St. Joseph and OLA
Since 2001, visitors to Sylvan Springs who have inquired about Our Lady of America have been given as much information as has been available. There has always been a special message for the fathers who have visited...a special challenge for them to emulate the obedient faith of St. Joseph in their own daily lives as part of an overall calling for their entire family to pattern their lives after the Holy Family.
Many times, the fathers seem hesitant to take on this role. For so many years, the emphasis of Father's Day has been on celebrating the role of "fatherhood" as being that of the "great provider" in the family. Nowadays, our culture has valued cell phones, computers, cars, clothes, and social connections as being the litmus test of being a good father. Our Lady of America and St. Joseph have a different litmus test they would prefer the fathers of America to pass.
The fathers of America need to courageously take back the spiritual leadership of their families that our culture has encouraged them to abdicate over the past 50 years. Fathers need to become the spiritual lions of their families and their communities...not by boisterously promoting their beliefs, but by their habits of daily living.
Fathers need to love their wives in the way God intended. Fathers need to lead their family in prayer. Fathers need to respect their children as the gifts from God that they are. Fathers need to understand that the most valuable thing they can give their wives and children is a strong faith and trust in Our Lord. Thirty years from now, when their children are grown and, hopefully, on their own, they WILL NOT remember the cell phone their daddy gave them or the faster computers and new clothes they wanted as teenagers. They WILL remember, and always have, the strength and comfort of their relationship with God that was instilled in them by the example set for them by their fathers. This is what will sustain them when life gets tough.
Focus on the Holy Family as your model for life. There is someone there for every member of your family to emulate. Who knows? If we all follow their lead, the underlying celebration of Father's Day may change back to what it was intended.
Please click on the link to the St. Joseph Novena and pray between now and Easter Sunday.
posted by Moderator @ 9:12 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Amen! If fathers pattern their lives after St. Joseph, they will find a true sense of peace and comfort in their lives and their entire family will be infected with the same sense of calm and respect for others.
All the more reason we need Our Lady of America to be recognized NOW!
Once She is recognized in the National Shrine and families take this connection into their lives, we will see the beginnings of the "miracles" of the spirit Our Lady promised.
I am so glad that Spring is here. I cannot wait to take my family to visit this special place and pray where Our Lady of America began.
I was confronted by Larry on my first trip to Rome City back in 2001 with this challenge. He seemed to be delivering a message direct from Jesus himself when he looked me straight in the eye and told me I had been running from my obligation as a Catholic father. How did he know? How could he know? I just met the guy an hour earlier.
At first I was defensive with his challenging me, but the more he explained it, the more I realized I HAD been shirking my responsibilities given to me when I took a wife and accepted our children into our lives. I took a vow then and there to make a change and follow the example of St. Joseph.
We now pray openly as a family before automobile trips, in restaurants when we give thanks before a single french fry is consumed, and when we give of our time to volunteer at parish clothing and food drives. I can tell it has made a difference because my friends and family have all commented as to the changes in our focus. Many of them have followed our attempts to be Our Lady's torchbearers.
I am so thankful we stopped that fateful day in 2001 and learned about Our Lady of America. I am really thankful Larry was strong enough to speak directly to my heart. Not many guys would step up like that but now I am one of them too!
I hope all who read this understand that it is Our Lady and Jesus who are making these changes in me and my family. Larry and Sylvan Springs were just the catalyst. I needed to be challenged and made aware.
We were saddened to hear of Father Hoevel's passing. He was an awesome shepherd! We will keep him in our prayers.
Beautiful message about the Holy Family and especially St. Joseph. Whether it is ironic or providential my father's middle name was Joseph and he was a leader in our household and in our community.
My dad was a man who was well respected. A rough and gruff man with a heart of gold. He was a Constable with the Sheriff's office for 45 years, so one look from him was all it took for the kids in the neighborhood to behave.
On the other hand, he was a servant of God, he would go to the Altar on Sunday's and serve with the Priest when the altar servers were missing. It was just natural for him to do that little bit for the Lord.
When Dad passed away in 2001, the church was overflowing with kids of all ages that he helped, he scolded, or just loved. What a tribute to our family.
Yes, all men need to lead their families, just like St. Joseph did. You would be surprised how easy it is after awhile, and how many people will look up to you for your support and guidance.
God Bless...
JStolle - San Antonio, Tx
Very good post re: St. Joseph as role model for fathers and the Holy Family as the ideal for the entire family to follow.
I am having a hard time getting through to my paster re: OLA. He feels it is only a passing fad and that America will not respond as Our Lady has requested. He does not feel America needs to be represented with its own special devotion to Our Lady of America as we already have so many from around the world (BTW he does not believe in ANY apparitions personally---even Fatima).
He is a young priest---in his 30's---How do you get through some of these thick skulls?
I was very moved by this post. I began attending the Friday Night Rosary (albeit every now and then) a couple summers ago. At first, I was just curious and I was very skeptical that anything was going on.
Then it happened.
During the 15th Mystery, Crowning Our Lady as Queen of Heaven and Earth, I had a voice speak to me and it said "Follow the lead of my spouse, Joseph. Trust in The Way of The Lord."
I was shaken to tears.
I immediately left the chapel and quick-stepped to the hill to watch the sun set with a small group that had already formed. I was still weeping from fear of what had just happened in the chapel and so I stayed distant from the others. I took a seat on a bench and tried to absorb what had taken place.
Then it happened again.
I heard a woman's voice say to me again "Follow the lead of my husband, Joseph. Trust in the Way of The Lord." With that, the group began singing and giving praise as the sun was spinning very vividly.
Colors filled the sky as I have never witnessed before. We all saw it and it was wonderful! I had an amazing confirmation at that moment.
I went back inside and hunted down the owner, Larry, who was already talking to a small group of regulars. I stayed on the outside of this group and suddenly he turned to me and said "It's good to see you again. What happened?"
I said "What do you mean?" He replied "I can see it in your face. What happened?"
I proceeded to tell him what took place and he said "That makes sense. Mary asks all men to emulate her chaste spouse, St. Joseph."
I was totally shocked and amazed. But I knew he was right and that there was something for me to learn from him.
Since then, I have been a new man to my family and the change has been wonderful in our lives.
Thanks to the Youngs and to all of the volunteers who keep the place going for people like me. I could never afford to go to Lourdes or Medjugorie, but I really don't see any need to after having been to Rome City and Sylvan Springs.
I hope the Bishop sees the tremendous value of this Holy Place, chosen by Our Blessed Mother, and steps in to preserve it and honor it as a place of healing and prayer according to Our Lady's design.
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