St. Joseph and Sons

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

2015 Lenten Project - Poor Clares Mary Garden

The Sisters at Poor Clares in Rockford have honored us with a request to help update their Mary Garden. We have started by cutting wood to size and assembling some of the trellis and can't wait to continue this project outdoors! Here are some process photos.

Concept Drawing based on the Sister's request

1" Scale Model

Sister Christina teaching Mike Arduino how to use power tools

Work continues cutting and staining

Trellis arch construction

Mike & Mike the staining crew

Assembly continues

Sister Christina, Kyle, and Tom are happy with the progress

Sunday, March 1, 2015

March "Thought of the Month"

One must be constantly recall the necessity to grow in confidence in God, trust that prayers will be answered. Maybe not as we want but as others need it to be.

Sr. Dorothy Day

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

February Monthly Meeting at St. Bridget Church- Wednesday, February 25th

Our monthly meeting will be held Wednesday, February 25that St. Bridget Church in Loves Park. The meeting will begin at 6:30am in the Parish Center and we attend 7:00am mass together. The meeting will reconvene after mass for bagels, coffee and spiritual development. Hope you’re available to attend!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

February "Thought of the Month"

There is no need for us to go abroad on account of the Kingdom of Heaven, nor to cross the sea for virtue. For the Lord has told before, that the Kingdom of God is within us.

St. Anthony of Egypt

Monday, January 26, 2015

Monthly Meeting - Wednesday, January 28th at 6:30 am - Guests Welcome!

The Joes' monthly meeting is this Wednesday, January 28th at 6:30 am at St. Bridget Church in Loves Park. Guests are welcome!! We meet in the Parish Center at 6:30, head over to mass together at 7, and reconvene after for bagels, coffee, and spiritual development. We hope you are able to join us!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

St. James Belvidere Project

The Joes were at St. James Belvidere the past two Saturdays to work on a variety of projects in preparation for St. James' reopening. As the project is nearing completion with a goal of mid-December 2014, it is coming together beautifully and the Joes were honored to lend a helping hand!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Joes gathered last Friday at Field Fastener to celebrate another wonderful year. We are blessed to be able to serve with the treasures and talents that we have been given by God.

"What gives us dignity is not our wealth or good fortune or noble birth, but a worthy and virtuous life and the dignity of our labor."

St. John XXIII

Spiritual Corner

Relationship - Identity - Mission.

St. Joseph was hard worker who knew who he was and who he was called to be by God. He understood his relationship with God, which informed him of his identity, which in turn allowed him to see his mission. This is the order through which we all have to understand our lives: Relationship – Identity – Mission. The most important and fundamental key to who each of us is, is the fact that God has revealed Himself to us so that we might be in relationship with Himself. This relationship becomes a reality for each of us through our baptism, through which we become sons and daughters of God.

Very often we are faced with the temptation that the world offers us, which is to see things in the opposite order. The world looks at our Mission (all that we do, and whether or not we’re successful in our undertakings) and says that our identity is created by what we do. This then of course affects our relationships. What this leads to frequently is our doubting ourselves when things go wrong and when we can’t provide in the way that we would expect. Or to doing good simply for the sake of desiring to be notice and accepted. Had Joseph fallen into this trap, it certainly would have been difficult for him to have continued to be the humble man who quietly loved, served, and provided for his family.

All of the Joes are called to come and serve as Sons of God who serve humbly out of a desire to carry out their mission from God. We do not serve for the sake of building ourselves up, nor as a tool to create our identity. We all need to continue to delight in our relationship with God and to serve from a desire to spread the love of God so that many others can come to know their worth that comes from their own relationship with God.

Father Keith Romke

A Worker’s Prayer
St. Joseph, example for all those who work to support themselves and their families, obtain for me the grace to labor with thankfulness and joy. Grant that I may consider my daily endeavors as opportunities to use and develop the gifts of nature and grace I received from God. In the workplace may I mirror your virtues of integrity, moderation, patience, and inner peace, treating my co-workers with kindness and respect. May all I do and say lead others to the Lord and bring honor to God’s name.

Amen

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