News and Events: St. Joseph Novena Day Six

We are in retreat this week - so I will give you (finally) day Six of the St. Joseph Novena.  Be assured we are praying for each of you.

First visit St. Joseph's Fidelity to Grace
     Through Mary would receive all grace. Joseph had the grace to experience this joy before the Incarnate Word's birth - - grace poured out through the heart of her who was to be the Mother of us all and Joseph rejoiced when Mary gave her FIAT once more: "Joseph, be it done to me according to God's work; Joseph, we will go to Bethlehem together." (meditate one minute)
     My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph'a fidelity to grace.  I ask through his intercession for fidelity to grace and for (mention your request).

Second Visit Fidelity to the Interior Life
     May's resignation to God's plan filled Joseph's soul with joy; his soul again was at peace and he experienced what every holy soul enjoys whose will conforms to God's will in all things.  If I have peace of soul I am at peace with God; if not, then what is wanting to me, O good St. Joseph? (meditate one minute)
     My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph's fidelity to the interior life.  I ask though his intercession for ( mention your request)

Third visit St. Joseph's Love for Our Blessed Lady
     In each trial Joseph learned more about his spouse the Blessed Virgin.  He learned how perfectly her soul and heart and mind were attuned to God's grace and God's plan for her in His work of the redemption of man.  Out of this knowledge grew a great love, a love born of God.  Joseph's love for Mary was the highest, the purest, the noblest - God gave him that love.  ( meditate one minute)
     My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph's love of Our Blessed Lady.  May I love her as St. Joseph did so that I may love her with his love.  I also ask for ( mention your request)

Fourth visit St. Joseph's love of the Holy Child
     Joseph realized better each day where all these graces came from - May was the Lily of Israel, the Chosen One of God for His plans of the redemption of mankind.  Joseph knew that the beauty of of Mary's soul that increased.  How his heart went out in love to this Divine Child whose face he was soon to see.   Come, O Desired of Nations, come to save us!  Such must have been the love of God's man waiting for the Messiah's birth.  ( meditate one minute)
     My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph's love for the Holy Child.  May I love Him as St. Joseph did so that I may love Him with Joseph's love.  I also ask for...( Mention your request.)

News and Events: Summer Week

Thanks go everyone who came out to the Pig Fest and supported us.  It was a fun filled, but busy weekend.  So this week we will be cleaning up from all the fun, putting everything away for next year and also getting ready for retreat next week.

Each year, we make a six day, silent retreat.  It is a wonderful time for each of us to take a step back, look at our year and spend time talking with God.  It is a time to rest spiritually and physically.  Our world is so busy and hectic.  Even nuns have a lot to do and not enough time to do it in.  A retreat is a great time to slow down and refocus on  what is important in life, God.

How often do you turn things off and hear the silence?  Do you ever turn off, unplug and just listen to what God is saying to your heart?  It can be difficult not being connected but it is also very important for spiritual growth.

So have a great summer, relax and have fun.  Spend time with your family and also spend time listening to God.  While we are in retreat, we will be praying for each of you.  

News and Events: Pig Fest, again.

So I was supposed to publish this post this week, not last week.  But it happened - but in a way it might be a good things.  Everyone got a weeks heads up to plan on coming to the Pig Fest.  It begins this week, June 17th and Saturday June 18th.   Come and get some great Father's Day gifts and support our school.  How many places can you go to have fun and support a good cause?  There will be rides for the children, games, and music.

 Come out and see over 100 baskets and 100 gift cards in the Silent Auction room.  You can bid on things like a Grill, Disney World Hopper Passes, Cincinnati Reds tickets, U.K. themed basket, a TV stand with an electric fire place.  The Chinese Raffle has a chest Freezer, a tool box and other wonderful items.  The sisters have a competition going for the Chinese Auction.  Five of us have made either afghans or quilts which are up for sale.  The sister with the most bids gets bragging rights for the year!

Sister Margaret Mary and her afghan.

By coming the the Pig Fest you support our mission of education at Saint Joseph's Academy.  We are a self-supporting school and do not get financial help from the parish.  The tuition helps to pay for the teachers salaries and benefits but that money doesn't cover anything else.  Teachers who work in a Catholic school make just a fraction of what they could make if they work in the public school system.  But our teachers believe in the importance of a Catholic Education.  So the money from the fundraisers like Pig Fest, the Golf Outing and Fish Fry help to cover the costs of operating the school.

 Our Mission at Saint Joseph Academy is instruct the children in the faith.  The children are instructed in the principles of Christian faith and morals which will serve them as guidelines so that they live a life worthy of heaven.  We also strive to give them a good solid academic education.  Our students go on to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, scientists and above all, faithful Christians.

One of the many baskets in the Silent Auction. 

