick, Natasha, Phil, Sukie, John, and Leila |
Here we are this January in New York — Sukie and John, her fiancé, came up from DC so that Nick and Natasha could meet him for the first time, and Phil and I popped down to be there for the day — we so seldom see them! This is the only photo I have of us together in a while!
Most of all, I am grateful because I know that Nick will be a wonderful father, and Natasha will be a wonderful mother. God is good!
Marian says
Wow, Congratulations Grandma Leila! Wonderful News!
Tracy says
aww ~ Congratulations!!
Bonnie says
Congratulations Lawlers! I know Rosie from college (same class, and we took the same freshman seminar together, I believe), originally from Hong Kong, and living there at the moment. Will be heading back to England at the end of the summer with my husband and two kids (we are here on sabbatical for a year so that we can be with my parents), and if Nick and Natasha need anything between now and then, please let me know. Rosie has my contact info through Facebook. All best wishes to you and yours. -Bonnie Poon Zahl
Briana/Justamouse says
Congratulations!
Cary says
What a beautiful day to announce this most beautiful news! Congratulations to all.
Robin says
Yay! I love a post that includes an ultrasound!
Congratulations!
Erin @ Wild Whispers says
Congrats! I am so happy for you!
Mary says
Congratulations to all!! Wonderful news indeed!! I love Natasha's blog and now we get to celebrate Dragon Baby! Wahoo! The future sure does look bright in Lawlerland!!
priest's wife says
Wonderful!
Charlotte says
Congratulations!!!
Wendy Clark says
Congratulations to all of you!!!!
Colleen says
Hooray for babies! Congratulations and happy feast of St. Joseph.
A @ Classical Quest says
Such wonderful news!
Blessings:)
debbie says
How lovely! I was wondering when I saw the photos of Natasha on her blog…
Wishing all of you joy and blessings,
Debbie
Lisa G. says
Nice post about St. Joseph. Congratulations on the happy news!
Celeste says
Congrats! And I just wanted to say that you have such a beautiful family–all your children and their spouses are just so lovely/handsome!
Ginger says
How exciting and congratulations….
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might recieve adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent hte Spriti of His Son inito our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:3_
The entire book of Hebrews is especially clear and plainly shows that our worship is due entirely and completely to God alone in all three of the persons of the Godhead. As I am sure that we all want to grow in our understanding in how to rightly worship our God, I want to understand where it is that you are taught that we should worship saints.
_Leila says
Ginger, I don't worship saints. That would be wrong.
priest's wife says
Catholics (and other Christians) ask saints (who believe to be in heaven in the sight of God) to pray for us- just as you, Ginger, would ask a friend to join you in prayer for a special intention. We worship God alone- we give respect to those who have gone before us marked with a sign of faith.
You might find this educational even if you disagree http://www.catholic.com/tracts/praying-to-the-sai…
Ginger says
“Oh St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss his fine head for me, and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen “
Ginger says
Certainly, I ask my friends to prayer for me, however it is not in the since of “instead” it is the since of “with” me. The following prayer to Saint Joseph does not appear to have the flavor or joining me, for in the end it states clearly the thought that Jesus is to “weary” or “busy” to be bothered by me directly. This bothers me greatly, for God's Word tells us exactly the opposite, it states He lives to interceed for me (John) that I have bold access to the throne of grace (Ephesians) When asked how one ought to pray, Jesus replied with the Lord's Prayer.
_Leila says
Ginger, first, I really do appreciate that you are concerned for my approach to prayer. So I just want to clarify a few things, and I know that you will understand that I am fully aware that it would be a mortal sin to worship anyone but God.
So, let's really read that prayer that you posted. It's just a prayer that someone wrote (prayerfully) and others found useful. Doesn't mean that it has any special power, only that it expresses a meditation that is fruitful for some people. If it were something that isn't helpful, then of course one is free to pass on it.
