St. Joseph and Sons: March 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

2015 Lenten Projects - Poor Clares and St. James Church of Rockford

This year we have been honored to take on two Lenten projects.

The Sisters at Poor Clare's have asked us to help update their Mary Garden and build a new trellis.

St. James Church of Rockford has the need for some plaster updates in their rectory and guest areas.

See the following posts for some progress photos and updates. More to come as we complete the projects!

2015 Lenten Project - St. James Church of Rockford

St. James Church in Rockford was in need of some updating to the paster walls in some areas of the rectory and guest areas. The Joes had fun making a mess removing areas where the plaster was cracked and we will be painting as soon as the plaster is patched in a few weeks. We also made time for spiritual reflection during our meal and shared some of the things we are learning in Lent.

The guys admiring their work

Large area over stairs had a good amount of cracked plaster to be removed

Can't be afraid of heights if you want to be a Joe

Dale is hard at work

These guys covered this whole hallway! A lot accomplished in a day

Don't let the smile fool you- this guy is all business

Final wall- 1 hour of work / 10 guys? 6 minutes of work

Community is the best part about working with the Joes

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

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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