The CatholiCity Message

Volume VII, Number 11 – July 29, 2003

Dear CatholiCity Citizen,

We're swamped. Let's go...

QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Pain is weakness leaving the body."
Marine Corps Maxim

1. BY THE NUMBERS
Many of you were curious why the numerals in the date 07/07/03 would be considered a reflection of perfection. According to Holy Scriptures, 6 is considered the number that represents man. Add 1 (for One God) and you get 7–that is, the perfection of Man by Jesus, true God and true Man. The numeral three represents the Most Holy Trinity, Who are, of course, perfect. By the way, this is not "numerology" or superstition. It's plain old Catholic biblical symbolism.

2. TERROR OF DEMONS
We've had the pleasure of visiting the Oratory of Saint Joseph in Montreal a few times during our travels, and as you can tell by our reflections on Joseph in this Message, our devotion to this man has grown. Every day now, we submit in prayer to Joseph, ask him to be our father, and to teach us how to be completely pure in body, spirit, and intention as he was. The Oratory is one of the most spectacular Catholic Shrines in the world, set on a hill overlooking all of Canada. We recommend you visit or make a special pilgrimage there during your lifetimes.

It staggers us that Mary and Jesus, who did not suffer under Original Sin, submitted themselves and obeyed Joseph, who was subject to sin. This shows us just how important obedience is, and why the Church and the saints have always taught that obedience is so critical. There is no one on this planet who is not sinful (for even the just man falls seven times a day), yet we are all required to obey someone, at some time–our husbands, our moms and dads, our bishops, our bosses–as well as the Truth as taught by the Catholic Church, which is ruled by imperfect men. This means that we have to trust that God works through authority despite the imperfections of men in authority who are subject to original sin.

If you have issues with obeying imperfect men, remember that Mary and Jesus did not have a problem obeying Joseph. They also recognized that he, not they, was the head of his family.

We've also been pondering what Our Lord meant when He said, "He who has seen me, has seen the Father." (John 14) Clearly, Jesus was referring to His heavenly Father. Perhaps, we could venture, Jesus also had an image of Saint Joseph in His mind's eye. This is because the First Person of the Holy Trinity–the Almighty Father–can not be "seen," not being of the flesh, except through Jesus. Did Jesus picture Joseph when He pictured his Heavenly Father? We don't know.

Yet, Joseph was of the flesh, and, as the Church has always taught, he was Jesus' real earthly father, not just a male ATM machine who paid for the three-square meals Jesus and Mary ate daily. Joseph married Mary. She was his wife, in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the community. He was her husband.

We are delving into deep mysteries here. we do not claim to know much of anything about Joseph. We're just getting started on what we feel is going to be a lifetime calling, and we're going to share it with you. After all, the Holy Trinity felt it was necessary for Jesus to spend decades under obedience to Joseph to prepare for the ultimate obedience to the Almighty Father: obedience unto death on the Cross.

BRAND NEW JOKE OF THE WEEK!
GUARANTEED YOU NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE!

Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Answer: To get to the other side.

Okay, okay. We're looking forward to August. We're starting a 54 Day Novena to our patron saint, Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, to begin on 8 August and end on 1 October. Here is the prayer we will be reciting every day at Mass, and let's all 70,000 of us pray it together now...

LITTLE FLOWER NOVENA
"O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love. Ask God today to grant the favor I now place with confidence in your hands. Help me to always believe as you did in God's great love for me, so I might imitate your Little Way every day. Amen."

SECOND QUOTE OF THE DAY
"If you want to be like a child, then the child to be like is Jesus, and Jesus loved and obeyed Joseph, and so should you."
Your Author

We'll get to why Joseph is the Terror of Demons next time. Dads, pay attention. You're gonna love it.

With Christ,

Your Friends at CatholiCity