Dear Friends of Joseph House: In June of 1931, Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII (and canonized saint), spent time on retreat reflecting on his life. He was 49 years old and described himself as “a mature man on the road to old age.” His self-examination proved to be humbling, and he wrote in…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: A mother’s heart knows no bounds. It is deeper than the ocean and wider than the sky. It is the closest thing on earth that measures up to the unconditional love of God. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the model of all motherhood. She held her Child in her…
We all know Christmas is commercialized and the real meaning of the feast day is lost in the materialism that consumes modern life. Christmas at the Nativity, a new book by Pope Francis, brings the focus back to where it belongs, the birth of Jesus. The book is a collection of the Pope’s thoughts on…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Setting up the nativity scene is always one of the highlights of our celebration of Christmas. Our set was made by Rose-Anne Monna, a Canadian artist and friend of our community (photo below). We have the stable, the sheep and donkey, Mary and Joseph, and then front and center, the…
Over the summer, we have been putting in a little extra effort to fix up our convent property in Salisbury. With new plants and some yard maintenance, our outdoor space, humble as it is, gives a little more glory to our Creator. Our gratitude for the labor goes to a few friends of our community….
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Last month we presented some thoughts on the Good Samaritan courtesy of Pope Benedict. We’d like to do a little more with help from Pope Francis this time, who wrote an excellent commentary on the parable in his encyclical, On Fraternity and Social Friendship. Francis takes a look at each…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: Whether it comes naturally to one’s self or not, our convent life is geared toward early risers. At this time of year our days begin in darkness. It is quiet and still when we gather in the chapel for Morning Prayer. We recite psalms, listen to a Scripture reading, and…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: No matter how old we get, September always means “back to school” in some way. Summer is over and now it’s time to get a little more serious. There are some things we miss about our school days, like getting new school supplies and the anticipation of new classes and…
Dear Friends of Joseph House: By far our favorite Christmas decoration is the nativity scene, that representation of the birth of Christ with the Holy Family, shepherds, angels, animals, and wise men. We have more than one set up in our Salisbury convent: there’s one in the chapel, one in the dining room, and one…
We mention St. Joseph a lot and also Charles de Foucauld, who is set to be canonized in the near future. But why should we care about saints? Why bother with the whole process of canonization, which may seem like a relic from the past? Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, from the Congregation for the Causes of…