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About twelve years ago, St. Joseph came into my life in a new way. Not long before, I had taken the plunge from singlehood to married life, jumping into the deep end of the pool by marrying a widower with six children.
I was hardly a natural for the role of stepmother (just ask the children!). And though I was eager to play my part in this new family configuration, I felt overwhelmed and inclined to thoughts like, “Maybe Kevin should have married so-and-so—she’s wonderful with kids.”
It was a special grace when it dawned on me that Joseph of Nazareth probably understood exactly how I felt. After all, he not only sat across the dinner table from the Incarnate Word and the Immaculate Conception: He had to head the family they belonged to! Just maybe he hadn’t felt up to his role either.
Scripture doesn’t record a single word of Joseph’s, but as I reflected on Matthew 1 and 2, where he plays a major part, his silence spoke volumes. I noticed that he assumed his daunting family responsibilities with…
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This is a very helpful article for parents like me who have 4 kids, short of 2 compared to Louise. :-)
The practical application and persevering act of studying the lives of the saints and Scriptures for that matter, will definitely be a great exercise to experience God’s grace and His Spirit to work in our lives as parents.
I agree with the Louie when she said, “...love is the essential part of parenting and that it can bridge every gap in relationships.” for that’s what moved God to send His Son to us that we might be redeemed.