I want to share a little story with you. My friend has been looking for a place to live for a while. She has been staying with friends temporarily. Certainly she was very appreciative for the place to stay with her friends. However, she wanted to give them some space so they could accomodate their visiting relatives for the holidays. I had recommended that she pray to St. Joseph, since he is the head of the Holy Family and always took care of Jesus and Mary, finding them places to live. My dear friend and spiritual director, Fr. Bill taught me about St. Joseph quite some time ago and I am so thankful that he introduced me to him! He has always been good to me!
My friend has been trying to find a home for herself and her two children. She told me the other day that stables are beginning to look good to her, referring of course, to St. Joseph and Mary ending up at the stable because there was no room at the inn. Each time I talk with this friend, I promise my prayers and try to encourage her and the other day told her that "Home is in your mother's eyes" and that wherever she ends up for Christmas, it will be home. She was planning to rent a hotel room while waiting for a home to come through and plans to get a small Christmas tree and put up her creche there and celebrate the coming of the Christ Child.
So, the other day we spoke and things still didn't look promising at all. After I got off the phone with her, I pleaded with St. Joseph, whom I love and who has helped me so much in the past. St. Joseph, can you PLEASE help ****? Please, St, Joseph, she needs a place to have Christmas with her children. Please help her according to God's holy will." I then thought about a place that could possibly work out. I called a friend whom I knew had a guest house to see if something could be arranged there. No room at that inn either, because they generously had taken in a family who was already staying there.
The phone rang last night and it was my friend calling to tell me her news. She had called a few more places looking into rentals. She told me that one of her inquiries was answered by a gentleman. He left her a phone message about the house that he had for rent, telling her that he was impressed with the manner in which she had inquired. He wanted to meet with her to discuss things. At the end of the message he said, "This is Joseph, the carpenter."
How do you like that?!
Contributors:
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle
Patrick O'Hannigan
Brian Killian
Mark Shea
Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange and a weekly columnist for the National Catholic Register. You may visit his website at http://www.mark-shea.com/ check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.
Rich Leonardi
Rich Leonardi is a recurring CE author and author of the blog Ten Reasons, The Observations of a Seditious Catechist
Karen Edmisten
Karen Edmisten is a freelance writer and homeschooling mother of three. Visit her online at her blog, which she updates whenever her kids aren't looking.
The Kitchen Madonna
The author of five published histories, Virginia Fisher, a.k.a. the Kitchen Madonna, has also written for EWTN and has served as a director of religious education. These days, she blogs at kitchenmadonna.blogspot.com as she works on her forthcoming book, Kitchen Madonnas Everywhere.
Elizabeth Foss
Elizabeth Foss is a freelance writer from northern Virginia. To visit her blog click here.
Tom O'Toole
Tom O'Toole is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and lives in Elmhurst, Illinois. His book Champions of Faith: Catholic Sports Heroes Tell Their Stories is available through Amazon.com. To purchase an autographed copy, or to have Mr. O'Toole speak at your function, contact him at tacotoole@aol.com or through his website at www.fighting-irish-thomas.blogspot.com
Mike Foss
Mike Foss is a homeschooled senior in highschool. To read more from Mike, please visit his blog at www.ebeth.typepad.com/van_goal.
Kevin Schmiesing
Kevin Schmiesing is a research fellow at the Acton Institute, where he blogs for the PowerBlog. He is also executive director of CatholicHistory.net, a site dedicated to the history of Catholicism in the United States. Author of Within the Market Strife: American Catholic Economic Thought from Rerum Novarum to Vatican II, Kevin's interests include American and Church history, Catholic education and social thought, and the history of business and economics.
William Luse
Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange and a weekly columnist for the National Catholic Register. You may visit his website at http://www.mark-shea.com/ check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.
Rich Leonardi
Rich Leonardi is a recurring CE author and author of the blog Ten Reasons, The Observations of a Seditious Catechist
Karen Edmisten
Karen Edmisten is a freelance writer and homeschooling mother of three. Visit her online at her blog, which she updates whenever her kids aren't looking.
The Kitchen Madonna
The author of five published histories, Virginia Fisher, a.k.a. the Kitchen Madonna, has also written for EWTN and has served as a director of religious education. These days, she blogs at kitchenmadonna.blogspot.com as she works on her forthcoming book, Kitchen Madonnas Everywhere.
Elizabeth Foss
Elizabeth Foss is a freelance writer from northern Virginia. To visit her blog click here.
Tom O'Toole
Tom O'Toole is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and lives in Elmhurst, Illinois. His book Champions of Faith: Catholic Sports Heroes Tell Their Stories is available through Amazon.com. To purchase an autographed copy, or to have Mr. O'Toole speak at your function, contact him at tacotoole@aol.com or through his website at www.fighting-irish-thomas.blogspot.com
Mike Foss
Mike Foss is a homeschooled senior in highschool. To read more from Mike, please visit his blog at www.ebeth.typepad.com/van_goal.
