Whittle Bits: Recent Episodes
Sons of Joseph
Every Wednesday we post a brief (Whittle Bits) episode to: encourage, challenge, pray about, reflect, share and grow from, as we look at the characteristics of St. Joseph and other faith-filled examples of true masculinity.
Like a craftsman modeling and shaping (whittling) a piece of wood, chipping away at the unnecessary parts, the areas that keep it from becoming true to what it is designed to be, we will give you tools and bits to guide you to become the best version of yourself you can be.
Quoting and paraphrasing from:"The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen - 365 Day of Inspiration" "He Leadth Me" - Walter J. Ciszek, S.J.Every moment of our life has a purpose.Every action of our life has a purpose.Can you live in simple faith and trust in God?Review your day and ask what did that day mean to me and then more importantly ask yourself, what did it mean to/for God?Be brave, be simple, ask the question and then listen, truly listen and wait on the Lord's reply and maybe, just maybe, the Lord will send angels to speak to you in dreams as he did Joseph. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
"He Leadeth Me" - Walter Ciszek, S.J. Quotes from pages 175 & 176Psalm 23Thank you for listening to our podcast. We hope you are finding it inspirational, educational, and entertaining.We are blessed and humbled to have reached a complete year's worth of weekly (mostly) podcasts.Feel free to share with us your favorite or most impactful episode from the past year in the comments below or by emailing us at: josephsarmy1@gmail.comPlease pray for us as we continue to pray for all of you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Join Konnor this week as he shares a stream of consciousness on Fatherhood in Scripture. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius by George E. Ganss, SJDiscerning the Will of God by Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V.First mode: Clarity Beyond DoubtCertitude Deep PeaceJoyous OutlookConfidenceSecure SenseFreedomJoyDelightFreedom from DoubtRecognize and Act:What was specifically shownWas there a clear attraction and drawing of the willIs it truly impossible to doubtHas it been discussed with a spiritual directorHave I, in receipt of this gift, acted upon itSecond mode: Attraction of the HeartDeep Devotion and TearsPeace in my HeartConsolation or DesolationPatterns in ConsolationPatterns in DesolationDoes this make me the most joyfulSufficient clarity and understanding thru experiencesWhich am I most drawn tooThird mode: Majority of ReasonsFirst Way -1st Point: Question -Place the thing before me which I wish to make a decision about2nd Point: Disposition - Have an equal detachment from both, empty of passion or fixed inclination, flexible and ready to go either direction. Be in equilibrium, ready to follow whatever I perceive to be more for the glory and praise of God and the salvation of my soul3rd Point: Petition - Pray that God be pleased to move my will and place in my soul what I ought to do in this matter that would bring God more praise and glory. For the grace of a mind that sees clearly and a will to choose faithfully for God's praise and glory.4th Point: Reasons - What are the Spiritual and faith-based advantages and disadvantages for the praise of God and for the salvation of my soul. Consider and document the strengths and weaknesses of each.5th Point: Choose - Judge the reasons, which one elevates my soul, gives me tranquility, joy, and peace more6th Point: Confirmation - Bring the decision to God and ask that he confirm the choiceSecond Way -1st Rule: Disposition - Does the love that moves me and causes me to choose descend from above, from the love of God, and solely for the sake of my Creator and Lord?2nd Rule: Consider Another - If someone came to me with the same choice that I didn't know, how would I counsel them and which option would I steer them towards? Distance yourself from the decision.3rd Rule: End of Life - Consider myself at the end of my life near death, what choice would I have wished I made at this present time?4th Rule: Eternity - See myself on judgment day and consider how I will wish to have chosen in this present discernment Which one is more loving towards God, who loves me infinity? Am I loving him back without reservation?Confirmation - Once the choice has been made, seek to get confirmation from God. Pray before God, offering him the choice so that the Lord may be pleased to receive and confirm it.Questions to Consider:Have I done my research on the options? Do I have all the relevant data?Am I beginning my discernment from a tranquil time, not one of turmoil or unrest?Have I renewed my desire and awareness to promote God's greater glory in human hearts and to progress toward the joy of eternal communion with God?Am I spiritually free and open to either option?Have I sought God's help in prayer before considering the advantages and disadvantages?Are the reasons faith-based on my list for the greater glory of God?Does one choice have a more favorable reason?Have I shared the process with a spiritual director?Having chosen an option, have I brought the choice to God for confirmation, and have I received one? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sloth 11 - DissedToday we are taking a look at the passions of discouragement and self-pity and all the other disses.Lord, we praise and worship you. Please remove from us all negative influences, keep us from sharing negativity with others and bless us with a peace that emits a positive and hopeful demeanor that others will find appealing and contagious. Guide us to see the good, the true, and beautiful in all that surrounds us; nature, people, situations, and more. Give us the strength to counter the culture of canceling others. Instead, grant us the virtue and characteristics of building others up and steering them towards heaven. AmenDiscouragement is the devil's main uncreative and predictable tactic used against the serious faith-filled fighter. Satan knows that God is more powerful than he is and that Christians fight with God's strength. He knows that in a straight-out battle, he loses. So, his only chance of having success is if he can seduce us into outright rebellion. To get us to put down our weapons, and our defenses and to stop fighting. He uses every possible discouraging weapon. He tells us that we are spiritual failures, too sinful, annoying, and/or forgotten by God and that the journey to holiness is too long, too hard. A person who struggles with sloth will be easily discouraged. They are looking for a reason to give up. They often do not persevere in difficult tasks, and they are easily paralyzed by insults. Feeling disliked or criticized is another tactic. It leads to self-pity. How can we be open to criticism, and invite it in, without feeling emotionally attacked? If we know that we need direction and we have a growth mindset, then why do we feel offended when others offer correction, question us, or offer advice. It's an issue of pride. It is likely rooted in childhood insecurity when were we publicly corrected and embarrassed or humiliated. Yet, if we know the correction is meant for good, and there is always a nugget of truth and goodness in correction, even bad and negative or ill-willed correction, why is it so hard to accept, embrace and receive it? Especially when this comes from someone that loves us and that we love.Contemplating Joseph and Jesus' relationship and knowing that in those times fathers taught their sons the family trade, Joseph must have had to receive correction, and criticism and been discouraged as an apprentice. Then on top of that, he has Jesus as his son and although we know Jesus was obedient to Joseph, there may have been moments when Joseph also learned from his son. This is why Joseph is a pillar for families, a model of workers, a lover of poverty, and most prudent. I have no doubts Joseph was a passionate man, sensitive, and caring, so in him, we see a model of how to be imperfect, yet always in relationship and courageously defending Christ and providing an example of true selflessness, charity, and humility.It may be that when we find out someone dislikes us or is critical of our work, we collapse inside and self-doubt and self-pity rise up within us. It is a form of self-preservation, a defense mechanism. It's the devil's ploy to keep us from developing and growing in selflessness, charity, and humility.When we have courage and humble ourselves like Joseph to receive being dissed because we begin to know what we are truly capable of, we find our strength, and we trust others and ourselves to recognize our gifts. We are not dissuaded easily.Satan crafts his attack on each of our unique personal vulnerabilities. The temptation is always the same: to stop fighting the spiritual battle.We need to keep our minds strong and alert knowing that discouragement never comes from God. Christ always imparts courage even when he is correcting us. The devil always robs us of courage even when he is flattering us. Refuse to listen to the devil's lies and cast away quickly any lingering feelings of dejection or sadness in God's sight. Remember we are beloved sons of our Father. Recall God's constant presence and care for us.Other disses are disillusionment, distraction, discontent, disdain, distortion, disregard, and disrespect. Dis as a Latin prefix means: lack of, opposite of, apart, asunder, away, having a negative or reversing force. These are the tools