Without your help, the children will not be given the tools to help them cope with the dangers, distractions, and temptations that our world bombards them with. So we look forward to seeing everyone at the Pig Fest.

News and Events: Saint Joseph Academy Pig Fest

This week Saint Joseph Academy in Walton is having the annual Pig Fest.  The Fest is Friday June 17th and Saturday June 18th.   How many places can you go to have fun and support a good cause?  There will be rides for the children, games, and music.

 Come out and see over 100 baskets and 100 gift cards in the Silent Auction room.  You can bid on things like a Grill, Disney World Hopper Passes, Cincinnati Reds tickets, U.K. themed basket, a TV stand with an electric fire place.  The Chinese Raffle has a chest Freezer, a tool box and other wonderful items.  The sisters have a competition going for the Chinese Auction.  Five of us have made either afghans or quilts which are up for sale.  The sister with the most bids gets bragging rights for the year!

Sister Margaret Mary and her afghan.

By coming the the Pig Fest you support our mission of education at Saint Joseph's Academy.  We are a self-supporting school and do not get financial help from the parish.  The tuition helps to pay for the teachers salaries and benefits but that money doesn't cover anything else.  Teachers who work in a Catholic school make just a fraction of what they could make if they work in the public school system.  But our teachers believe in the importance of a Catholic Education.  So the money from the fundraisers like Pig Fest, the Golf Outing and Fish Fry help to cover the costs of operating the school.

 Our Mission at Saint Joseph Academy is instruct the children in the faith.  The children are instructed in the principles of Christian faith and morals which will serve them as guidelines so that they live a life worthy of heaven.  We also strive to give them a good solid academic education.  Our students go on to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, scientists and above all, faithful Christians.

One of the many baskets in the Silent Auction. 

Without your help, the children will not be given the tools to help them cope with the dangers, distractions, and temptations that our world bombards them with. So we look forward to seeing everyone at the Pig Fest.

News and Events: St. Joseph Novena Day Five

First visit is St. Joseph's Fidelity to Grace
     Joseph read the edict in town, perhaps, or heard of it: how it must have wrung his heart for he knew that Mary's days were almost accomplished.  What should he do? Go without her or take her with him? Being God's man he sought the answer in prayer.
 Grace entered and enlightened him as what to do-talk it over with Mary - Mary would help him to do God's will.  (meditate one minute)
     My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph's fidelity to grace.  I ask through his intercession for fidelity to grace and for...(mention your request).

Second visit St. Joseph's Fidelity to the Interior Life
     Another trial but Joseph found the way out through prayer and already he experienced that peace that comes to the soul who seeks God in fervent prayer.  Another jewel in his immortal soul -- this grace of resignation. (meditate one minute)
    My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph's fidelity to the interior life.  I ask through his intercession for fidelity to the interior life and for (mention your request)

Third visit St. Joseph' Love for Our Blessed Lady
      He card not for himself - he thought only of her who was indeed his Morning Star, his Tower of David, his Queen and our Queen.  Trials were multiplying for Joseph but each one brought about not a decrease of his love for Her who was entrusted to him by God but a great increase for he learned from Her how to accept God's plan and God's ways. (meditate one minute)
    My God, I thank Three for St. Joseph's love of Our Blessed Lady.  May I love her as St. Joseph did so that I may love her with his love.  I also ask for ...(mention your request)

Fourth visit St. Joseph's love of the Holy Child
    Would the Eternal Father ask that this trial come into the life of Him who was to be the Way, the Truth and the Life? -- Everything pointed that way.  The Incarnate Word was to be born in  Bethlehem.  Sacrifice seemed to be the touchstone that brought Joseph closer to God.  Joseph's love increased for this Divine Child as he meditated on His great love for men. (meditate one minute)
     My God, I thank Thee for St. Joseph's love for the Holy Child.  May I love Him as St. Josephs did so that I may love Him with Joseph's love.  I also ask for...(mention your request.)

A Day in the Life: Summer Time is Here!

The last couple of weeks have absolutely flown by! St. Joseph Academy's PigFest is less than two weeks away, and we're all well entrenched in preparations for what is one of our community's largest annual events. It's hard to believe how quickly time passes and we find ourselves on PigFest's doorstep when it seems like we just wrapped up the last one. Yours truly hasn't been as involved in early preparation for the last couple of years because of my college schedule, but I'll be helping Mother Christina and Sister Mary Catherine set up and run the Silent Auction portion of the event. It's a lot of work, but definitely also a lot of fun.

Last weekend, for Memorial Day, we went to Kincaid Lake state park for a picnic and a few of us decided to hike the mile-long trail through the woods. I was able to take some really nice photos of the trail and of the lake. Photography is another amateur hobby of mine.

This week promises to be another busy one! I hope that it finds you all well and enjoying your summer vacation. See you next week!