Dear Friend,

Here is the link for this morning's livestream of the Operation Storm Heaven Holy Mass, from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin; the homily begins at 18:50. There were reports of some technical difficulties and I apologize for that.

https://guadalupeshrine.vids.io/videos/4d90d5b51410e4c3c4/holy-mass-on-may-1-offered-by-his-eminence-raymond-leo-cardinal-burke

Cardinal Burke offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for all those who participate in Operation Storm Heaven, affectionately known as “Rosary Warriors”, as well as those who submitted their intentions. His Eminence prays that all of us retain fidelity in praying the Holy Rosary, and in doing so, also an expression to our trust, in God’s promise of salvation - His promise to make all things new, in His only begotten Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

There’s an abundance of wisdom to ponder throughout His Eminence’s homily: 

“Today, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Workman. Our Lord is known as a Son of the carpenter. Our Lord is known as the Son of Joseph.  Joseph being his foster-father, His Father being God the Father in heaven. He was conceived in the womb of the spouse of Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary, by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Mary is truly His mother and God, His Father. God, in sending His only begotten Son into the world wanted Him to be provided for, in every way, especially that He should be born into a family. And Mary and Joseph were husband and wife at the time of the Annunciation, so Our Lord took human flesh in to the womb, St. Joseph became his foster father – or as we say, his virginal father. St. Joseph took all those responsibilities that God asked of him – as a father of a family, as the true spouse of the Virgin Mary.”

“St. Joseph is a tremendous example and patron for us as Rosary Warriors. St. Paul reminds us that because Christ was pleased to be known as the Son of a carpenter, because He took our human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, we share now in the Divine Life through the grace of baptism, by His Passion, Death and Resurrection and Ascension – which were the ultimate culmination, in taking our human nature – Christ has won for us the gift of His own life, which dwells in us, in our souls, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, from His glorious pierced Heart, His most Sacred Heart. And so, we are alive in Christ, in the instruction that St. Paul gives us, in the letter to the Colossians is very realistic, because Christ, who is alive in us, through the grace of baptism, which has been strengthened and increased, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, which is nourished, always through this most blessed sacrament, which we are now celebrating. 

We are now called to live in Christ, to practice His charity – that charity which leads us to all circumstances no matter what they may be, including intense suffering, to be full of gratitude to God, for His life in us, for our final destiny, which is to be with Him – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in eternity, in the company of all the angels and saints, in eternal joy and peace. And, so we must never give way to discouragement, in every trial, in everything that we say and do, to do it as St. Paul urges us – in Christ, in His name, through Christ, working in us.”

“The beautiful Devotion of the Three Hearts which we fittingly recall on this feast day of St. Joseph the Worker reminds us that Our Blessed Mother draws our hearts to her. And, of course, in drawing our hearts to her, she draws our hearts also to her true spouse and to the virginal father of Jesus, St. Joseph. And, with their help and assistance, our hearts are one, with the Heart of Jesus.”

“Let us pray today, especially when there are so many trials we face in our own personal lives and the terrible trials that we see being visited upon the world and in the Church.  Let us be renewed with St. Joseph again, with confidence in Divine Providence, obedience to all that God asks us and in joy and thanksgiving, in all things, because we are alive with God, we are alive with Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.  Our destiny is to be with Him, one day, finally in heaven and in living in this way, we will pray our daily Rosary, for the needs of the Church and the world, in the most efficacious way possible, trusting ourselves completely to Divine Providence and trusting in Divine Providence the promises of salvation, which Our Lord has made to us, will indeed be fulfilled.  May Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, her true spouse, intercede powerfully for us, in these times and always.”

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed feast day of St. Joseph the Workman.

Yours in the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Thomas McKenna

Founder and President

Catholic Action For Faith And Family
https://www.catholicaction.org/

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