Happy Feast of Saint Joseph!

It's too late to do a novena in his honor for his feast day this year, but here's one you can do next year:

O glorious descendant of the kings of Judah, Inheritor of the virtues of all the patriarchs. Just and happy St. Joseph, listen to my prayer. Thou art my glorious protector, and shall ever be, after Jesus and Mary the object of my most profound veneration and confidence. Thou art the most hidden, though the greatest Saint, and art particularly the patron of those who serve God with the greatest purity and fervor. In union with all those who have ever been most devoted to thee I now dedicate myself to thy service; beseeching thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ, who vouchsafed to love and obey thee as a son, to become a father to me; and to obtain for me the filial respect, confidence and love of a child towards thee. 

O powerful advocate of all Christians, whose intercession, as St. Theresa assures us, has never been found to fail, deign to intercede for me now, and to implore for me the particular intention of this Novena. 

(Mention your intentions here)

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be. 

Present me O great Saint to the adorable Trinity, with Whom thou hadst so glorious and so intimate a correspondence. Obtain that I may never efface by sin the Sacred Image according to the likeness of which, I was created. Beg for me that my divine Redeemer would enkindle in my heart and in all hearts, the fire of His Love, and infuse therein the virtues of His adorable infancy, His purity, simplicity, obedience, and humility. 

Obtain for me likewise a lively devotion to thy virgin spouse, and protect me so powerfully in life and death, that I may have the happiness of dying as thou didst, in the friendship of my Creator, and under the immediate protection of the Mother of God. Amen.

It is apparently the custom to begin this prayer on March 10 and end it on the 18th, the eve of his feast.

Shrines of Saint Joseph you can make a pilgrimage to:

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Santa Cruz, CA (cared for by the Oblates of Saint Joseph)

Shrine of Saint Joseph in St. Louis, MO

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Stirling, NJ

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Yarnell, AZ

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Farnborough, UK

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Grass Lake, MI

Shrine of Saint Joseph in Pontiac, MI (in St. Damien of Molokai parish)

More on Saint Joseph

at the OrthodoxWiki

Saint Joseph, pray for us!

I have pets!

For years I've been without any, but now I own five of the best pets God ever invented: hermit crabs!


Right now they live in a ten gallon aquarium, but I hope to move them into a 55 gallon home by the end of May. Here's there current home:

It's not very pretty yet, but I'm going to get more colorful things for their crabitat. And some live plants. By the way, the five shells up front: that's them. No one wanted to have their picture taken! Here's a closer look:

I enjoy these little creatures, and hope to increase their numbers to about a dozen when I get the larger aquarium.


A Prayer for Animals
by Saint Francis of Assisi


God our Heavenly Father, You created the world to serve humanity's needs and to lead them to You. By our own fault we have lost the beautiful relationship which we once had with all your creation. Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You we will also restore it with all Your creation. Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You and to treat them with respect for they are Your creation. We pray for all animals who are suffering as a result of our neglect. May the order You originally established be once again restored to the whole world through the intercession of the Glorious Virgin Mary, the prayers of Saint Francis and the merits of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You now and forever. Amen.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday...

...so I'm a day late with this post.


From the Book of Common Prayer*

The First day of Lent,

Commonly called Ash-Wednesday.

The Collect.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that Thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

*I forget which year the wording is from. (The 1928 BCP?)