This feast announces the ever-growing nearness of the eternal nuptials; for on it we annually celebrate the progress of the bride's preparation.~from Dom Gueranger's The Liturgical Year, Vol XV
Blessed are they who are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb! Blessed are we all, who have received in baptism the nuptial robe of holy charity, which entitles us to a seat at the heavenly banquet! Let us prepare ourselves for the unspeakable destiny reserved for us by love. To this end are directed all the labors of this life; toils, sufferings, struggles for God's sake, all adorn with priceless jewels the garment of grace, the clothing of the elect....Let us sing, then, with the psalmist: "I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord...."
Father Mark Kirby reminds us that November is the month of the Holy Souls.
Here is an article on St Joseph and Purgatory.
SharePrecious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Psalm 116:15
A happy death is one of the greatest and the last blessings of God in this life. The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: “From a sudden death and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord,” to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us “at the hour of our death” in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a Happy Death. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1014.)
Why should we be dedicated to St. Joseph?
St. Joseph is the Foster Father of our Judge and Savior. His power is dreaded by the devil. His death is the most singularly privileged and happiest death ever recorded as he died in the Presence and care of Jesus and Mary.
St. Joseph will obtain for us that same privilege at our passage from this life to eternity.
We are called to pray for a happy death and for the dying. Blessed Louis Guanella said, “There is a need of living well, but there is even more need of dying well. A good death is everything.”
3 comments:
Beautiful! Thanks for reminding us. What do you think of the protests at the funeral of the American soldier who was killed in Iraq?
Sorry, I am out of the loop! I have been too taken up with Halloween! What's going on?
Saint Joseph is indeed a good
protector against sudden death or
of death at all. I sent 100,000
copies of the Saint Joseph no sudden death prayer to the Marines in Iraq. In the following almost seven months there were No deaths at all. August 31,2003 to March 8, 2004. After 4 months this news was on CNN, but it didn't give credit to Saint Joseph.
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