of the devil to keep us in lust, greedy, unsatisfied, longing, bored, threatened, joyless, and anxious. In a state opposite of what God wants, in reverse of His desire for us.Disrespect can creep in when we allow a kind of numbness of our soul and we fail to regard others. We can use them. Men particularly struggle to regard the dignity of women. We can easily objectify women and use them for our own purposes. We refrain from thinking about who she is as a person; only about how her body interests us.Sloth, like all sin, manifests itself in disorder, in disorganized lives, in wrong priorities, and in moral ambiguity or equivalency. When we marginalize our sin, we may manifest disdain for authority or hold on to others' sins while minimizing our own. We treat others with disrespect and are disillusioned. Satan wants us to have a distorted view of God and His love for us.No matter what difficulties we may face, let's keep our minds strong and refuse to be drawn into a fruitless net of self-pity, and treat others with dignity and charity. As we do so, the Lord will aid us with his grace and foil the enemy's plans to distract and defeat us.God, thank you for the example of St. Joseph. Help us to imitate his patience, charity, and humility, and to treat others with respect and dignity as fellow beloved sons and daughters of yours. Grant us the mindset to learn from others even when the information is communicated in a way that offends us. Guide us in finding the good, the true, and the beautiful in all correction and to be able to correct others in a positive way that is well received. Amen This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
In a very personal, authentic, and vulnerable way, Konnor share's the story of his family's struggle with pregnancy, what baptism means, and the hope of the rainbow in relationship to God's promise to us.We hope you enjoy this special episode and thank Konnor for his openness in allowing us to share this with all of you. Rest in Peace Rosie and John Paul and God bless Eden Marie and the Damery family.Romans 5:1-5Faith, Hope, and Love. 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.Please join us in praying a decade of the rosary. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Since the very first episode, we have not had a conversational episode. Today Konnor and Brian discuss how St. Joseph has impacted their lives.We hope you enjoy this episode.We also welcome your feedback and suggestions on future podcasts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
The Spirit has led us to post this week's podcast featuring Carlos! How do you imagine?Is your imagination guided by faith?"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 How is your imagination shaped by your faith? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Priest, Prophet & KingContinuing the series on Sloth let us take a moment to look at another way to combat this sinful behavior. Let's talk about courage."Lord, your Son was THE most courageous man. He showed us how to face hate, anger, jealousy, envy, and ignorance with love, kindness, peace, and joy, going against the plan of the evil one that seeks to sow division, distrust, misinformation, and lies. Joseph is a model for how we are to be courageous in how we follow Jesus through suffering, hardship, and the unknown. Pour your blessings upon us all with a healthy dose of courage on top. Never allow us to shrink from doing your will and aid us in our journey to face all adversity without wavering or compromise, but rather with an abundance of Christ's love and compassion. Amen"As I considered men that need to have courage, I thought of firefighters, soldiers, police officers, missionaries and priests, prophets and kings or leaders. You know people that act decisively and commandingly without total concern for your own welfare, but for others. Men of honor. Brave men that know that sacrifice is part of the job. These are men alive and aware of what is right and wrong, what is true or false, and what builds others up. They are prudent, firm, stable, and willing to undergo trials for the greater good.If we consider Joseph as courageous, as a priest, prophet, and king then he would've been the king to the King of Kings, priest to the great High Priest, and prophet, or a teacher to the great Teacher.In our upside-down world, we know that the cross was meant to be the most dishonorable, humiliating, and torturous way to suffer and yet, Christ flips this into the greatest glorification of God. Love takes courage. It takes more courage to sacrifice yourself and your desires than it does to manipulate others and circumstances so you never need to have the courage or be inconvenienced. It is easy to get discouraged which is a characteristic of sloth that leads to people giving up. It can paralyze you or cause you to get defensive or even collapse inward leading o self-pity and self-doubt. All negative traits of sloth.Like Joseph, we cannot be overly concerned with how others view or think of us. We have to be willing to take care of the vulnerable, the overlooked, ignored, and/or abused. To be a man of true courage you must love your creator and Master. He must be at the center of your life and project outward from you. Part of being true sons of the Father is cultivating a high and generous loyalty to the person of Christ.How often do we complain? Complaining is rarely if ever a good response to anything. Courageous men don't complain. Joseph never complained. Jesus never complained. They take hardships, whether chosen or inflicted upon them, as part of Christ's training in warfare. They act to change a situation for good, or they quietly allow themselves to bear the discomfort. Grousing, whining, complaining: this is the behavior of a spoiled child, not a man of Christ. A complaining spirit weakens our inner resolve—our courage.Make an examination of your comfortable habits: food, sleep, clothing, or lifestyle—and determine to be courageous in keeping yourself free from allowing them to gain a hold on you. Abstinence and self-denial is the practice that brings this courageous freedom under the grace and help of God."Lord, help us to be men that are willing to lay down our desires, our wants, and needs in order to put others' comfort before our own. Make us like Jesus and Joseph, bold, courageous men that do not complain, but rather have a Holy Indifference to the creature comforts of this world, neither denying them when they are blessed nor seeking them in a disordered way when they are lacking. Make us heroic, valiant men and remove from us any cowardice or spirit of timidity. We praise and honor you for all you have done and will do, the blessings and the hardships for we know that there is goodness, truth, and beauty meant for us at its core. Amen" This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Teaser for upcoming series on Fruits of the Holy Spirit.Be a man that models the discipline of Moses, Joseph, and Jesus in being free to choose to obey God striving to be under His control, trusting fully in Him, gentle in working for Him, and humble in all that we encounter.Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth. (Numbers 12:3)Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)I open my mouth and speak of her: gain wisdom for yourselves at no cost. Take her yoke upon your neck; that your mind may receive her teaching. For she is close to those who seek her, and the one who is in earnest finds her. (Sir 6:25–26.)Exodus90 - https://exodus90.com/Quoting from the Exodus91 study on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit:"The English language has never found a good word to translate today's fruit of the Spirit. The two words most often used, gentleness and meekness, give an impression of weakness or lack of forcefulness, and describe the quality of a person's actions. But this fruit of the Spirit is something different: it is founded on a strong consciousness of God's power, and it involves orienting one's mind and spirit toward God. It is close to the quality of humility." This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Welcome back Konnor!!A slightly longer podcast today that comes straight from Konnor's heart to ours.He explains why he has not recorded in a while and that journey."Through the Heart of St. Joseph" By Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Welcome back Carlos! This week we look at how to model ourselves in the way of abandonment allowing and embracing God's will in our life.Some quotes:G.K. Chesterton: "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade: "[People who accept everything] make use of things, not that they have any confidence in them, but because they are submissive to God's will, which they find active in the most unlikely situations. … Nor do they find anything tedious in life or anything to complain about, for they have a settled assurance that they are following the most perfect way. They enjoy supreme bliss because they see the fullness of God's power being exercised in whatever conditions of body or soul they find themselves, in whatever happens to them internally or externally and in whatever befalls them at each and every moment. Whatever the world offers them is nothing. They judge all things by God's standards. If [God] takes from them their powers of thought and speech, their books, their food, their friends, their health, and even life itself, it means no more to them than if He did the exact opposite…. They do not reason about what He does, but