The foster father to Our Lord is often overlooked by faithful Christians. This is unfortunate indeed. Tradition holds that Joseph's wife, the mother of Jesus' brothers and sisters, had died. Joseph was in the line of David and so he was entitled to mothering of his children via the temple. He was betrothed to a consecrated virgin, Mary, who would care for his household and mother his children. He never intended for their relationship to be a sexual one. When Mary was discovered to be pregnant, Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly. This means that he was not vindictive. He did not want her publicly punished or stoned. Joseph's complete love of his deceased wife, his openness to God, and his humble heart, made him the perfect spouse for Mary and earthly father of Our Lord.
Saint Joseph is the patron saint of a "good death" because his own death was so beautiful. Jesus suffered the loss of Joseph before the beginning of His ministry. When Jesus wept, we can only imagine him remembering the loss of his own beloved father.
May God bless you as you mourn and support others who mourn. Please avail yourself of this prayer to Saint Joseph. This chaplet of Saint Joseph is short and sweet. For more prayers and devotions, click here. There are also prayer apps that include chaplets and prayers to Saint Joseph available for free or a few dollars.
First Degree, Gianna Beretta Molla is a patron saint of problem pregnancies. She gave up her life to carry her child to term. She was beatified in 1994 by Pope John Paul II.
Pam Tebow faced a choice when she was pregnant with her son, Tim. Doctors urged her to abort her fetus because she was on medications that "would have damaged" her baby. She refused and Tim was born. This pro-life superbowl ad was highly controversial. For the pro-choice view of Pam Tebow's story, click here.
The Governator the year he was expecting
at least two children, one with his wife.
The Governator is in the news, but don't let this glitzy, flash-in-the-pan, titillating story distract you from the real meat of the issue. We'll examine the real tragedy of the Schwarzenegger situation and connect Arnold to Blessed John Paul II simultaneously.
News broke this week that the first couple of California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver were separating because of a recent disclosure of a "love child" conceived by a housemaid by Mr. Schwarzenegger in the mid-90s.
The legal members of the Schwarzenegger family
The Schwarzenegger family, the Kennedy family, and the family(s) of extra-marital children fathered by Arnold are all experiencing shame, pain, and stress. Why? Because the great joys and pleasures of sex were treated as entitlements, not blessings, by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead of praising God for his beautiful family, he praised himself for his fame, power, and magnetism. Babies are made by sex. We keep forgetting that in our culture. Here's a reminder!
When sex is taken out of the context of the spousal relationship, it's not only hurtful, it's tough to comprehend. Even in this College Humor piece, babies and sex cannot be separated from one another, even when discussing group sex!
Arnold and Maria married in 1986 when they were all
dewy and cute and gorgeous. They married in a church, but
I don't know if theirs was a sacramental marriage.
Perhaps a future tribunal will try to assess this relationship.
Were they open to life from the beginning?
Did they both intend a faithful union from the beginning?
Did they withhold information from one another at the beginning?
Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a mockery of fidelity.
If he's so disrespectful of his church's teaching on that,
why should he uphold another teaching that marriage
is between one man and one woman?
Answer: No reason at all. As a result, article after article
are attacking the former Governor's policy against same-sex unions.
On many levels, Arnold's actions have weakened the very idea of marriage.
Second Degree Eunice Shriver and her husband, Sargent Shriver
at the wedding of Arnold and Maria Schwarzenegger in 1986. Photo
in the New York Times.
As she lay dying, Pope Benedict XVI prayed for Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She was a saintly woman. I wrote about hers and the Kennedys' degrees of separation from Blessed John Paul II in the Abraham Lincoln post.
Sex makes babies. Not always, but every baby that is born was made sexually. Yes, there's IVF, but to get a fetus via IVF somebody has to self-pleasure into a cup and that's sex too. Humans reproduce sexually. We can divorce the bodies from conception, but we still need a male and female body to get the gametes.
Third Degree, Jo Frost is The Supernanny. You do not have to have biological children to be a parenting influence. Jo Frost knows this quite well. She has over 20 years of experience with children, parents, and families. Childcare is very taxing and mothers and fathers need all the help they can get. We often overlook the single person when we think about mothers. Many single women have taken on the role of mom when caring for cousins, siblings, or neighbors. Here is Jo at work. This sort of behavior is common in our culture.
Jo appears frequently as a guest on talk shows. She has appeared several times on second degree, David Letterman's show.
Dave had first degree, Father Guido Sarducci, (character from Saturday Night Live) on. Father shared his "interview" with Pope John Paul II.
A word on Catholic parenting
Children are NOT the center of a Catholic home, God is. The marriage of mother and father is the second priority. The children are the third priority. In too many homes, children are the focus. This is wrong.
Divorce breaks children's hearts
When parents' needs are not met, their bond becomes looser and discord begins to develop between them. Over time the parents become estranged in their own home. If the relationship becomes too diseased, divorce happens. Divorce shatters the foundation of a child's home. Divorce is enmity between mother and father, that enmity is not shared by the children, who are confused that people so loved cannot love one another. The children lose their trust in love. God is love. Children lose their trust in God.
The divorce epidemic directly corresponds to lowering church attendance. Coincidence?
Catholic men's conferences are very inspiring
Have a talk with your spouse and make sure your needs are met. What are your spiritual needs? Do you need to go to adoration every week? How about a men's or women's prayer group? Quiet time to read scripture each day? A family decade of the rosary after supper?
Everyone needs
affection and cuddling
What are your physical needs? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising enough? What can be done to get the family more physically fit? Is the family eating well? Do you want to commit to fasting on Fridays? Do the spouses show enough physical affection to one another to satisfy their need to be held and cuddled? Is the sex life of the couple satisfying and strong? How often do the spouses need to date?
This couple is not sharing the
chore of paying the bills.
This can lead to resentment over time.
What are your financial needs? Do you need to get your credit cards under control? Are the spouses on the same page financially? How are the investments going? What are the causes of concern and celebration?
Don't neglect your friendships
What are your personal needs? Is there a friend or group of friends that you have neglected? Have you had a boys' or girls' night out lately? Are you nurturing your friendships enough so that your spouse is not carrying the load of your personal needs completely on their shoulders? Do you have time to talk to your spouse as friend and confidant? How can time be managed in your family such that your friendships can be nurtured and strengthened?
Look at the list of needs above. Is it right that children be responsible for satisfying any of them? CERTAINLY NOT! Can you see how God and marriage need to be the center of the home? When all these needs are being met, children are in a secure environment, one where they can just be kids.
Florence Henderson is the youngest of 10 children. She was raised Roman Catholic in Indiana and Kentucky. She is a supporter of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana. One of the sisters was Florence's childhood teacher. Here is Florence raising money for the Sisters on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Here's an episode.
View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com Third Degree, Florence Henderson has had a long friendship with funny woman, Carol Burnett. The two women have teamed to raise money for various charities, among them, SHARE for Children. Here is second degree, Carol in my favorite skit.
First Degree, George W. Bush awarded Carol Burnett with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To see that ceremony, click here (windows media).
Burnett and Bush at Medal of Freedom ceremony in 2005
When Mary was discovered to be pregnant, Joseph resolved to divorce her quietly. This means that he was not vindictive. He did not want her publicly punished or stoned. Joseph's complete love of his deceased wife, his openness to God, and his humble heart, made him the perfect spouse for Mary and earthly father of Our Lord. 
