Newsletter: October 2022
Dear Friends of Joseph House:
When our founder started our community in 1974, she wanted it to be counter-cultural. But her understanding of what that meant was counter-cultural itself.
Emulating Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is what Sr. Mary Elizabeth had in mind. She was inspired by the Holy Family and the life they lived in Nazareth. In their daily lives, Mary and Joseph lived closely with Jesus no matter what they were doing. The ordinary household tasks were done in His presence. Sharing meals together were times of communion. Both happy occasions and difficult moments were experienced hand-in-hand with Christ. We can live the same way today because the Incarnation sanctified everyday life. This is what Sister desired for her community, this life of Nazareth.
Nazareth living is about finding holiness in the “little things.” It’s a way of life that invites us to be little ourselves, which is hard to do when the modern world insists that bigger is better. One of our long-standing community members, Sr. Mary Joseph, has her own definition, drawn from experience: “To me, I see Nazareth as a workshop in the art of living, a humble life of service in joy and simplicity. It can give meaning to everyone.”
It’s true. Pope Paul VI called Nazareth “the school of the Gospel,” the place where “we begin to understand the life of Jesus.” Before His public ministry of preaching and healing, our Lord spent 30 years hidden in the life of Nazareth. That was His preparation.
We may ask, can Nazareth teach us anything? Yes, according to Pope Paul. Nazareth has three lessons that apply to everyone: the indispensable value of silence in a world of tumult and noise; the meaning of family life as a communion of love, sacred and unassailable; and the necessity and dignity of human labor, given eloquent witness by the “carpenter’s son.” In short, paying attention to our domestic life can make it a seedbed of virtue and a meeting place with God.
Nazareth is often a life of routine. It’s also being faithful to the duty of the moment, ready to do what needs to be done with care and attention. One day might blend into the next, tied together with a thread of grace. That same grace carries us along.
The spirit of Nazareth is not confined to our homes. St. Charles de Foucauld, the apostle of the “hidden life,” said, “Your life of Nazareth can be lived anywhere; live it in the most useful place for your neighbor.” That useful place is wherever we encounter someone who is suffering, lonely, sick, or in need of compassionate human care.
The heart of Nazareth is always charity—humble, indiscriminate, and gracious. Your support of the Joseph House Crisis Center allows us to help people, not as an impersonal agency, but as a good neighbor without any red tape or delay.
Tracey, 32, has two children and is working at a shoe store six days a week to support them. Their father is in jail. Tracey received an eviction notice before getting her first paycheck. She didn’t want to be thrown out of her home of the last five years. We had helped Tracey not that long ago with her electric bill, but she is working hard and doing all she can to help her family. We went ahead and paid $300 toward the back rent to stop the eviction.
Wayne, 35, was homeless after being released from prison. He has mental issues and has started to receive a monthly disability check. Wayne’s previous landlord agreed to rent him a room but not until an old rent bill was paid off. We contributed $200 so Wayne would have a place to live.
Alannah is 32 and has two young daughters. She works cleaning houses but it is physically demanding work and it knocks her out (her knees, elbows, and shoulders take a real beating). Alannah is looking for another job that will also pay higher wages. An overdue water bill brought her to the Crisis Center. We paid $300.
Lowell, 74 and a veteran of the Vietnam War, is being treated for cancer. He and his wife live on a very modest fixed income. As the cost of living goes up they have reached the point where there is nothing more they can cut back on. The water was turned off in their home. We paid the overdue bill of $337 and called the city to get the water back on that day.
Maxine is 66 and thought she was retired but has started to work again as a school bus driver to make ends meet. She put $100 down to secure an apartment in a subsidized housing complex. The total move-in fees, however, are in excess of $500! We paid $300 and Maxine said she can pay the remaining balance.
Brenda, 48, was homeless and staying in a shelter. After losing her job she lost just about everything she owned except her car. Brenda is finding her way to get back on her feet. She was hired by a hotel for a full-time job, but she will need her car for transportation. We paid $380 to get it roadworthy.
Tamela, 25, is the mother of a young daughter. Tamela works at a chicken plant and is usually able to pay her bills. A bout of shingles, however, kept her out of work for three weeks. Tamela lives paycheck-to-paycheck. Her illness and loss of work meant an eviction was forthcoming. We sent $300 to her landlord to cover the missed rent payment.
Thanks to you, we can help people no matter what their need is. We are so grateful for you!
Simplicity of life is essential to Nazareth and the imitation of Jesus, He who “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:7). Sr. Mary Elizabeth tended to gravitate toward this subject. She wrote:
Let us strive earnestly to divest ourselves, both personally and in our surroundings, of anything that is not an absolute necessity. Then we can better resemble the little home and workshop of Nazareth. . . . Living a simple life helps us to live true poverty, which is a deep realization of who we are in the eyes of God. The more we can sit before Him—totally at peace, totally given, totally accepting—the more we will understand poverty and love simplicity.
October 27th will be the 18th anniversary of Sister’s passing into eternal life. She freely shared everything she had with the Joseph House and the Little Sisters, and we remember her with much love and gratitude.
Dear friends, thank you for your support. May God’s blessing be with you.
Your Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary
The Magi Fund is sponsoring a Christmas concert to benefit the Joseph House and the Christian Shelter on November 12, 2022! For more information, visit http://www.magifund.com.
Please send us your special prayer requests so we can pray for you and your needs: Contact Form.
Your support of the Joseph House is greatly appreciated. Information about making a donation is available here: Donate.
Here is a video of a lovely song about the sacredness of everyday life. It is called “Holy As The Day Is Spent” by Carrie Newcomer.