Brenda was a young yet fearful woman who, once, joined her friends in rock climbing.

Although scared, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope and started up the face of that steep rock cliff.

As she climbed higher, the safety rope snapped against Brenda’s eye and knocked out her contact lens!

Down went the contact lens

… and down went also her clarity in vision

… and her hopes!!

Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed somewhere close… but it just wasn’t there.

>> She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.

When she managed get to the top, she sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

She thought, “Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.”

>> Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom.

At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff.

One of them shouted out, “Hey, you guys! Anybody lost a contact lens?”

Well, that was startling enough, but how was it that the climber saw it?

An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!

A miracle?

>> An unbelievable story?

Well.. anyway, later, when Brenda told her father, who was a cartoonist, this incredible story, he drew a picture of an ant lugging and carrying that contact lens with the words:

“Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing!

I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy…

But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You.”

Wow! Those are amazing words isn’t it?

One may not always realise the reason for many things in life…

… may not see any good in it

… may even feel it too heavy

>> But, if one trusts in the mighty and loving Providence of the Lord, the same burden or load will be a reason for a miracle!

Are you and I, carrying a heavy burden today?

Feeling the worthlessness of it?

>> Trust in God… He has a beautiful plan and purpose!

Hard to trust that?

Then look closer into the life of the wonderful Saint of the Day – St Joseph!

>> A person who was called for the most strangest and unique assignments in the world…

>> A person who would have often wondered what really is going on in his life…

And yet, a person, who firmly clung on to what was given to him…embracing the Will of God!

St Joseph is certainly, one of the most remarkable personalities in the entire Bible.

>> A person who never spoke in the Bible… but one who spoke volumes of deep trust, confidence and obedience through his life.

>> A person who is not noted for any flashy or spectacular incidents…but one whose personality shines bright for the promptness and immediacy in carrying out what God wanted of him.

St Joseph was tremendously blessed!

>> The one who had the absolute privilege of being closest to two of the Most Holiest Persons in this world – Jesus and Mother Mary!

>> The one who had the pristine honour of rendering the first adoration and worship of Baby Jesus at His birth in this world!

But with blessing also comes duty and responsibility!

And St Joseph is a brilliant example and model to doing one’s duties and responsibilities…

>> He sacrificed a possible life of worldly glory… in accepting to be the caretaking father of Jesus.

>> He cast away his doubts and possibilities of shame… in accepting Mary as his wife, despite the tremendous societal and religious pressure on him.

>> He bore every difficulty and endured many miseries… in helping Jesus, the Son of God to be born and to ensure safety for the Divine Child and Mother.

>> He went beyond all shades of comfort and walked the path of thorny hardships… in ensuring the Holy Family was protected from harmful powers.

>> Here is a Saint…

… who challenges us to be totally and firmly faithful in carrying out the mission of God – be it small, unnoticed, unglamorous or insignificant.

… who shatters our mind in wanting to have pleasures and comforts, by letting go of one’s personal gains and even logical reasoning, in order to preserve and promote the Plans of God.

Life tosses us, time and again…

… with hardships, doubts, misunderstandings, uncertainty, fear… and even remain unrecognised!

>> But through all these experiences, St Joseph invites us… to trust in the Lord, with a deep sense of serenity and confidence!

Yes, we may not always understand why things are thrust on us…

But let us be inspired by St Joseph, to unmistakably hold on, in doing God’s Will in our lives!

>> God’s Will may not be comprehended…but it certainly will hold us close to the Heart of the Lord!

>> God’s Will may not always appear to be clear… but it certainly will be a major factor in carrying out the plan of God for us, in our lives!

Yes, let this be our encouraging prayer:

“Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing!

I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy…

But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You.”

May we join St Francis de Sales, who made this beautiful prayer, to St Joseph:

“Glorious St Joseph, spouse of Mary, grant us thy paternal protection, we beseech thee by the heart of Jesus Christ.

>> O thou, whose power extends to all our necessities and can render possible for us the most impossible things, open thy fatherly eyes to the needs of thy children.

In the trouble and distress which afflicts us, we confidently have recourse to thee.

>> Deign to take under your charitable charge this important and difficult matter, cause of our worries.

Make its happy outcome be for God’s glory and for the good of His devoted servants. Amen!”

Happy Feast of the Just Saint, St Joseph!

>> Let us rejoice with his Beloved Son Jesus and his Beautiful wife and our Mother, Mary!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “What more remains for us to say now, except that we cannot doubt at all that this glorious saint (St Joseph) has great influence in heaven…

… Oh how happy shall we be, if we can merit a share in his holy intercession!

>> He will obtain for us, if we have confidence in him, a holy growth in all kinds of virtues, but especially in those that we have found that he possessed in a higher degree than any others…

… which are most holy purity of body and mind, the most lovable virtue of humility, constancy, courage and perseverance!

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