Flanders parishioners write personal reflections to mark Year of St. Joseph

FLANDERS  Shannon Jones, youth minister and Confirmation coordinator at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish here, admits that she is a worrier, who comes from a long line of worriers. Her anxieties usually come out at night — around 2 a.m. — when, as she says, it seems impossible to surrender to Jesus, who tells us, “Do not be afraid.”

But this summer, Jones found some relief, having been introduced to the “Sleeping St. Joseph” statue, while taking a continuing education class for Catholic educators. She learned that the sleeping saint is a favorite of Pope Francis, who offers up to him a problem and “asks him to ‘sleep on it’ for him.” So Jones is learning to do the same, according to her reflection for the Year of St. Joseph page on St. Elizabeth’s website, https://stelizabethschurch.org/year-of-st-joseph, which features reflections on Jesus’s stepfather from other members of the parish community.

“While I haven’t mastered it yet, I have been praying for St. Joseph’s intercession when I can’t sleep at 2 a.m. I’ve been offering up my worries, asking him to pray for my troubles, while I sleep and guide my actions, when I wake,” Jones writes. “I have a long way to go — but as St. Joseph modeled, all things are possible, when we fully place our trust in our loving God and follow his plan,” she writes.

So Jones is trying to live Joseph’s example of calm under pressure and faithfulness to God. As Jesus’ foster father, he experienced a lot of pressure — from being betrothed to a woman, who was carrying a child that was not his, to trusting the advice of an angel in a dream to flee with Mary and Jesus from Israel to Egypt for the Christ Child’s safety, she said.

“Jesus himself tells us not to worry, but rather to trust in God’s plan and follow his will,” Jones writes.

By designating the Year of St. Joseph, Pope Francis has recognized the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church. Pope Francis did this so “every member of the faithful, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will,” to minister to people in need without pageantry, and family with charity and humility, according to the website.

Once each month, St. Elizabeth’s features a new reflection for the Year of St. Joseph, which Pope Francis has declared for this year. These writers — both men and women — have been looking at how the saint has influenced their lives and families, said Joy Rastiello, coordinator of St. Elizabeth’s communication team, who manages the parish’s website, including the Year of St. Joseph page.

Typically, Rastiello asks members of St. Elizabeth’s community to write reflections on Scripture for Advent and Lent for the parish website. For St. Joseph, she started asking staff and parishioners to write reflections after Pope Francis declared the Year of St. Joseph on Dec. 8 last year on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The reflections will end on Dec. 8, the day that Year of St. Joseph celebrations conclude Church-wide, she said.

“In different ways, the writers all reflected on how St. Joseph has impacted their lives personally,” said Rastiello, who admitted that it might be difficult to write reflections on St. Joseph, because of the few mentions of him in Scripture. “They brought out many sides, not only that St. Joseph is the stepfather of Jesus, but also that he represents many areas of our everyday lives,” she said.

The Year of St. Joseph page also offers Pope Francis’ reflection about the yearlong observance, related prayers, and a video for “The Song of St. Joseph,” sung by Ralph Meola, a parish cantor, accompanied on piano by Ann Majewski. It also features other resources, including Beacon stories on observances in the Diocese and columns by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.

Another contributor, Ray Martinelli, admits that he, like many other people, knows little about St. Joseph. Then last year, he watched “The Chosen,” a TV series on the life and ministry of Jesus, which portrays the saint as a loving father to Jesus and husband to Mary. He sympathized with the amount of sacrifice, humility, and patience that Joseph exhibited, during the difficult moments with Jesus and the Blessed Mother, like losing Jesus in the temple for three days. Martinelli notes that handling those situations requires us to “let go” and trust God.

“In a short period of time, it [letting go] has transformed me into almost never holding on. That is also a bit scary, but I could never have dreamed of the peace and overwhelming showers of gifts God provides for my family and me,” Martinelli writes.

In her reflection, Lynne Malandrino writes that the naming of her son, Joseph Anthony, born in 1992, was providential. Even if he cannot match St. Joseph’s high standards, her son shares some of his attributes as a protector of his wife and child; a supporter of his Church; a role model to his younger brother; a worker and craftsman, who serves as a mentor; and believer in the Lord, she said.

“Whether he [Joseph Anthony] becomes an uncelebrated hero remains to be seen, but what a magnificent role model he, and all of us, who do the same, have in St. Joseph,” Malandrino writes.

Another contributor, Mike Pucilowski, writes about growing impatient, when he had a difficult time finding a new job after he retired in 2008. But two years later, an acquaintance told him about a job opening. He interviewed for the position and was hired, he writes.

“I wasn’t patient enough to wait. There were other missions that God wanted me to participate in before I rejoined the work force. That was his plan,” writes Pucilowski, adding that St. Joseph demonstrated great patience, waiting for God’s revelations about his next move in life. “With God’s grace, when we practice patience, we can handle the daily problems both big and small and the minor inconveniences that face us. During this Year of St Joseph, ask for his intercession to help us be patient, merciful, and trusting in God’s plan for us,” he writes.

“Impressed” with the St. Joseph reflections, Father Stanley Barron, St. Elizabeth’s pastor and diocesan vicar for education, reviews each piece, before Rastiello posts it on the St. Joseph page.

“These reflections are personal responses from the writers — reflections not only about St. Joseph, but also about fathers and family,” Father Barron said.