It's clear that God Himself gave Joseph to be the “powerful protector” of Jesus and Mary, and of course, that has meaning for us, just as everything and everyone in Scripture has meaning for us. Joseph is a close friend of the Lord's — that's the first part of the prayer. Obviously no one who knew anything about Joseph would think that he would be pleased to be thought of INSTEAD of God. That idea would be self-defeating on the face of it. If anything, it's saying, “You who knew Jesus so well, please take a look at my desires to be sure Jesus would be pleased with them.”
Then, we are just asking Joseph to intercede — just as Priest's Wife explained.
But then, let's read that last part. I think actually you misread it. It says that WE NEVER WEARY of the image of Jesus as a baby, asleep in Joseph's arms. It's a beautiful image.
Now, it's true that nowhere in the Gospels does it say in so many words that Joseph, the loving protector and foster father of Jesus, held him lovingly in his arms when Jesus was an infant. This is a case of our putting ourselves right into the scene and imagining it. Jesus really was a human being, and really was a baby. Joseph really was his foster father, and he was as loving as a father could be. It just stands to reason that this picture is a true one, and thus one that we can dwell on with love, as given to us directly from the hand of God. And for some good purpose — something that will tell us something important about Himself.
Then it says that there is an intimacy there that we can contemplate but not enter into. We are too small. Our hearts are not loving enough. Well, I for one am not fit to be in that humble home in the presence of Jesus and His great love for this great-hearted man. So, I am just asking Joseph to give baby Jesus a kiss for me — which means, a prayer of love.
Then the prayer is saying, “maybe by the time I am ready for death, I will begin being worthy to receive that kiss back from Jesus. The one you, Joseph, gave him on my behalf.”
It's all just loving — well, poetic nonsense– if you like. Go ahead and kiss Jesus yourself. I do too. But Jesus loved Joseph. Think about when you say to one of your children, “go kiss Daddy for me.” It's just the loving things people in a family say to each other.
It's very important not that you pray this prayer if you don't want to, but that you see the love in it. There is no thought that JESUS is weary of us. Only that we never weary of seeing the beauty of the love in the Holy Family and yes, a consciousness of our own unworthiness.
Second, I'm willing to bet that you say prayers — many of them — other than the Our Father, which I do not dispute is THE prayer. Maybe you don't care to say other people's prayers. That's fine. I do think that it's important to let other people pray the way they want to as well. And if you can grant that some people might sometimes want to pray using compositions of others, well, perhaps you can see that there is some richness there that is brought out, and no impiety at all. I hope so!
God bless you.
Ginger says
Thank you for your heart felt reply.
Faith says
Ginger, Leila did a wonderful job of explaining the Catholic view (and the historical Christian view). Maybe this article would also help you on your journey to understanding the beautiful practice of the veneration of saints.
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/praying-to-the-sai…
Angela says
Woohoo! Good news all around:)
Tiffany says
Congratulations all! St. Joseph has become increasingly precious to me as I watch my husband with our children — as well as reflecting on our own good daddies.
Tracy says
Congratulations!!
dweej {house unseen} says
You might also call this blog “Like Mother, Like Son” because that boy sure does look like you, Leila! Congratulations and praise God!
Laura says
Congratulations! Another grandbaby; what a blessing! I think one of the great rewards that come at the end of raising our own children. My kids are still very small, but I dream of the day they will have babies of their own. Love to you all!
Teresa says
Congratulations, Nick and Natasha! Congratulations Leila and Phil!! What happy happy news.
I, too, love St. Joseph and have been asking for his prayers (during the past 9 days novena) before our Blessed Lord. It is a great comfort and solace to think of Joseph and his steadfast loving protection to Mary, to Jesus, and to me.
Michele says
Congratulations! What wonderful news!
Donna L. says
I am so happy for you all! Blessings to the new parents…I know they will be great!
