Prayed to today's honored saint, St. John Joseph of the Cross. God gives extraordinary gifts to saints on their feastdays so it is a gift to us to turn to that saint and beg for great graces. St. John Joseph, please deliver a much loved brother safely to his family and may God reward you with an extra portion of His love in thanksgiving! ST. JOHN JOSEPH OF THE CROSS—1654-1734 Feast: March 5 He was born on the Feast of the Assumption, in the year of our Lord 1654, at the town of Ischia, in the island of that name, belonging to the kingdom of Naples, of respectable parents, Joseph Calosirio and Laura Garguilo, and was upon the same day christened Charles Cajetan. He early discovered the seeds of those virtues that in a special manner enriched his soul, and sanctified his life in the religious state, humility, sweetness, obedience, and an incomparable modesty; and at the same time manifested a marvellous inclination to silence, retirement, and prayer. Wherefore, even in childhood, he made choice of a room in the most secluded quarter of the house, and therein fitting up a little altar to Our blessed Lady, (on whose great festival he had the happiness to be born, and towards whom, through life, he cherished a tender and filial devotion,) he spent his whole time in study and pious exercises. Here, too, he early manifested his attachment to the cross, sleeping upon a narrow hard bed, and fasting on appointed days during the week; and as he mortified the flesh betimes, so also he checked all pride, by wearing constantly mean clothes, notwithstanding his birth and station, in despite of remonstrances and reproach. His horror of sin was equal to his love of virtue, so that his mind, from the first dawn of reason, shrunk like a delicate plant from the very shadow of guilt, and was all-imbued with zeal for God's glory. Idleness, levity, vanity, and falsehood, even in trivial matters, were censured by him as faults severely reprehensible. And when his efforts to check sin drew upon him the hostility of others, he was so far from losing patience, that he therein only discovered a fresh opportunity of practicing virtue. Towards the poor he overflowed with tenderness, reserving for them the choicest portion of his meals, and devoting to their use the pocket-money he received. The sanctity of his boyhood merited for him the grace of a divine call to a state of holiness; and feeling an interior movement to quit the world, he sedulously sought counsel from the Father of lights, as to the manner in which he should obey this inspiration. For this end he redoubled his ordinary devotions and mortifications, performed a novena to the Holy Ghost and threw himself upon the tender patronage and powerful intercession of Our Lady. God hearkened to his fervent appeal; for his providence so disposed that at this period the renowned servant of God, Father John da San Bernardo, a Spanish Alcantarine, came into the country of our saint, with the view of establishing his order in the kingdom of Naples. The mean habit and devout demeanor of this holy man and his companions, touched and won the heart of Joseph; he desired to imitate what he beheld and doubted not but the desire came from God. Wherefore he journeyed to Naples, that he might impart to the fathers of the order his inclination; and they, having prudently considered his vocation, admitted him to the novitiate. He manifested so much ardor, that the superiors deemed it fitting to clothe him with the habit before the usual time had expired. This happy consummation of his wishes took place before he had completed his sixteenth year. He adopted the name of John Joseph of the Cross, and on the feast of St. John the Baptist, in the year of our Lord 1671, he completed his edifying novitiate, and took the solemn vows of his order; whose holy founder, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Peter of Alcantara, he proposed to himself as models.
Thank God, he's in jail and apparently safe. Thank you all, and prayers for his addictions would also be in order.
Thank you all again. I've since learned that this was his third DUI, so it will count as a felony. In the state that he lives in this will also involve the revocation of his driver's license, the permanent impoundment of his car, a jail sentence of at least 90 days, and becoming a felon, which will make getting another job difficult. He had just gotten a job at a really good company about a year ago, and his performance has been really good. They were talking about making him the head of the engineering department for the plant. Now I'm guessing he'll be fired. He doesn't deserve this, he's an alcoholic but he's never hurt anyone, when he's been pulled over he's been breaking the lines several times but he's never been in an accident. Sending him to jail will probably make him much worse, if not an actual criminal. I could see not letting him drive again but jail time is so unnecessary for him. I can't stop crying.
My heart goes out to you. The families of people with addictions suffer so very much. I will pray for your brother and for you.
I feel for you, and will remember you both in my prayers. With that said I was almost hit in a head on accident Saturday night with my wife and two daughters by what I can only surmise was a drunk driver. He was well over the speed limit and the center line. I Thank God we were not all killed. Your brother should be very grateful and thank God he was caught and has been put in jail! If he had to live with himself after killing someone driving drunk he may never recover from it. I know this personally, my Father killed a man drunk driving in his youth and he never recovered from it and it affected him and everyone who loved him to the very end. Not to mention the family of the poor man he killed.
I leave tomorrow for Asia and am asking for prayer for safe travel. Thanks in advance to everyone. God bless.
You will be in my prayers at this evening's Mass. P.S. to Any name you wish: I continue to include you and your brother in my prayers. I hope that you both will soon see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Lord please bless and heal and give Your Holy Spirit to ANyouW's brother, through the intercession of Mary. Please give him graces for healing this Lent.
Any name.. you and your brother are in my prayers. Such suffering you both are enduring especially yourself....be certain it is not going to waste. God Bless
