‘Journeying with St. Joseph’

CLIFTON  This Lenten season, the parish communities of St. Philip the Apostle here and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Wayne have been “Journeying with St. Joseph” to embrace this holy time in the Year of St. Joseph.

Inspired by the “spiritual tools” of St. Joseph, who was entrusted with the care of the Holy Family, the two parishes have been reflecting on St. Joseph as a “Prayer, Dreamer, and Provider” these past three weeks and until Holy Week. The theme was created by the collaborative team of Father Joseph Garbarino, pastor of St. Philip, Father Nico Quintos, parochial vicar at St. Philip, and Father Mateusz Jasniewicz, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, who formerly served as a parochial vicar at St. Philip.

Under the banner “Good News Themes,” a website, goodnewsthemes.com, was created for the faithful to follow and join in this Lenten journey. It includes recorded Sunday homilies by the priests, art, music, prayer practices, and reflection questions. In addition, there is a special video series to observe the feast of St. Joseph on March 19.

For the week one homily, Father Garbarino said, “We are tempted often to settle for less, especially in our spiritual lives. We can become complacent. This is why we have the season of Lent, a specific time when we are invited and challenged to grow spiritually.”

With this being the Year of St. Joseph, the three priests thought this was a great opportunity to focus on the foster father of Jesus this Lenten season and learn about God’s vision for everyone and how to do the mission of Christ’s work as love in action.

Father Garbarino said, “There’s a very strong connection between the three spiritual tools that we will explore and the life of St. Joseph. Joseph taught Jesus how to use the carpenter’s tools. We have many depictions of Jesus learning the trade of his foster father. Joseph also taught Jesus spiritual tools because Joseph’s life consisted of these spiritual tools, virtues, and characteristics that define his care of the Holy Family. St. Joseph is a prayer; St. Joseph is a dreamer. St. Joseph is a provider throughout the Gospels.”

On March 10 a Novena to St. Joseph began, which is posted on the website. Father Garbarino authored the novena and the prayers for each day: Day 1 — Joseph the Prayer; Day 2 — Joseph the Dreamer; Day 3 — Joseph the Provider; Day 4 — Joseph the Husband; Day 5 — Joseph the Father; Day 6 — Joseph the Worker; Day 7 — Joseph in Silence; Day 8 — Joseph the Patron of a Happy Death; and Day 9 — Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church.

In addition, there is a prayer card which is being used (see box at end of story) and different prayer practices offered on the website with reflection questions. For reflection two, it asks visitors to the website, “Like St. Joseph we are invited to be people who dream and have a vision of what is possible. In prayer God gives us with a dream and vision of who he wishes for us to become and how God will empower us to provide for the dreams and visions of others.”

For St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19, the Good News Themes website is offering a six-part series on celebrating the feast of St. Joseph. The four steps or ways to celebrate the feast are prayer, feast, consecration and participating in an act of charity, which will benefit St. Joseph Children’s Hospital in Paterson.

The first episode explains the history of the feast and how to set up a St. Joseph’s table/altar. The next videos will feature the three priests as “Clerical Chefs,” who will star in a series of three cooking shows. In the final episode, there will be an opportunity for the faithful to make a consecration to St. Joseph on his feast day, which will air on March 19 at 5 p.m.

“This Lent, we ourselves can be prayers, dreamers and providers in deeper ways in imitation of St. Joseph and in the Lord Jesus,” Father Garbarino said. “We dedicate ourselves through Christ and through the intercession of St. Joseph to explore these spiritual tools and who better to teach us how to use these tools than a carpenter.”