I love this feast day, but feel that it is rather “bittersweet” as I had two fathers, one bio, one step, that left me when my mom and each of them split. I never really felt like “Daddy's Girl” even though I believe it would have been a wonderful feeling…I desperately want that feeling for my children
My husband is flailing and really trying to be a good daddy. It is hard for him because his father was gone a lot, and didn't talk to him growing up at all, and still doesn't call us on the phone even though we try to keep communication open through cards, phone calls and e-mails. *Sigh*…..well, maybe the next generation will be better….
Happy Saint Joseph's Day!
_Leila says
Donna, this is where we lean on St. Joseph! God gave us this man for a reason! Learn more about him, pray for his intercession before the heavenly Father, and, as it says in Holy Scripture, \”Go to Joseph.\”
monica says
Donna,
I wish I had had an Auntie Leila when I was deep in the trenches of mothering. Leila is such a gift to us moms, young and old. Her advise to pray to St. Joseph is so simple, yet so perfect. My husband, too, wasn't much of a natural at being a daddy in spite of having been raised by a wonderful man. He's the youngest child in his nuclear family and the youngest of only four cousins. As for me, I'm the oldest of four, one of twenty cousins, and growing up I was the go-to babysitter/mommy-helper in my neighborhood. He had no experience or confidence in his care-taking skills. I was uber-confident and just a little misguided and, to be sure, arrogant. Instead of gently guiding my darling husband to embrace being a hands-on daddy, I made the mistake of trying to do everything myself. I do mean by myself as we lived 1500 miles away from my family and 2000 miles away from his. Essentially, I became both mommy and daddy to our three children. This is never a good thing because not only did I usurp my husband's blessed role as father, I cut out our heavenly Father as well. Who did I think I was that I thought I could raise his/His children without him/Him? If I could go back and have a do-over, what would I do? Oh, did I ever make some big mistakes, for sure. Still, the only thing I would change is to pray more and to give up the notion that I had any real control over anything. Pray, simply pray, always. As Leila says, “Lean on St. Joseph!” The practice of praying to St. Joseph is a new one for me. I have received much comfort through my prayers to St. Joseph this Lent. I will be sure to add a little prayer for you and your dear family, too. God bless.
Woman of the House says
Happiest congratulations! What wonderful news!
freckledhen says
Congratulations! Your children having children must be a very special emotion!
I love your words on St Joseph, they resonate with me very well.
Faith says
I feel exactly the same about this respite during Lent! Our oven gave out so we weren't able to make our traditional St. Joseph cream puffs, so the kids are devouring chocolate pudding. My eldest son asked my husband why we need the angels and the saints since we have God; my husband gently asked him why do we need parents? Why do we need friends and each other? We all marveled at God's gracious plan for us that takes into account our every need! I love being Catholic!! Congratulations to the wonderful family!
Helene says
Leila, congratulations! You have such a beautiful family. I want to be you when I grow up.
Valerie says
Delightful news indeed! I'm very happy for you all.
And thankyou for sharing that special paragraph of wisdom about the loving help St Joseph can give.
[Valerie, NZ]
bookgetaway says
Congratulations! Any may I say, Leila, you look fantastic in that photo! Very beautiful, grandma!!
anne says
congratulations!! my brother and his wife and their two little boys (ages 2 and 1) just moved to Hong Kong in December. Wonder if they live anywhere near your son and daughter-in-law…
sarahlcc says
Congratulations!
nancy says
Congratulations…my father died when I was 5 and my great aunt, a Benedictine, told me that Saint Joseph would always be there to watch over me. I have asked for his intercession many times throughout my life. and he is an all l time favorite saint of mine. In fact, our son is named after him!
melaniebett says
Oh yay! Congratulations!
Amanda says
Congratulations, what wonderful news!
Haus Frau says
How wonderful! Congratulations!
ajniall says
Congrats Leila and the rest of the Lawler family. A baby and wedding all around you!! Your family just continues to grow!!