approve of it. They know it is never without significance."St. John of the Cross: "To love is to be transformed into what we love. To love God is therefore to be transformed into God."Dietrich von Hildebrand: "Readiness to change, taken in this sense, is the first prerequisite for the transformation in Christ. But, in addition thereto, more is needed: a glowing desire to become a new man in Christ; a passionate will to give oneself over to Christ. And this, again, presupposes a state of fluidity, as it were: that we should be like soft wax, ready to receive the imprint of the features of Christ. We must be determined not to entrench ourselves in our nature, not to maintain or assert ourselves, and above all, not to set up beforehand — however unconsciously — a framework of limiting or qualifying factors for the pervasive and re-creative light of Christ. Rather we must be filled with an unquenchable thirst for regeneration in all things. We must fully experience the bliss of flying into Christ's arms, who will transform us by His light beyond any measure we might ourselves intend. We must say as did St. Paul on the road to Damascus; ‘Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?' "Links to references:https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/prayer-of-abandonment-361https://catholicstrength.com/tag/we-are-always-under-the-fathers-providential-care/https://www.amazon.com/Abandonment-Divine-Providence-Translated-Introduction/dp/1420959034/ref=sr_1_12?crid=1B1B2WDX29RQ5&keywords=abandonment+to+divine&qid=1651605260&sprefix=abandonment+to+divine%2Caps%2C334&sr=8-12https://www.amazon.com/Transformation-Christ-Dietrich-Von-Hildebrand/dp/0898708699/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=transformation+in+christ+von+hildebrand&qid=1651605320&sr=8-1 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Freedom to choose has consequences. Freedom in the right order seeks truth and discipline. Disordered Freedom is not freeing at all, but rather binding."Lord, we give your thanks and praise. Please give us the heart of Joseph, one of discipline, of seeking your will, obeying without delay, and help us to right order our desires. For we know that you created all things for good and that there is a proper way for us to receive and treat all. Remove from us disordered desires. Help us to treat others with the same dignity and respect Joseph treated Mary. We ask this through the intercession of Mary and Joesph. All glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen"Sloth is born out of our disordered, slavish pursuit of personal pleasure. This inordinate passion seeking causes us to sin, demanding and being tied to what we want, when we want it, without care or concern for how it affects others or allowing our conscience to convict us. When we allow desire to dictate our action in chasing after immediate gratification we may receive cheap and timely pleasure, but there is no security in it. It is shallow and chains us to our countless wants and cravings.Our culture is immersed in advertising. Even when the media is not right in front of our eyes, or in our hands, and when we are with other people, what does the conversation revolve around? Are they or are we advocating for some new toy, product, service, etc, that we just purchased? Are those interactions loving, or mini advertisements, where we promote self-interest, brag, or encourage others to indulge? It was recently brought to my attention that the vehicle advertisers use to entice people are the seven deadly sins. To appeal to our weaknesses, lust, greed, all that makes us more comfortable right now, our sin.Advertise comes from the root words "ad" and "verse" which means to turn towards. It is an attempt to call actions to something to make people aware of it, which in and of itself is not a bad thing. We can use advertising for good. We can bring attention to Jesus, to His dying and resurrection for our sins. Yet, in our fallen nature, we have taken and skewed this for evil. Because we succumb to comparison, we have used advertising to prey on each other and use it instead to put others down or raise ourselves above them. In other cases we want people to be just as sinful as us, so we don't feel as guilty.Unfortunately, this has influenced parenting methods and created a generation where the children are put on pedestals, with parents serving children, rather than children respectfully serving their elders. In our desire to ensure our kids are cool, or popular we bow to consumerism and peer pressure. We are at the mercy of their fickle itches. In catering to these whims, we are teaching our children to be slothful, that they lack true value and that they are only as good as their possessions or experiences.Think about how easy it would have been for Joseph to put Jesus on a pedestal. After all, he knew he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that people marveled at him. Yet, we read in Luke 2:51 that the child Jesus "He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them…" Joseph wasn't Jesus' best friend, trying to make him the most popular kid in Nazareth. No, he was actually working to keep Jesus out of the spotlight. This takes discipline on our part as parents and requires creativity and thoughtfulness so that our child understands the right order of loving Christ and people over personal pleasures or objects.It is likely that we even know this is all bad and may even be repulsed by this behavior, yet still struggle to remove ourselves or deny ourselves. Often these actions are provoked out of boredom. Just like with our children when they are without direction and purpose and find themselves in a state of searching, we too can be enticed to the same end. What are we searching for? We want that bolt of adrenaline, that spark of excitement, the rush of pleasure, but what we need is a jolt of purpose, not something to amuse our weary souls, but rather to inflame them with Christ's love.Refuse the Zombism, the wild empty cravings, the shallow impulses, the draw to narcissism. Stop looking over the fence, stop comparing, stop desiring to be someplace else, doing something else. Don't fall into the dissatisfaction of where you are or what you have and into the illusion that this word can fulfill your desires. Take responsibility, shake off the "me first" mentality, and preserve. Show gratitude for what you do have, and be creative in the way you care for things in a good way. In a right-ordered way. I doubt Joseph ignored Jesus during his work or during this free time. He wasn't looking at the neighbor and wishing he had his house or his job. Wasn't losing to escape his current poor circumstances. He was resolute, not fantasizing.Perseverance is not blind stoicism. It is not procrastination. It is not feeling like we cannot deny ourselves, that we are too weak or that it is out of our control. It is an active orientation towards God. It is working, sacrificing, and obedience to know God's will and follow it. It is to value and offer yourself, your work, your actions, your leisure in communion with God for the good of all things. When you fall to this type of sloth, you are chained to a never-ending, never satisfied, bottomless pit of personal hell. There is no freedom in this place. Only sadness and despair. You are enslaved to yourself. You may find yourself ashamed and trying to cover up your sins or trying to explain them away, yet they never leave you.Take responsibility for your actions. Accept responsibility for our sins. We are ordered to imitate Jesus, to be like Joseph, to strive for perfection, which demands a lot, and should not allow any time for sloth. Yet, we are not capable of this on our own. We must lean into Christ, we must actively depend on grace. We must not lower the bar of what God can do with and through us."Lord, you are worthy of all our praise and efforts. We thank you for creating us with free will to choose to love you and others. Bless us with Joseph-like selflessness and a desire to preserve in working toward right ordering our desires and directing them towards all that is true, good, and beautiful in full alignment with your will. Amen". This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Are you content with just getting by? Are you a minimalist? Do you give the least amount of effort in what you do?This week we look at where we spend our time and how we spend it.Lord, we praise and honor you for creating us. For creating us for you, for relationship, for love. We thank you for the people you have put in our lives to help us grow in relationship, for the world you created that was given to us to manage and tend. Bless this time and may it fill us with the "fire" of the Holy Spirit that we may always have a zeal in our hearts for doing and giving our best to you in our actions, words and relationships. Amen Think about the person you have the best relationship with right now. Now think about someone you don't have a good relationship with. Which do you spend more time with? Which do you pour more of yourself into? My guess is that the people you have a great relationship with that you work hard for it, or maybe it comes easy because you are both willing the good of the other and sacrificing your comfort for them.I also guess that our poor relationships have the opposite qualities. We spend little time with those people and when you do it is strained, uncomfortable, awkward or one sided.Recently, I did some imaginative prayer as part of Ignatian's 19th annotations on the 2 