Joseph, patron saint of workers,Blending skill with charity, Silent carpenter, we praise you! Joining work with honesty, You taught Christ with joy to labor Sharing his nobility.

Joseph, close to Christ and Mary, Lived with them in poverty, Shared with them their home and labor, Worked with noble dignity. May we seek God’s will as you did, Leader of his family!

Joseph, workmen’s inspiration, Man of faith and charity, Make us honest, humble, faithful, Strong with Christ’s true liberty, Make our labor and our leisure Fruitful to eternity!

~Bernard C. Mischke, O.S.C.

For Reflection:

How is my labor and my leisure fruitful for my salvation and that of others? What one thing can I do in each to make it more so?

A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God NEW! by Paul Thigpen; 388 pgs "Of Mary, there is never enough!" Books about the Blessed Virgin abound, yet the words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux still ring true: "Of Mary, there is never enough!" She is a mystery that faithful Christians seek to understand more fully, an ocean "full of grace" still awaiting deeper exploration.

In A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God, best-selling Catholic author Paul Thigpen sets sail on that ocean, using as his map the profound insights of saints and other spiritual writers. These 365 reflections, drawn from their writings, reveal Mary’s role in God’s plan, the virtues she so perfectly models, and the rich benefits of Marian devotion.