Christmas Saint Joseph and the Saints
Nicholas — Santa — for more than 45 years. He also portrays the beloved saint. He embodied the Gospel. Francis, he took the Scriptures to heart, and he became a living image of Jesus Christ. All the details are in a biography called First Life, Book One. The friars and townspeople assembled around the scene, illuminating the night with candles.
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In addition, more miracles happened. When sick animals in the region ate some of the hay, they were cured. A Christmas miracle of another sort happened to St. Her miracle taught her the valuable lesson of selflessness. This all unfolded as she and her sister Celine were returning from midnight Mass. Her father liked to watch her enjoyment, too. In the spirit of St. The local bishop investigates the candidate's life and writings for heroic virtue or martyrdom and orthodoxy of doctrine.
Then a panel of theologians at the Vatican evaluates the candidate. After approval by the panel and cardinals of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the pope proclaims the candidate "venerable. The next step, beatification, requires evidence of one miracle except in the case of martyrs. Since miracles are considered proof that the person is in heaven and can intercede for us, the miracle must take place after the candidate's death and as a result of a specific petition to the candidate.
When the pope proclaims the candidate beatified or "blessed," the person can be venerated by a particular region or group of people with whom the person holds special importance.
St. Joseph of Cupertino
Only after one more miracle will the pope canonize the saint this includes martyrs as well. The title of saint tells us that the person lived a holy life, is in heaven, and is to be honored by the universal Church. Canonization does not "make" a person a saint; it recognizes what God has already done. Though canonization is infallible and irrevocable, it takes a long time and a lot of effort.
So while every person who is canonized is a saint, not every holy person has been canonized. You have probably known many "saints" in your life, and you are called by God to be one yourself. By the year A.
More Saints
Many people think that honoring saints was something the Church set up later, but it was part of Christianity from the very beginning. As a matter of fact, this practice came from a long-standing tradition in the Jewish faith of honoring prophets and holy people with shrines. The first saints were martyrs, people who had given up their lives for the Faith in the persecution of Christians. Look at the pictures of your loved ones in your wallet or around your home or office.
Why do you keep these particular pictures?
You might answer that you carry those pictures to remind you of people you love, to help you feel that they're close to you when you're not together, or to share with people you meet. But you probably didn't say you worshipped them. The feast was also retitled The Solemnity of Saint Joseph.
This celebration and its accompanying octave were abolished during the modernisation and simplification of rubrics under Pope Pius XII in Joseph the Worker", to be celebrated on 1 May, in order to coincide with the celebration of International Workers' Day May Day in many countries. Until this time, 1 May had been the Feast of the Apostles Saint Philip and James, but that Feast was then moved to the next free day, 11 May and again to 3 May, in , having become free in the meantime.
In the new calendar published in , the Feast of Saint Joseph The Worker, which at one time occupied the highest possible rank in the Church calendar, was reduced to an optional Memorial , the lowest rank for a saint's day. Popular customs among Christians of various liturgical traditions observing Saint Joseph's Day are attending Mass or the Divine Service , wearing red-coloured clothing, carrying dried fava beans that have been blessed , and assembling home altars dedicated to Saint Joseph. March 19 always falls during Lent , and traditionally it is a day of abstinence.
This explains the custom of Saint Joseph tables being covered with meatless dishes. If the feast day falls on a Sunday other than Palm Sunday, it is observed on the next available day, usually Monday, March 20, unless another solemnity e. This change was announced by the Congregation for Divine Worship in Notitiae March—April, , page 96 in order to avoid occurrences of the feasts of Saint Joseph and the Annunciation both being moved to just after the Easter octave.
This decision does not apply to those using the Missal according to the provisions of Summorum Pontificum ; when that missal is used, its particular rubrics, which require the feast to be transferred to the next available date after 19 March, must be observed. In practice, the rubrics lead to the observance of St.
Joseph's Day on the Tuesday following Low Sunday , as the Feast of the Annunciation which must also be transferred in years when its assigned date, 25 March, falls during either Holy Week or the octave of Easter is observed on the Monday after Low Sunday. According to legend, there was a severe drought at the time, and the people prayed for their patron saint to bring them rain.
They promised that if God answered their prayers through Joseph's intercession, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint.
St. Joseph Cafasso - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
The fava bean was the crop which saved the population from starvation and is a traditional part of Saint Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a Saint Joseph's Day custom. In some communities it is traditional to wear red clothing and eat a Neapolitan pastry known as a zeppola created in by Don Pasquale Pinatauro in Napoli on Saint Joseph's Day.
Upon a typical Saint Joseph's Day altar, people place flowers, limes, candles, wine, fava beans, specially prepared cakes, breads, and cookies as well as other meatless dishes , and zeppole. Foods are traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent saw dust since Joseph was a carpenter. Because the feast occurs during Lent, traditionally no meat was allowed on the celebration table.
The altar usually has three tiers, to represent the Trinity. On the Sicilian island of Lipari , the Saint Joseph legend is modified somewhat, and says that sailors returning from the mainland encountered a fierce storm that threatened to sink their boat.
They prayed to Saint Joseph for deliverance, and when they were saved, they swore to honor the saint each year on his feast day. The Liparian ritual is somewhat changed, in that meat is allowed at the feast.
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Some villages like Avola used to burn wood and logs in squares on the day before Saint Joseph, as thanksgiving to the Saint. In Belmonte Mezzagno this is currently still performed every year, while people ritually shout invocations to the Saint in local Sicilian language. Spectacular celebrations are also held in Bagheria. Joseph is even celebrated twice a year, the second time being held especially for people from Bagheria who come back for summer vacation from other parts of Italy or abroad.
In Italy, March 19 is also Father's Day.
Saints Fun Facts
In Malta, the set date for the celebration of Saint Joseph is March 19, but can be moved if necessary to fit into the Lent and Easter season. This has been a day of remembrance in Malta since the 10th century A. Most businesses shut down for this day for all the celebrations that occur. There are three main events that occur for this day. One of them being special masses in honor of Saint Joseph. Then it follows with colorful processions with music bands in the streets and fireworks at night.