Liturgical Living with St. Joseph
“...Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.” (Matthew 1:16)
Liturgical Living has been a big buzz word in the Catholic world the last few years. There are many books, Pinterest boards, and websites dedicated to “liturgical living” and the best way to do it.
Honestly, most of those resources are WAY too overwhelming for the average person. And if you are a business owner or working a corporate job, your time is limited. Personally, I still enjoy celebrating the different saints and seasons. I just alter things to make it simple.
I don’t try to celebrate ALL the feast days because there are far too many. The easiest thing to do is pick a few of your favorite saints and start from there. My confirmation saint is Therese of Lisieux so I always celebrate her feast day. The easiest way to celebrate her is to buy roses and cream puffs.
Another one of my favorite feast days to celebrate is March 19th, St. Joseph’s Day. St. Joseph’s Day is a solemnity because his role was directly tied to the mystery of the Incarnation. As the earthly guardian of Jesus and protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary, his faithful “yes” safeguarded the Holy Family and allowed God’s plan to unfold as intended.
Since it is a solemnity it can override Lenten practices when it falls during Lent. That even means, if it falls on a Friday, Catholics are not bound to abstain from meat. Some years it is transferred if it conflicts with Holy Week. Many people use this day to have a treat during the season of Lent.
When I learned this I started doing some research about him. In Italy, St. Joseph's Day is actually Fathers’ Day. And the Italians are very into celebrating him the Italian Way. As an Italian myself I have enjoyed learning and celebrating him the last few years.
Simple Ways to Celebrate St. Joseph’s Day at Home
Say the St. Joseph Prayer instead of Grace
Wear red (a cultural custom in many Italian families, not a liturgical practice)
Eat pasta
Serve your pasta with Parmesan cheese
Eat cream puffs
Try a new recipe, St. Joseph’s Day themed!
Now if you want to expand these ideas to have a little more symbolism you can make Mafalda pasta because it resembles St. Joseph’s Saw.
When you serve Parmesan cheese with your Pasta we call that St. Joseph’s sawdust. I will even create a label and put it on the container. Some people also use breadcrumbs for this part.
There are some very simple ways to celebrate St. Joseph’s Feast Day for busy moms or more complex ways to celebrate the day if you have a particular devotion! You can even say a novena - traditional or extended - to this great saint.
I think celebrating the Liturgical Year is a unique way to live out our Catholic Faith in the world. It is easy to just casually tell your coworkers what you are having for dinner and why your family does that. Liturgical living is a great opportunity to evangelize to others who may not be aware of our traditions or feast days. It also makes the faith a little more tangible to those of us who often feel it is more abstract.
I hope you have a Blessed Lent and a Happy St. Joseph’s Day!
Beth Anne Kaczmarczyk is a cradle Catholic and wife who is passionate in helping others in her community with her husband through the Knights of Columbus. She has been a QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor for over 10 years and runs her own Bookkeeping firm at BethAnneBookkeeping.com. She is passionate about helping small businesses understand their business finances so they can have less stress and grow their businesses. You can connect with her on her website, Instagram or join her monthly newsletter to receive a Monthly Bookkeeping Checklist!