standards of Jesus (good) and the Devil (evil). For a day I was to contemplate how the evil one is a deceitful leader and what his world looks like. How he skillfully summons people/demons and then sends them out into the world, to see and hear how the evil one instructs them to set up snares and chains people to vanity, honor, and pride in order to pave the way for them to other sins and vices.What I imagined wasn't obvious at first, but was seemingly harmless innocent behavior between people buying and selling at an ancient bazaar. The further I went into the city the further I got from Christ and the closer to the devil. As I was pulled through this place I witnessed the changing of behavior along the way. The friendly haggling turned into arguing, stealing, cheating and hoarding. Then they strived in competition, used each other or tried to possess each other falling carelessly into revelry leading to excessive partying and promiscuity. I'll spare you the rest of the details, but it only got worse from there. It revealed to me that the devil loves "lukewarm people". They are ripe for the coercion and much easier to lead to a slippery slope. He creates an environment where we get comfortable with small sins and before we know it we are committing bigger and bigger sins, falling father and farther away from God. At this point, some people prefer ignorance in order to ignore their sins. Joseph was a sinful man like us, and I am sure he had moments when we distanced himself from Jesus and Mary, but we know he always returned.We need to confront our sins and work to rid ourselves of them. We should never be comfortable with them and should always be taking actions to stop them, but we have to keep in mind that it is impossible for us to do this without God's grace. If we rush to do this prematurely or presumptuously, we might find ourselves defeated. In this way, Joseph likely relied on God's grace, as we know he trusted our Lord.The devil uses this tactic to keep us trapped and to call us back. He wants us to feel defeated and discouraged so that we quit and fall back into the life of blissful ignorance. Part of the problem with this is that we aren't ignorant. If we honestly look at our sin, look at ourselves in the mirror, are we convinced we are pure or without fault? The sooner we attack sin the better. The longer we ignore it the more desensitized we become to it.We need to attend to our sin with prudence, patience, diligently uncovering the traps the evil one is laying out for us. It is possible for God to remove sin instantaneously, but normally this is a much more gradual process, which is stickier and more certain, in part because we participate in and understand the work of God and the renovating of our souls. Because we are investing time in rebuilding our relationship with Jesus. In the same way Joseph "wasted time" with Mary and Joseph, we should too.Have you slipped into a relaxed and comfortable relationship unwilling to engage the devil, allowing your soul to disintegrate into a broken relationship of selfish behavior that keeps you ragged, brittle, eroded or diluted? We must engage. We must make time for the relationship we want to be at the center of our lives. We must take responsibility for going to mass more than once a week, acting no different then wanting to get together with our best friend often. We must go to confession, in the same way we speak openly and honestly with our soul mate, we must extend the same comfort with the one that loves us even more deeply. And how much time do we waste just hanging out with your buddies? How much time do you just hang out with Christ at adoration. One of the most important characteristics of building relationships is communicating with the person. How often do you pray?Lord, we pray for zeal, we pray for a heart that longs to know you better, for a desire to just "waste" time being with you, sharing all of ourselves, good, bad or otherwise, as Joseph did with Jesus. Build in us a desire to pray, for quiet time with you and keep us from everything that is harmful to us as we work to grow in relationship with you. Give us the heart of Joseph that longs to spend time with your son, Jesus. Amen Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sloth 7 - HumilityNo Excuses.St. Joseph isn't given the exact title of "humility", but he is given the title of "Lover of Poverty". Being poor, going without, making it less about ourselves, and giving to others when we receive much, are certain characteristics of humility.This week we look at how the slothful person can be passive in nature, acting in false humility. They refuse God's mercy and embrace self-pity or a "poor is me" attitude.Lord, we praise and thank You. Please install in us a desire to be truly humble, like Joseph. To reject false humility and the attention it brings. Grant us the ability to embrace our anointing, our identity as sons of God, to recognize the gifts you have given us, and to use them generously without expecting anything in return. Help us to put others before ourselves, to take the lower place without drawing attention to ourselves. Take from us the desire to be praised, honored, or preferred over others as we continue to journey closer to heaven for our families.Avoid excusing ourselves as not good enough Avoid a fixed mindsetEmbrace a growth mindsetI imagine Joseph, as a creative man having a growth mindset. He needed this in order to figure out better ways to ply his trades. Methods that allowed him to be better and more efficient and effective in his work. He would then apply this to teaching Jesus to have the same mentality. This is not overconfidence, but rather a recognition of the gifts God wants to give to him/you, receiving them and using them.Is there something we are refusing to do for God because we lack confidence, think we are incapable or too weak to do? The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong."As I have heard Fr. Burke Masters say, "Humility isn't thinking less of ourselves, it is think about ourselves less." He also spoke about how his dad told him as a young aspiring baseball player, and I am paraphrasing, that, "no one was better than him…and that he wasn't better than anyone else."Seek God before doing anything. Allow humility to right order your actionRefrain from sitting idly or being paralyzed Receive God's mercy, His gifts.Refrain from excessive grief of your sins and feel unworthy, this is the evil one's tactic to draw you into sloth, self-loathing, insecurity, putting our pitiful selves in a state of false humility. Be aware of defense mechanismsKeep from overvaluing the opinion of othersHave a healthy fear of the Cross and crucifixion. Allow the Lord to make our hearts ablaze with His love. Be prepared to work. Be prepared to lower ourselves and elevate Christ and others above us. Christ's sacrificial love frees us from fear because our security and worth are rooted in Him, not the opinions of others, or ourselves. Not in what we are capable of.Grow in our littleness, our true humility. To empty our cup, our hearts to make room for more love. God cannot pour into a full cup. Allow God to heal our fears and insecurities, our pride, our desire for control and appearances, and our insecurities.This way we rely on God and grow in His love that bears all suffering, allowing us to suffer better, to compliment others, even when we desire the compliment ourselves. To recognize the good works of others and refrain from pointing the spotlight on ourselves and what we have done. Doing this will cure us from being paralyzed by our domineering and tyrannical egos enabling us to rest securely in the love of Christ. In this way we can know we are loved, even when others reject us, rebuke, humiliate or forget us. Look to the Lord's Passion. You will know you are making progress when you see that life is not about you receiving power, honor, praise, and/or glory, but rather it is about rejoicing when someone else does something great and suffering well, unnoticed, with others when they struggle. This is the love Christ showed us on the Cross and the way to true freedom. True love and acceptance find joy in Christ and in giving love to others.St. Joseph is a great example of being secure in the love of Christ, of not needing to be in the spotlight or to have it be about him. Here is the man who, after Mary, has the most to brag about. He was the father of Jesus. Yet, we don't have one spoken word recorded by him in the entire bible. Do we think there were no amazing and noteworthy stories about Joseph, I cannot believe this. You do not get the title "Comfort of the Troubled" without having empathy and putting others first.Lord, deliver us from the fear of being corrected, slandered, forgotten, ridiculed, wronged, and helps us to love others more than we seek to be loved, to decrease in the eyes of the world to go unnoticed while others are preferred. Keep us from seeking approval of others, give us the strength to empty our cups, so that you may fill them more fully with your Love and that we may in turn share Your Love with others. Amen Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sloth 6 - Reparation/RepentRepent & RepairWhen is the last time you truly felt remorse, guilt, not shame, for an unholy action? Keep in mind "Shame" is I "am" SOMETHING and unhealthy, whereas "Guilt" is I "DID" something. Guilt allows us to retain our identity, shame is an attack from the devil on our identity.How can we truly be sorry, repent or want to repair or make