Kevin Schmiesing
Kevin Schmiesing is a research fellow at the Acton Institute, where he blogs for the PowerBlog. He is also executive director of CatholicHistory.net, a site dedicated to the history of Catholicism in the United States. Author of Within the Market Strife: American Catholic Economic Thought from Rerum Novarum to Vatican II, Kevin's interests include American and Church history, Catholic education and social thought, and the history of business and economics.
William Luse
William Luse has written articles for Touchstone, The New Pantagruel (now defunct but still online) and Orson Scott Card's Ornery.org. He teaches English at Valencia Community College in Orlando, hosts the website Apologia, and is married with in two daughters. With many years experience as the only male in an otherwise female family unit, he has concluded that the mystery of the feminine nature is destined to remain so.
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, mother of five and Lay Missionary of Charity is the author of the best-selling books, Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers (Our Sunday Visitor, Oct. 05), The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home (Crossroad, Oct. 06), and Prayerfully Expecting: A Nine-Month Novena for Expectant Mothers (Crossroad, April 07). All were endorsed by Blessed Teresa and blessed by Pope John Paul II. They are available through her website and she offers daily inspiration at her blog: "Daily Donna-Marie: A Dose of Inspiration." Her work can be seen in several magazines and Catholic websites.
Patrick O'Hannigan
Patrick is a husband and father whose essays have appeared in American Spectator Online and other places. He lived and worked in California for more than ten years, but writes now from North Carolina. His blog, The Paragraph Farmer, is found at: paragraphfarmer.blogspot.com.
Brian Killian
Brian Killian is a freelance writer and a columnist for the Atlantic Catholic. Read more of his writings at his blog, Noetic Muse.
Good Saint Joseph!
posted by: Donna Marie Cooper OBoyle
I love Saint Joseph!
December 26, 2007 - 6 comments
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle www.donnacooperoboyle.com www.donnamariecooperoboyle.blogspot.com www.donnamarieembracingmotherhood.blogspot.com
That's wonderful, "Ksnyder!" If you read about St. Teresa of Avila you will see how much she loved and trusted Good Saint Joseph, too. I also recommend the thirty day novena to St. Joseph.
God bless!
Donna
Submitted by Donna Marie Coo... on Tue, 01/01/2008 - 3:20pm.
Wonderful story Donna it brought tears to my eyes. St Teresa de Avila is my patron saint. She has helped me so many times with migraines I suffer from. And I read how she loved St Joseph. I pray to frequently asking him to help me be a better father and husband.
tarheel
Submitted by Tarheel on Tue, 01/01/2008 - 8:49pm.
Wonderful! St. Joseph likewise helped us secure the new home we now live in. That's a very long story. But here is a newer, and shorter one. When we moved we decided to keep our old home and turn it into Assumption House Residence for Young Catholic Women who might be in college or working. One catch: after four months we still had only one of the needed five renters! And as you might guess, paying two mortgages was killing us. Thus, when my kids gave me their Christmas lists I almost burst into tears. We just had no money for presents at all! So I placed their lists under my statue of St. Joseph and in just over a week, and in plenty of time for shopping, we rec'd out of the blue a substantial check from a wealthy relative who has never given us anything, and from whom we have never asked anything. We are still completely stunned and have no idea why he chose to send us money. But we are saying plenty of prayers of thanks and asking God's richest blessing on my husband's wealthy Uncle Joseph!
Submitted by RWW on Wed, 01/02/2008 - 6:42pm.
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle www.donnacooperoboyle.com www.donnamariecooperoboyle.blogspot.com www.donnamarieembracingmotherhood.blogspot.com
Dear "Tarheel"
I'm sorry to hear about your migraines. I get them too and you're right that St. Teresa helps with migraines since she is a patron Saint of head aches. It is wonderful that you go to Saint Joseph to ask him for help. He will certainly help you!
God bless,
Donna
Submitted by Donna Marie Coo... on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 10:59pm.
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle www.donnacooperoboyle.com www.donnamariecooperoboyle.blogspot.com www.donnamarieembracingmotherhood.blogspot.com
Dear "RWW"
Thanks for sharing your story which is inspiring. God bless you for starting the Assumption House Residence for Young Catholic Women. I hope that it is doing well. Good Saint Joseph came through again at Christmas for all of you. he is so good! He has helped me so much. I highly recommend the thirty day novena to him - it is powerful!
God bless!
Donna
Submitted by Donna Marie Coo... on Sun, 01/06/2008 - 11:03pm.
How awesome, Donna! Thanks for sharing that beautiful story! I am being brought into a deeper relationship with our dear St. Joseph and I really appreciate an affirmation like this!