Welcome to the St. Joseph's Day Virtual Retreat

We are blessed to have you join us on the Feast Day of St. Joseph!
Thank you for registering for our first "virtual" retreat in this year of St. Joseph (2020-2021). This retreat is hosted by Kathleen Fox, Co-Founder and Director of Gratia Plena House of Discernment for Women and moderated by Carol Kleinert, Catholic Spiritual Mentor, and Retreat Facilitator.

This retreat is designed to be "mostly virtual" and will take place on Friday, March 19, 2021.
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There are specific times during the day (10am, 1pm, and 4pm) when we can all participate together so you will need to join us on ZOOM. However, after the 10am presentation, you may complete the remaining prayers and meditations on your own. For those who would like, feel free to rejoin us on ZOOM at 1pm to pray the Rosary and St. Joseph Devotions together and then again at 4pm for the Closing Prayer, that will be entirely up to you.

Note: Completing ALL the REQUIRED ELEMENTS of this retreat provide the opportunity to fulfill the necessary obligations in order to receive a special Plenary Indulgence granted by the Holy See in this Year of St. Joseph. The attached Schedule includes a detailed timeline and it highlights all the requirements with an asterisk(*).

All are welcome to participate in the retreat with us, as much or as little as possible. However, if you cannot or do not complete all the requirements, you may not obtain this Plenary Indulgence.

Before the retreat begins, please take the opportunity to meet the following requirements:
  • Attend Mass and receive Holy Communion (each Plenary Indulgence requires a separate Holy Communion). We suggest attending morning Mass, the day of the retreat.
  • Confession. This should be done as close to this retreat day as possible and certainly no longer than 7 days before or after the retreat.

We look forward to seeing you and praying with you soon! St. Joseph, Pillar of families, pray for us.
St. Joseph Virtual Retreat
March 19, 2021
SCHEDULE
Elements marked with an Asterisk (*) ARE REQUIRED for special Plenary Indulgence
7:30 am - 9:45 am (All times are CST)
  • Attend Mass* day of the retreat and receive Holy Communion*
  • Confession* within 7 days before or after the retreat

9:45 am - ZOOM Room opens

10:00 am - ZOOM Opening announcements and prayer

10:15 - 11:00 am - ZOOM (REQUIRED for Plenary Indulgence)
     Presentation* on St. Joseph “And He Spoke Not A Word”

REQUIRED ELEMENTS(*) NEED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CONCLUSION OF THE RETREAT - 4PM

11:00 - 12:00 pm - On your own (REQUIRED for Plenary Indulgence)
     Silent Meditation* on "And He Spoke Not A Word" (included)

12:00 - 1:00 pm - Lunch Break

1:00 - 2:00 pm - ZOOM (Or on your own)
     Rosary
     (All of the following are also REQUIRED for Plenary Indulgence)
     One Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope*
     Prayer to St. Joseph* (included)
     Litany of St. Joseph* (included)

2:00 - 4:00 pm (on your own)
     Silent Meditation on the “Our Father” (included)
     Holy Hour in Eucharistic Adoration (this is not a requirement but would be advisable), or if unable to complete a Holy Hour you may spend this time in Silence or Spiritual Reading.

4:00 pm - ZOOM Closing prayer
The session ends with an individual agreement to perform a Spiritual or Corporal Work of Mercy within 7 days.
Also, at your earliest convenience, although not necessary during this retreat, please consider consecrating yourself to St. Joseph by using the book by Fr Donald Calloway MIC.
St. Joseph Virtual Retreat
AND HE SPOKE NOT A WORD!
​Meditation
(It is advisable to read through this meditation then focus on the word or phrase that most captured your attention. We don’t need to read a lot of words, just enough to spark a conversation.)

St. Joseph is a man who possesses heroic virtues. Charity, fortitude, patience, prudence, piety, temperance,hope, love!  He is a man who is the earthly foster father of the Most High God.  He is a humble man who says not one word and yet is so complex and deep in his love and care for the Holy Family.  I believe he is our example of silent meditation simply because he spoke not a word.

According to Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM, Cap., the preacher of the papal household, “The hidden treasure, and the precious pearl, are nothing other than Jesus himself” (Gospel Commentary for 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 2008).  So can we not rightly assume, Joseph indeed was the caretaker of the hidden treasure and the precious pearl?  Being versed in the Torah, how simple and complete was Joseph’s love for this God who is the hidden treasure and precious pearl.  And yet, he spoke not a word!

What is it about Joseph, in this year of St. Joseph, that we should meditate on?  Is it that Joseph was given special insight into the “hidden” ways Our Lord?  Is it that St. Joseph was the inheritor of the precious pearl?  Is it that St. Joseph watched Jesus grow in love and knowledge and remained but a silent figure in Christ’s life?
Is it that St. Joseph watched how Jesus lived and worked while he himself lived a life of hidden ways…..Joseph lived simply, and silently.  He spoke not a word.

