~A Rare Flower*s Pad~

 he 7 Sorrows and

    The 7 Joys of St. Joseph

Among the many exercises of piety practiced in honor of St. Joseph there is one generally known, namely, that of meditating on his Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys.  This devotion owes its origin to a celebrated event, never omitted by any historian of the Saint. It is as follows: Two Fathers of the Franciscan order were sailing along the coast of Flanders, when a terrible tempest arose, which sank the vessel, with it's three hundred passengers.  The two Fathers had sufficient presence of mind to seize hold of a plank, upon which they were tossed to and fro upon the waves, for three days and nights.  In their danger and affliction, their whole recourse was to St. Joseph, begging his assistance in their sad condition.  The Saint, thus invoked, appeared in the habit of a young man of beautiful features, encouraged them to confide in his assistance, and, as their pilot, conducted them into a safe harbor.  They, desirous to know who their benefactor was asked his name, that they might gratefully acknowledge so great a blessing and favor.  He told them he was St. Joseph, and advised them daily to recite the Our Father and the Hail Mary seven times, in memory of his seven dolors or griefs, and of his seven joys, and then disappeared.   St. Joseph                         The Seven Sorrows and Joys of   and Jesus                                          St. Joseph     (Recite one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be after each number)   1.  St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of the Holy Mother of  God, the SORROW with which thy heart was pierced at the thought of a cruel separation from Mary, and by the deep JOY that thou didst feel when  the angel revealed to thee the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation, obtain for us from Jesus and Mary, the grace of surmounting all anxiety.  Win for us from the Adorable Heart of Jesus the unspeakable peace of which He is the Eternal Source. 2.  St. Joseph, Foster-Father of Jesus, by the bitter SORROW which thy heart experienced in seeing the Child Jesus lying in a manger, and by the JOY which thou didst feel in seeing the Wise men recognize and adore Him as their God, obtain by thy prayers that our heart, purified by thy protection, may become a living crib, where the Savior of the world may receive and bless our homage. 3.  St. Joseph, by the SORROW with which thy heart was pierced at the sight of the Blood which flowed from the Infant Jesus in the Circumcision, and by the JOY that inundated thy soul at thy privilege of imposing the sacred and mysterious Name of Jesus, obtain for us that the merits of this Precious Blood may be applied to our souls, and that the Divine Name of Jesus may be engraved forever in our hearts. 4.  St. Joseph, by the SORROW when the Lord declared that the soul of Mary would be pierced with a sword of sorrow, and by the JOY when holy Simeon added that the Divine Infant was to be the resurrection of many, obtain for us the grace to have compassion on the sorrows of Mary, and share in the salvation which Jesus brought to the earth. 5.  St. Joseph, by thy SORROW when told to fly into Egypt, and by the JOY in seeing the idols overthrown at the arrival of the living God, grand that no idol or earthly affection may any longer occupy our hearts, but being like thee entirely devoted to the service of Jesus and Mary, we may live and happily die for them alone. 6.  St. Joseph, by the SORROW of thy heart caused by the fear of the tyrant Archelaus and by the JOY in sharing the company of Jesus and Mary at Nazareth, obtain for us, that disengaged from all fear, we may enjoy the peace of a good conscience and may live in security, in union with Jesus and Mary, experiencing the effect of thy salutary assistance at the hour of our death. 7.  St. Joseph, by the bitter SORROW with which the loss of the Child Jesus crushed thy heart, and by the holy JOY which inundated thy soul in recovering thy Treasure on entering the Temple, we supplicate thee not to permit us to lose our Saviour Jesus by sin.  Yet, should this misfortune befall us, grant that we may share thy eagerness in seeking Him, and obtain for us the grace to find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass from this life to enjoy His presence in heaven, there to sing with thee His divine mercies forever. LET US PRAY O God, Who in Thine ineffable Providence has vouchsafed to choose Blessed Joseph to the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerated as our protector: Who lives and reigns forever and ever.  Amen INDULGENCES 5 years each time. Plenary, on the usual conditions, if these prayers are said devoutly everyday for an entire month. (Enchir. Indulg. 470) NIHIL OBSTAT: C.J. Galamba de Oliveira - 29 January 1962 IMPRIMATUR: + JOAO, BISPO DE LEIRIA - lEIRIA, 13 Feb.1962 From the Monestary Pius XII - Fatima, Portugal

~Forgive Me Too~

Peter went to John;

"I denied Him, John,

Three times."

Speech came hard to John.

A shadow crossed his eyes.

He shaped,

but did not say the words:

"How could you . . ."

And then the shadow passed:

"You've been forgiven,

We both know that.

Why do you come to me?"

"Because He told me to.

I know that He's forgiven me,

but do you John,

who loved Him most, I think

whom, next to Him,

I must have hurt the most?"

John closed his eyes,

sank deep within himself,

searched,

then found the words at last.

"YES"

The two sat lighted

by a flickering flame of light,

and, in that light,

they wept . . .