reparations if we cannot shed tears over the evil, feel pain in our hearts, and actively work to make amends and change?To fight this type of sloth, we need to pray for compunction, remorse, guilt, and "holy" tears. Tears are prayers.What happens to us is a hardening of the heart. And this is a slippery slope, it creeps upon us. As we explain away or justify a sinful action, we open the door to become less concerned about future sin, making peace with it to ease our conscience and minimizing the offense to God or others.To combat this, keep your heart and conscience sharpened, recover the hurtfulness of sinning, recognize its offensive and awfulness, and allow yourself to feel the grief to the point of weeping. This brings to mind the, "Agony in the garden". Jesus felt the weight of all our sins to the point of sweating blood, or shedding bloody tears through the pores of this skin!What do we do when we sense this sliding? Redirect yourself and others back to God and honor him by being obedient to his guidelines. Take responsibility. This is another area our society has slipped. We love to blame or excuse away our sins. Ultimately, you are only fooling yourself, as God knows the truth. We may say, it's my right to act this way, or I cannot help this or that action. Again this is another slippery slope. Where does it end?I imagine Joseph abiding by the Jewish laws of his time, and there is proof of this in the bible when he follows the prescribed trip to the temple. In being a good father, we demonstrated to his son, Jesus, how to follow these laws, by teaching them and having respect for them and being responsible to them.When we entertain a false innocence as our normal response, not only do we further separate ourselves from God, but we also perpetuate this trait in society, giving it credence. When we dismiss our faults as something out of our control, or just the way humans are, or that it cannot be helped, we are lying to ourselves and others and denouncing our royal heritage as sons of God; giving up this divine grace.It also justifies a lowering of the bar for others, which only leads to making things worse. Pope Benedict XVI describes acedia this way, it "is the flight from God, the wish to be alone with oneself and one's finiteness and not to be disturbed by the presences of God". This manifests itself as sadness at God and Holy ways. It is a selfish act, this rejection of nobility. It allows us to think we do not need to strive for holiness if we don't have God's image of us in the equation. It's savage and allows us to grow indifferent towards others without guilt. It is the exact opposite of love and charity, but society has fooled us, through the devil, that if we are relatively good and nice, then everything is fine. Through graphic images that numb us to their grotesque nature making them "normal".As the son's of God we are called to a high bar. This demands a lot from us, so much that we are not capable of reaching it, but God is. We must rely on his generosity and grace. I suppose Joseph found himself lacking at times and falling into sin and showed Jesus how to repair, repent and feel remorse in order to take responsibility for his actions and do better.We have been graced with a tool Joseph did not have, one that helps us fight this type of slothfulness, and that is confession. This beautiful sacrament brings us back into right relationship with God, it sharpens our conscience, should bring about "holy tears", soften our hearts in a remorseful, repentant way, and get us back on the road to reparation, feeling the impact of our actions, bringing us back to how God originally created us as humans. Let us pray, Lord, we praise, worship, and honor You. You gave us the example of a righteous, noble, obedient, pillar of families in St. Joseph, a man whom we can look to in prayer, and standard, to emulate. We pray for "Holy" tears, a heart that feels as Jesus did. Thank you for the gift of confession and fill us with the desire to visit your son in this beautiful sacrament, to seek reparation and repentance for our sins. Help us to take responsibility for anything that offends you and to be an example to our families and society as St. Joseph was to his family and others. All glory and honors are your Lord. Amen Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sloth 5 - ImpatienceHave it your way"Have it your way", this fast-food slogan, is not just a catchy tag line, but rather a reflection of our culture.Paraphrasing a quoting Fr Dennis Spies, "Sin is: I want, what I want when I want it".God, we praise and thank you for giving us the freedom to choose how, when, and where to act. We are grateful for all the gifts you give us along our path to sainthood. We treasure the role model of St. Joseph and pray we grow in his virtues and characteristics. The skill of delayed gratification seems to be a lost art. I think this is why we see a rise in popularity in aesthetics in the faith world and why Lent is needed to help us get back on track.Remember sloth is turning away from God; an indifference to prayer and spending time with Him. Patience, or delayed gratification is an active dependence on God. Active in that we are still seeking God and His will, not idly sitting back and waiting for something to happen to us through divine intervention. To avoid sloth we need to intensify our prayer and disciplines to be spiritually engaged in order to receive fruit. This time spent with God is when He is renewing our spirit, sending us graces, aligning our hearts with His, preparing us for what is coming next.When we have disgust for work, want everything to come easy, or quit when things get tough, we are giving into sloth. I am certain the temptation was there for Joseph to stop short of reaching Egypt…it was a long journey, there were probably plenty of "fine" towns or villages along the route that they could settle in. Anyone that has traveled with an infant knows how challenging and extra demanding it is, but Joseph followed through in prayer and made his way to where God was telling him to go.Sloth may also disguise itself in an excited and energized way. The person who daydreams their time away; stands on their tiptoes to see what's on the other side of the fence, always jumping from one thing to the next; never finishing a project, or the well-meaning person that can never say "no" when asked to take on more; thinking they are doing something good; may just be hiding behind the busyness. We also find this when we are easily distracted, hoping for an interruption or longing to be anywhere else, doing anything else, but serving God in our current circumstances. I find it hard to imagine Joseph at work just hoping for a distraction to get away from his responsibilities. How easy it would have been to just spend all of this time with Jesus alone and fail in his duties to provide for his family. Instead, I picture Joseph including Jesus in his work, not as a diversion or escape, but as a collaborator, an assistant, helping him complete, to the best of their ability, the job at hand.Yet, there are times when God, like a good parent, withholds things from us because they are not good for us at this moment, they are unhealthy, harmful or He has something better to give us, and so we must have the skill of delayed gratification. I am sure Jesus' first tool given to him by Joseph was not a sharp, dangerous object, or too heavy for him to manage safely.It has been my experience that when something takes time to come to fruition, it is so much more appreciated than when it comes easily and quickly. The journey to completion can at times even better than the product. And until we get to heaven we are unfinished products.To avoid this distracted, inattentive, type of sloth, we need to be focused on the task at hand, even if we don't "have it our way". It requires prayer and patience as God refines us. Prayer is not changing God's mind, but rather, turning our hearts to be in-line with God's will. It is during this desert or formation time that God is preparing us, crafting/molding us, the way Joseph created in his craft of carpentry, useful articles/objects, like the way he taught his Son, Jesus."Lord, help us to want to "have it your way", as your way leads us on the path of refinement, to be the person you are calling us to be for our families and loved ones. Help us to model, Joseph-like, perseverance in prayer and guide us on how to include Jesus as our co-worker including him in our efforts to become the best version of ourselves, all for your praise and glory." Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sloth Part 4 -Embrace His GraceAre you addicted to the "new", ever in search of the next thing that will complete you or make you totally happy?Does the world entice you with a relentless pursuit towards the desires of: money, power, pleasure, or fame?Are you slave to your passions and appetites, striving for things that the "worm in your heart" immediately consume so you want more?Are you addicted to possessions? Do you feel pressure to keep up with the Jones? Are you addicted to experiences? Are you always in search of the next adventure? And in these new life experiences are you eager to figure everything out and arrange it so you are comfortable and it is the way you want it?Do you have a distaste for prayer or discipline? Do you find yourself distracted when it comes to the work of God?Today we are talking about the blackhole of worldly desires. Let us pray "Lord, help us to praise and worship you as Joseph did. Fill us to know your word, to accept your love, your protection and to always to want to be near Jesus like Joseph was. Remove from us all the desires of all worldly passions and grant us the grace to focus on you and the successes you have blessed us with in turning away from these desires. Send Joseph to be our guide and help us to imitate how he loved your son as best he could." Amen"Nothing is so likely to corrupt our heart, and to seduce us from God, as to surround ourselves with comforts,—to have things our own way,—to be the centre of a sort of world, whether of things animate or inanimate, which minister to us. For then, in turn, we shall depend on them; they will become necessary to us; their very service and adulation will lead us to trust ourselves to them, and to idolize them…. Avoid the dangerous air which relaxes you, and brace yourself upon the heights. So shall self-denial become natural to you, and a change come over you, gently and imperceptibly; and, like Jacob, you will lie down in the waste, and will soon see Angels, and a way opened for you into heaven." (St. John Henry Newman, Sermon on Self-Denial)Be temperate - not inordinately attached to worldly pleasures and goals. Deny your own comfort. Be vigilant, patient, grace-filled, and have perspective. Imagine Joseph's unwanted and perilous treks, his efforts to make Mary and Jesus feel safe and comfortable over his own inclination for the same.Our success lies not in our inner strength or speed or talents, but rather in the grace of God. Refrain from the desire to prove yourself to others or from feeling self-hatred or contempt. God loves us. His mercy is all-wise and all-powerful. Imitate Joseph, a man like us, flawed and broken, imperfect, able to sleep well at night knowing Jesus is near, protecting us, patient with us, understanding to our human nature, and compassionate towards us.God is fighting. He sees your effort. Have hopeReceive the grace of His forgivenessReceive the peace He wants to give you. Accept the joy He intends for you.Use scripture, His word, in our defense and for encouragement. Jesus quotes scripture when he was tempted and gave us the model to imitate. Imagine Joseph quoting and teaching scripture to Jesus as a boy, which was his duty. Can we know well enough scripture that we can teach ourselves and eventually others of God's immense, never-ending, never-to-be-out-done love for us? Pray that God reminds you that the devil is getting weaker and weaker, of how much you have overcome, to know that God is fighting alongside you, yet still allowing you the freedom to participate in His grace. Embrace His Grace! Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
We pause our reflections on Sloth this week to bring you a Poem from our very own Carlos as we prepare to honor St. Joseph this Saturday on his Feast day. Enjoy!You can now read Sons of Joseph in the new Substack app for iPhone.With the app, you'll have a dedicated Inbox for my Substack and any others you subscribe to. New posts will never get lost in your email filters, or stuck in spam. Longer posts will never cut-off by your email app. Comments and rich media will all work seamlessly. Overall, it's a big upgrade to the reading experience.The Substack app is currently available for iOS. If you don't have an Apple device, you can join the Android waitlist here. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Acedia -Sadness - lost without a purpose, broken hearted and/or unstableNumb - indifferent, tired, lazy and/or disconnectedRestless - inner discontent, distracted, unsatisfied, uneasy, busy doing nothing, or bored, disorganized, enslaved and/or insecureAngry - moody, frustrated, disappointed, resentful, jealous, feeling entitled or above the law, irritable, feeling slighted or wronged, overly critical, and/or feeling threatened Some of these traits may seem like opposites, and they are, but that doesn't mean they don't all lead to the same "relaxation of soul," or distraction of the "latest greatest" or a hollow heart. See a lazy person has the same issues as someone that is overly busy, they both have lost their relationship with Christ; one through a lack of desire to pursue and one through desiring too many other things.Both have forgotten their identity as beloved, divine children of God. They have allowed the world to determine their worth, so they crash, feeling unworthy, or judged maybe not good enough, which leads them to give up, or to frantically over commit to work to show everyone how worthy they are, falling into he trap of never knowing when enough is enough. The later has great intentions and they may be doing great things, but they are not leaving space for a relationship with God. The way to overcome acedia is through perseverance and temperance. We need to know our identity and purpose and to finish what we start, but none of this can be driven by selfish motives.The evil one loves to plant seeds of doubt, of uncertainty, to make us feel entitled or insecure, which is bound to happen to all of us, as I am sure it did to Joseph, but the key is not to allow those seeds to take root or grow by maintaining our spiritual routines and prayer life; returning to God and building a healthy relationship with His son, just Joseph did. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
FREEDOM!!Today we are talking about true "FREEDOM!" Dying for something you love, like William Wallace in Braveheart. Where have all the brave hearts gone?"Holy Spirit, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, help us to have the wisdom to know true freedom, freedom in knowing and seeking God's will, as you do. Pray that the graces may pour into us, strengthen us and guide us to the ultimate freedom of Heavenly worship. Protect us and bring us peace today in the battle, removing our adversaries so that we may be unhindered in fully doing the work of Christ for the praise, honor, and glory of God. Amen"It is important to know our enemies and their tactics. The devil is not creative. In order to gain a better picture of where we can be attacked let's look at the characteristics of "sloth".False Freedom: The thinking that being liberated from all constraints, whether those are self-imposed or imposed by another is freedom. This notion leads to people creating their own "truth" and rejecting any construct that expects or demands piety, or respect and reverence for God and His rules/plans, including parents, elected officials, law enforcement, etc. It causes us to abandon reality in order to find freedom and leads us to a fantasy world where we disconnect ourselves from everything that could be considered a limit or obstruction. This mind set creates a society of people unwilling to accept responsibility and/or offer themselves in love, or as a gift to anyone else…it increases selfishness, isolation, turns us away from God, and ultimately handcuffs us to not be able to accept any rules, guidelines, or instruction that could offend another person. Does that sound like freedom? This really is a dejection of your soul and leads to anxiety, interior instability, a cognitive dissonance and only temporary relief. Freedom is knowing that the finality of everything is God and His will. Relying on God takes the pressure off of us to have to always be right, always be perfect, always happy, and provides guardrails to show us the way, the map, to ultimate and Holy freedom. Want to know someone that achieved this interior freedom? Read a book by any saint. These Holy souls show us how to traverse the rocky terrain, to sail calmly through the storms of life. We know life will have troubles, but when we allow the threats, uncertainties, attacks, and trials to discourage or draw us away from prayer or God, we let the evil one win.Have a brave heart to stand for truth in that the only "True FREEDOM" is in doing God's will. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sloth - part 1What is Sloth and how do we overcome it?One of the 7 deadly sins, it is a slackness or relaxation of the soul.It is a spiritual lack of energy and enthusiasm revealed as:Sadness, despondency, acedia, laziness, a lack of endurance or perseverance"Busyness"- where someone cannot finish what they started, but rather, jumps from one task to another, lacking focus, changing tasks frequently due to fatigue, listlessness or instability.Sadness - shown in self-pity, feeling like the world is against you, irritability, overly sensitive, dissatisfied, and inclined to overreacting resulting in a downcast spiritAcedia - is a lack of care, and apathy showing up in a lack of contempt for work, a sense of entitlement, a feeling of deserving better or more, expecting things to be easy resulting in a lack of desire to help others while readily excepting other's help. having a predisposition to escapism, daydreaming, fantasy and the likeBusyness - it is exactly that. Taking on too much, rushing into the next new thing or trend, hurrying to figure things out and arrange everything to fit your needs, impatience, a lack of focus leading to an inability to be intentional in our relationship with God, and overcommitting to doing more to mask our insecurity in allowing God to be in control and seeking His will before acting.Exodus90 - Exodus 90 is a ninety-day spiritual exercise for men based on three pillars: prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. Check on their 40-Day Lenten program or any of their other studies and plans. Thank you for reading Sons of Joseph. This post is public so feel free to share it. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Who is in control? Joseph knew God was and trusted in Him.Joseph was "A true man, marked by his availability to God."Are we free men, not allowing our self-will to keep us from achieving magnanimity?Do we hold onto our own personal beliefs and ideas as the way things ought to be, trying to control every outcome?Do we have a pattern of personal protection that has us attempting to control God and His plan for our life?Are we able to see the profitableness of everything that comes our way, whether it agrees or disagrees with us?Today, when things don't go our way, let's strive to give the moment over to God's control, and decline the temptation to control, get angry, frustrated, or worried.Lord, let thy will be done and grant me the grace to accept it. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
