The real St. Joseph by Anna Marie Sopko Administrator of CUSA from 1976 to 2007
I can’t believe the year of St. Joseph is already over. It seems that it just started. To me, it really meant something since I grew up as an active parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Bayonne, New Jersey, receiving my first Holy Communion and Confirmation there, and being an active member of our parish sodality. Time flies. A close friend of mine bought a tape on consecration to St. Joseph during the year of St. Joseph, and the two of us listened to a portion of the tape during the 30 days of preparation for the consecration. Of course, she was at home, and I was here at the nursing home. We spent about an hour each evening listening to the tape via her telephone. During this year, I saw a few pictures that really made me think. There was one of Joseph and Mary sitting on the side of the road on their way to Bethlehem. The donkey they were riding was nibbling grass nearby, and Mary was half asleep with her head lying on Joseph’s lap. How many times did a scene like that actually take place? I’ll bet there were many. The roads were not paved as they are today, and there wasn’t a McDonald’s nearby to get a refreshing drink. It was usually on the side of the road where Mary was able to get off their animal and stretch out, thanks to Joseph’s lap. I wonder where he stretched out! Can you imagine how frantic he must have been when they got to Bethlehem with his wife ready to give birth and “no room in the inn”? I hope he had some matches to burn out some of the smell in the stable. It really wasn’t the picturesque scene we imagine today. Did they have any food Winter | 2021-2022
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