 

~THE FINAL ANALYSIS~

~A Response of Surrender~

                        ~GOD said NO!~

~POWER OF PRAISE~

~Ask The HOLY SPIRIT To Teach You To Praise In The Midst Of Problems~

~The "I Can't Funeral~

Donna's fourth-grade classroom looked like many others I had seen in the past.  Students sat in five rows of six desks.  The teacher's desk was in the front and faced the students.  The bulletin board featured student's work.  In most respects ti appeared to be a typically traditional elementary classroom.  Yet, something seemed different that day I entered it for the first time.  There seemed to be an undercurrent of excitement.

Donna was a veteran small-town Michigan school teacher only two years away from retirement.  In addition, she was a volunteer participant in a country wide development project I had organized and facilitated.  The training focused on language arts ideas that would empower students to feel good about themselves and take charge of their lives.  Donna's job was to attend training sessions and implement the concepts presented.  My job was to make classroom visitations and encourage implementation.

I took an empty seat in the back and watched.  All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas.  The ten-year-old student closest to me was filling her page with "I Can't".

"I can't kick the soccer ball pass second base"

"I can't do long division with more than three numbers"

"I can't get Debbie to like me"

Her page was half full and she showed no signs of letting up.  She worked on with determination and persistence.

I walked down the row glancing at student's papers.  Everyone was writing sentences, describing things they couldn't do.

"I can't do ten pushups"

"I can't hit over the left-field's fence"

"I can't eat only one cookie"

By this time, the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on.  As I approached her, I noticed that she too was busy writing.  I felt it best not to interrupt.

"I can't get John's mother to come in for a teacher's conference"

"I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car"

"I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists"

Thwarted in my efforts to determine why students and teacher were dwelling on the negative instead of the positive "I Can't statements, I returned to my seat and continued my observations.  Students wrote for ten minutes.  Most filled their page.  Some started another.

"Finished the one you're on and don't start a new one, "were the instructions Donna used to signal the end of the activity.  Students were then instructed to fold their papers in half and bring them to the front.  When students reached the desk, they placed their "I Can't" statements into an empty shoe box.

When all of the student's papers were collected, Donna added her's.  She put the lid on the box, tucked it under her arm and headed out the door and down the hall.  Students followed the teacher.  I followed the students.

Halfway down the hall the procession stopped.  Donna entered the custodian's room, rummaged around and come out with a shovel.  Shovel in one hand, shoe box in the other, Donna marched the students out of the school to the farthest corner of the playground.  Then they began to dig.

They were going to bury their "I Can't's"'''!  The digging took over ten minutes because most of the fourth graders wanted a turn.  When the hole approached three-feet deep, the digging ended.  The box of "I Can'ts" was placed at the bottom to the hole and quickly covered with dirt.

Thirty-one 10- and 11 year-old's stood around the freshly dug grave site.  Each had at least one page full of "I Can'ts" in the shoe box, three-feet under.  So did their teacher.

At this point Donna announced, "Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads."  The students complied.  They quickly formed a circle around the grave, creating a bond with their hands.  They lowered their heads and waited.  Donna delivered the eulogy.

"Friends, we gather today to honor the memory of "I Can't".  While he was with us on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others.  His name, unfortunately, has been spoken in every public building, schools, city halls, and State capitals and yes, even The White House.

We have provided "I Can't" with a final resting place and headstone that contains his epitaph.  He is survived by his brother and sister, "I can", I will" and "I'm going to Right-Away".  They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet.   Perhaps someday, with your help, they will make an even bigger mark on the world.  May "I Can't" Rest In Peace and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence.  Amen".

As I listened to the eulogy I realized that these students would never forget this day.  The activity was symbolic, a metaphor for life.  It was a right-brain experience that would stick in the unconscious and conscious mind.  Writing "I Can'ts", burying them and hearing the eulogy  That was a major effort on the part of this teacher.  And she wasn't done yet.  And the conclusion of the eulogy she turned the students around, marched them back into the classroom and held a wake.

They celebrated the passing of "I Can't" with cookies, popcorn and fruit juices.  Donna cut out a tombstone from the butcher paper.  She wrote the words "I Can't" at the top and put RIP in the middle the date was added at the bottom, "3/28/80".

The paper tombstone hung in Donna' classroom for the remainder of the year.  On those rare occasions when a student forgot and said "I Can't" Donna simply pointed to the RIP sign.  The student then remembered that "I Can't" was dead and chose to rephrase the statement.

I wasn't one of Donna's students.  She was one of mine.  Yet that day I learned an enduring lesson from her.

Now, years later, whenever I hear the phrase, "I Can't" I see images of that fourth-grade funeral.  Like the students, I remember that "I Can't" is dead!

Copyright © Phillip B. Childs

Executive Director, Internet Outreach Ministries, Atlanta Georgia

All Rights Reserved

~The Twelve Gifts of Birth~

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when princes and princesses lived in faraway kingdoms, royal children were given twelve special gifts when they were born. As time went on, the wise women came to understand that the twelve royal gifts of birth belong to every child, born anywhere at anytime. Some day all the children of the world will learn the truth about their noble inheritance. When that happens a miracle will unfold on the kingdom of Earth.