It's time for heart check. What, and who, do you let into your heart to reside there with God?How much time do you spend sharing your heart with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus or others?Proverbs 4:23Is your heart broken? If so, find the lesson from the heartbreak and work to heal it.Don't allow any toxins to take up space in your heart. Forgive yourself and others to heal, grow and become the best version of yourself.Psalms 147:3Do you have emotional intelligence? Can you slow down, remain calm, be intentional and careful with your heart, as well as, the heart of others?Proverbs 27:19What cohabitates with Jesus in your heart?Who is your support system? Does it include any Saints, Mary, Joseph?Romans 12:2 Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
This week features Carlos responding to a listener's request for a podcast on St/ Joseph's work ethic and characterisms. Virtues of St. Joseph:HumbleObedientPatientCourageousJustFull of: Faith, Hope, and LoveHow do we apply these? With help of our savior. We must recognize we are unable to do it on our own because we are weak, frail, sinners.But by opening our hearts to receive God's grace and love we can see His truth, beauty, and goodness in the world transforming ourselves from selfish to selfless.This transformation leads to healing and becoming what God's will is for us, sainthood.This leads us to prayer, a relationship with God, dialoguing and allowing God to love us, dropping the armor surrounding our hearts.Pope John XXIII message: Remind all workers that in the fields, in the factories, in the mines, and in the laboratories of science, they are never alone in their joys and in their sorrow, but that Jesus is always with them, to wipe the perspiration from their brow, and to ennoble their toil. Teach them to transform their labor, as you did, into an exalted instrument of sanctification.Point your will towards holiness. Loving God fully and allowing and receiving God's love for me. 1st build a relationship with Christ. (See: Part 1 of R-I-M podcast).This is how St. Joseph did it, showing us the way as always. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Part 3 of Konnor's Series on R - I - M: Relationship, Identity, MissionDo you have what it takes to be a "Son of Joseph?" We are called to bring the gospel to all - that is the church's mission for all its members.Yet, we must recognize that part of this larger church, is our "domestic" church, the one we live in, the one our family is part of.Our priority is our family. If we get our domestic church right ordered, then we will impact the larger church. The domestic church, our family is our training ground where we train and develop into the man, the husband, the father, the brother, the son of Joseph, the son of God that the world needs. Learning to be a leader, a shepherd leading our flock to heaven.Matthew 11:27-30 "All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. The Gentle Mastery of Christ. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."Become low in the eyes of the world, humbling ourselves, and lead as Jesus did, by sacrificing, being uncompromising in faith and charity towards others.CUSTOS - Total Consecration Through Saint Joseph by Devin Schadt. Custos, Latin for Guardian, is a one-of-a-kind 33-day consecration and spiritual boot camp that helps men who are or will be fathers to encounter the real St. Joseph, walk with him, and become like him.A Biblical walk through the seven stages of the spiritual leader's journeySt. Joseph's seven foundational principles that apply to every father leaderThe thirty-three practices that will help transform your relationship with God, your wife, and your childrenA spiritual plan that provides a blueprint for the rest of your lifeIf you'd like to know more about CUSTOS email us: JosephsArmy1@gmail.comBackground music credit: "The Master (Instrumental)" By Fearless Motivation Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
This is part 2 of a 3 part series with Konnor. [10 minutes]R - I - M: Relationship, Identity, MissionWho are you? Or better yet, who are you to God?We are all infinitely loved as sons of the heavenly trinity/family. Allow God to reveal to you that you are known, seen, loved, and understood.The gospels are all about us being "heirs" to Christ. Jesus gives us examples of how much God loves us through his work, teaching, and prayers.Do you see yourself as a brother of Jesus?Do you "get" that God truly knows you?Can you accept your place as a son of God?Proverbs 5 - "My son…"Joseph embraced and accepted his sonship and lived it out in accordance with God's will. Let us follow in his footsteps on this path to our true identity.Live securely knowing that God is all good and loves you and that you are part of His family. You are his beloved child whom he wants to bless. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
This is part 1 of a 3 part series with Konnor.R - I - M: Relationship, Identity, Mission Do you have performance anxiety in serving God?How do you see your relationship with God the Father?Is God unpleasable, like a demanding parent, coach, etc.? Does God expect too much from you?Am I free to serve/perform without pressure?Matthew 7:11 - "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"Live securely knowing that God is all good and loves you and there is nothing you can do to change that. You are his beloved child whom he wants to give great gifts. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Be Not Afraid! What are you afraid of?Does fear cause you to hide, to be despondent, exhausted, hyperactively busy, or sad?Does fear dull your soul?Is fear making you unstable, irritable, overly sensitive, or cause you to overreact?1 John 4:16, 18 - "So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them." "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love."Follow St. Joesph in loving greater than any fear this world can produce or threaten with. Fear not! Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Saint Ignatius - 1st Principle and Foundation '" God created human beings to praise, reverence, and serve God, and by doing this, to save their souls.God created all other things on the face of the earth to help fulfill this purpose.From this it follows that we are to use the things of this world only to the extent that they help us to this end, and we ought to rid ourselves of the things of this world to the extent that they get in the way of this end."He Leadth Me - Walter j. Ciszek, S.J.Are we following God's will or our own? Are we following God's will or the will we think God wants us to follow? Which of these paths brings you the greatest interior peace and joy?That is God's will. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Peace Be with You.Week 4 of Advent is about "Peace".I wonder how Joseph maintained his own "peace" during all the stress and unknowns of his life and I believe it was through the virtue of "temperance".Synonyms of temperance: self-mastery, asceticism, discretion, moderation, sacrifice, self-discipline, sobriety, and stoicism. All virtues of St. Joseph.All of the above are attainable characteristics and traits we can learn to grow in and incorporate into our life.Josemaria Escriva - www.stjosemaria.org"[Temperance] fosters a natural sense of reserve which everyone finds attractive because it denotes intelligent self-control. Temperance does not imply narrowness, but rather greatness of soul." Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Rejoice!Week three of advent is here and we are commanded to "Rejoice"!This journey is not easy. But our perspective will determine if we are like St. Joseph or like others.What do you focus on, the negative, the unknown, the uncontrollable, or the positive, the knowledge you are a beloved son of God, and the future promise of Heaven!Get ready…Jesus is coming, Rejoice!! Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