Joseph seems to be but a shadow in the life of Mary and Jesus.  We can meditate on Joseph’s meekness, his tenderness toward Jesus, how he teaches Jesus the carpenter trade, how he praises Mary’s presence in his life, compliments her beauty, this man who accompanies Mary and Jesus everywhere, but spoke not a word.

St. Joseph is just the inspiration we need to live a life of love and respect for the dignity of God and each person and particularly each unborn child.  This holy husband of the Virgin Mary was given custody of the most precious possession of the Father, his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased.  Does this fact not immediately solidify Joseph’s integrity, his trustfulness, his love for God?  Joseph was given custody of the most precious treasure of all, and he saved this precious treasure from mortal danger.  Joseph fed Jesus as Jesus now feeds us.  He was the father of a family who was poor, struggled as others struggled under Roman occupancy and he made his fiat by accepting this life, and yet he spoke not a word.

Joseph was certainly not different from other men who lived in Israel.  He knew that Mary could not totally be his and yet treated her with the utmost care and dignity with the greatest protection he could possibly afford her.  Because he was silent we cannot know how Joseph experienced his surrender to this quiet life.  The life of silence that St. Joseph led speaks eloquently of the obvious, he was a just man who loved…….and yet spoke not a word.
St. Joseph Virtual Retreat
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH
Prayer to Saint Joseph to be said at the end of the Rosary - Year of St. Joseph
(Composed by Pope Leo XIII in his 1889 encyclical, Quamquam pluries)

To you, O blessed Joseph,
we have recourse in our affliction,
and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse,
we now, with hearts filled with confidence, earnestly beg you
to take us under your protection.

Through that sacred bond of which united you
to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God
and by that fatherly love
with which you embraced the Child Jesus,
we humbly beg you to look graciously upon the beloved inheritance
which Jesus Christ purchased by his Blood,
and aid us in our necessities with your power and strength.

Defend, O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family,
the chosen children of Jesus Christ;
Keep from us, O most loving father,
all blight of error and corruption.
Aid us from on high, most valiant defender,
in this conflict with the power of darkness.
​
And just as you once saved the Child Jesus from mortal danger,
so now defend God's Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity,
Shield us by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example and strengthened by your help,
we may be able to live a virtuous life, die a happy death,
and obtain everlasting bliss in heaven.
Amen.
St. Joseph Virtual Retreat
LITANY OF SAINT JOSEPH
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Noble offspring of David, pray for us.
Light of patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Zealous defender of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most courageous, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of workmen, pray for us.
Glory of Domestic life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of families, pray for us.
Comfort of the afflicted, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us!
V. He made him lord of His household,
R. And prince over all His possessions.

Let Us Pray
O God, Who in your loving providence, chose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most Holy Mother, grant us the favor of having him for our intercessor in heaven who on earth we venerate as our protector.
You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen
St. Joseph Virtual Retreat
THE OUR FATHER
​Meditation
(PARTIALLY BASED ON THE WAY OF PERFECTION - ST. TERESA OF AVILA)
​
OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN...
Our Father is still on earth as well as in heaven, as we do not worship an absent Christ.
Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme definitive happiness (CCC 1024).

HALLOWED BE THY NAME
We hallow the name of Our Father by keeping it separate from all else as the holiest and most sanctified name. The Hebrew people would not even say the name of God out loud for fear they might misuse His name or irreverently offend Him. Thus we should never take the name of the Lord in vain.

THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
The Way of Perfection page 150 states:  When the soul is praying “Thy kingdom come” His Majesty knows we are so incapable of hallowing, praising, extolling, or glorifying His name in a proper way as they do in heaven.  He then provided for us a kingdom here on earth where we might beg Him continually through prayer that He brings us to His heavenly kingdom.
The Way of Perfection page 151 states:  Teresa described the Kingdom as a place where:  a)  We will no longer take any account of earthly things.  b)  We will experience a calmness and glory within. c) rejoice because all are rejoicing.  d)  We will experience perpetual peace!  e)  We will have the inner satisfaction that all hallow and praise the Lord,blesses His name, and no one ever offends Him.  This spiritual experience allows the soul to think about nothing but loving Him nor can it cease doing so because the soul now knows Him!

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
The first and most obvious understanding of these words is that God will sustain us physically alluding possibly to the gift of the Body of Christ, the Eucharist, prefigured by the manna in the desert which kept the Israelites alive.

AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
Simply put means to free us from our sins and this is possibly a reference to confession.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US
Remember that it is not just sufficient to ask God to forgive us, we must also forgive those who have hurt us in anyway.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
We should ask God for the grace by which we may avoid temptations, as we are not able to avoid temptations on our own.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
Actually, we are to pray for deliverance from the Evil One. God answers our prayers and through our prayers, if God so wills, we will be delivered from the Evil One.

AMEN
And so let it be!
CK 21