Saint Talk: St. Joseph - The Man Closest to Christ

The bible says St. Joseph was a righteous man (Matthew 1:19), a just man.  Permit me to paraphrase for a moment.  Psalm 1 defines a just man as the man who studies his faith, lives it and doesn't hang out with naysayers.  He was a spiritual leader.

St. Joseph was strong in his faith and thus possessed the grace to to answer God's call to be the protector of his most cherished creation - Mary - and his only begotten son, Jesus.  Joseph was a man of action and a man of few words (he is not quoted at all in the bible).  When God called Joseph to move the family to Egypt to protect them from Herod, he did it (Matthew 2:13-23).  He did not negotiate with God.  Instead he was humbly obedient and acted on God's instructions.

Joseph is the leader, father and husband we can all model.  He was the original Joe Catholic, just an ordinary guy living a holy life through the extraordinary grace of our Lord.

Joseph of Nazareth, Federico Suarez

Go to Joseph, Richard Gilsdorf

EWTN - Profile and Links to Papal Writings

Catholic Toolbox: Social Justice & Universal Healthcare Bill

The president's health care reform is one of the most significant issues facing our country in recent years.  In a time when so-called Catholic politicians have scoffed at Church teaching, what are we called to do?  In the following post, I will outline a straight forward guide for action.

First, we must understand that we have a spiritual responsibility to be politically active.  (See CCC #1915) Now, for most of us this simply means staying informed and voting with an appropriately formed conscience.  In fact, we are called as Men of God to uphold the "common good."  The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that the common good has two primary components: 1) respect for the human person and 2) the social well being of the group.
For a more a detailed account of what are responsibilities are as citizens see CCC 2238-2243  See below links for more information on this subject matter:

Bishop Vann's Letter to Congress

USCCB Main Page

USCCB - Health Care Reform

Catholics Respect Life Website