This is a gift…Konnor two weeks in a row!Joseph's bloodline can be traced back to King David, making Jesus Royalty.Jesus, by becoming man, allows us to become like him. Divine Royalty.We all have a part to play in the Royal family. What's yours?Today marks the last day of the Year of St. Joseph. Please take some time today and say a few extra prayers to St Joseph. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Advent Week 1 -Konnor's back!Romans Chapter 5The free abundant gift of the God-man becoming a human baby in order to save you and all of us, thereby giving us the ability to become holy so we may spend eternity united to the trinity in heaven.Pray for the heart of St. Joseph to humbly receive the gift of Jesus in your life despite our worthiness, despite fully understanding it, or grasping the mystery. Ready/prepare your heart this Advent season to receive Jesus. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Sons of Joseph wishes all in our community and happy and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving.Gratitude is the foundation of happiness and health. Science has proven these benefits come from being grateful, of choosing to be appreciative, and in acknowledgment of a magnanimous act towards us:More positive outlookHappier dispositionHealthier physically and emotionallyDeepens relationshipsBuilds great self-controlReduces stress, depression, and anxietyStrengthens self-esteem & confidence in performance/actionLeads to greater moralityHeals wounds in ourselves and between othersCreates coping skills for life's storms and trialsInstills a desire to pay-it-forwardMakes us more thoughtful, other-centered, more lovingProduces a loop of graceFosters healthier and more thriving societies and people3 Exercises to build the trait of Gratitude:Habit of Savoring - regularly/routinely reflecting on the everyday little things we have been given: our life-breath, this world, positive relationships, our vocation, etc. Nightly Exam is a great time to form this habit.Experiencing Awe - recognize the awesomeness of God's goodness, truth, and beauty we have been graced with. Keeping a gratitude or photo journal allows you to have a place to go back and recall awesome moments.Admiration for others - expressing our admiration, love, respect, empathy, and care towards another. Let them know how much you appreciate them. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
The commonalities in the world between high performers, top athletes, "successful" business people share all traits except one. Love of God over all else. Set your goals, targets, plans, etc but behind all of it make sure your "why" is to "will the good for others over yourself", and you will receive the highest achievement possible, heavenly sainthood.You will either finish in 1st place or no place. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Through the Heart of St Joseph by Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSBQuotes from pages 17, 18 & 19Be uncompromising in obedient through love in accepting God's will and avoid the idols of this world. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Carlos shares with us today how to become a Saint, a Super Saint, like Joseph.Let God work in your life and listen to Him to become the Saint He wants you to be.Heroic Virtue requires being transparent with God. Becoming a friend of God. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
How gritty are you?Do you have the fortitude to become a saint?The good news is, if you don't have it right now, you can train and grow in grit and fortitude to become the best version of yourself and strive for Sainthood. It starts with having a passion and perseverance for holiness.Next, set and prioritize focused stretch goals that have a common purpose for your faith journey that challenge you to be more virtuous.Then grow in interest, the obedience to practice/train, know your purpose, and have an indomitable spirit of hope. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Konnor shares this week about the "foolish love" of St. Joseph and Christ.Perfect Love fools the evil one. Can you love foolishly, like Joseph & Christ, humbly, divinely, and contrary to the world's image of love? Loving without counting the cost! That is St. Joseph and Christ's way.Submit your Whittle Bit topic requests and/or feedback here on our website: https://thesonsofjoseph.weebly.com/contact.html Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Pray like Joseph - Spend quality time with Jesus Trust in what God and His messengers are telling youLearned to listen betterHumble yourself, remove your personal will from God's planRely on God to lead you and your familyCall upon Mary and the Saints when you need additional supportBook - "Man Your Post" published by TanLITANY TO ST. JOSEPH -Lord, have mercy R/. Lord, have mercy.Christ, have mercy R/. Christ, have mercy.Lord, have mercy R/. Lord, have mercy.God our Father in heaven R/. Have mercy on us.God the Son, Redeemer of the world R/. Have mercy on us.God the Holy Spirit R/. Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God R/. Have mercy on us. Holy Mary R/. Pray for us. Saint Joseph R/. Pray for us.Noble Offspring of David R/. Pray for us.Light of patriarchs R/. Pray for us.Spouse of the Mother of God R/. Pray for us. Guardian of the Virgin R/. Pray for us.Foster father of the Son of God R/. Pray for us.Zealous Defender of Christ R/. Pray for us. Head of the holy family R/. Pray for us.Joseph, Chaste & Just R/. Pray for us. Joseph, Prudent & Brave R/. Pray for us.Joseph, Obedient & Loyal R/. Pray for us. Mirror of patience R/. Pray for us.Lover of Poverty R/. Pray for us. Model of Workers R/. Pray for us.Example to Parents R/. Pray for us. Guardian of Virgins R/. Pray for us.Pillar of Family R/. Pray for us. Comfort of the Troubled R/. Pray for us.Hope of the sick R/. Pray for us. Patron of the Dying R/. Pray for us.Terror of demons R/. Pray for us. Protector of the Church R/. Pray for us.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world R/. Spare us O Lord.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world R/. Hear us O Lord.Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world R/. Have mercy on us.God, in your infinite wisdom & love you chose Joseph to be the spouse of Mary, the mother of your Son. May we have the intercession of his prayers in heaven & enjoy his protection on earth. You, who live & reign forever. Amen. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
In some way, we are all poor. We all have holes in our lives that we try to cover up or fill through our own efforts and action. Being poor is good because it frees up space for Christ to fill up. The larger the deficiency the more room for God's grace to pour in.The Way of Imperfection by Andre DaigneaultMan Your Post - Learning to Lead Like Saint Joseph by Duane & Carrie Daunt Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Today Konnor talks about praying from our heart to the heart of Christ. Do more than just check the "prayed" box, actually show up and pour the deepest part of your heart into it. See Romans 8:26. Joseph's intimate relationship with Jesus should be imitated in our prayer life too.We encourage you all to consecrate yourself to St. Joesph. If you begin on Sept 30, you will finish on Nov. 1, All Saints Day.The St. Joseph Summit is Sept. 30-Oct 1.40+ Virtual presenters / 60+ talks (downloadable with All Access Upgrade)Free 3-Day Pass allows you access during the event.$49.00 All-Access Pass: Lifetime on-demand access, Expert Panel Discussions, mp3 Downloads, Digital Edition of "Consecration to Saint Joseph" by Fr. Don Calloway, and moreFree Registration HereAll-Access Pass Registration Here Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Go inside Joseph's workshop and imagine the love, humility, and obedience being modeled by Joesph to Jesus. The lessons from the woodshop carried over to the love from the cross. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Episode 8 shows us how our heart and mind must align for us to be healthy in our faith journey and life. Healing from wounds is a journey and recognizing the beginnings of the wound can allow us to identify them. Like Joseph, take listen to God, and then act accordingly. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Listen now | How can we be more generous with our time with others and in our hearts? Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Carlos shares with us this week about prayer.Are you accountable to someone in prayer? Is someone accountable to you in prayer?Find, or be, a prayer partner. It can only strengthen your prayer life. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
How did such a noble and positive word become so derogatory? The French root "prou" means worthy, "prud'homme" is good man and true, while the Latin "prudentia" can mean: wisdom, knowledge, discretion, foresight, caution, shrewdness, and tact. Notice any words lacking from society today, especially for men? The books quoted in this episode are "St. Joseph and His World" by Mike Aquilina and "The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen" (365 Days of Inspiration) published by Blue Sparrow. Let's regain the virtue of Prudence, the highest of all virtues. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Listen now | Do you have the ability to be simple? Can you live in a way that keeps you humble? Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Whittle Episode #3 features Carlos Bricenos and an explanation of the two types of silence in the world. One was embodied by St. Joseph and the other was not. Chances are you (and I) employ both types of silence in our lives. Let us learn from St. Joseph the higher standard of silence in prayer so that when we are called to speak we do so with prudence and fortitude. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Listen now | Who and what do we spend our time with. Are we investing in getting ourselves and our families to Heaven? Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com
Listen now | Every Wednesday you will receive a brief (5 minutes or less) podcast designed to Carve, Shape and Form Virtuous Characteristics in men. Subscribe at sonsofjoseph.substack.com