November is usually the month that the Church focuses attention on the saints because of the Solemnity of All Saints on Nov. 1, and the Feast of All Souls on Nov.2.
As we enter March, however, Catholics honor two of the most well-known saints in a particular way: St. Patrick and St. Joseph. Since there is never a bad time of year to talk to our children about the saints and the great lessons they provide us on faith, discipleship, service and morality, why not take the opportunity to keep the conversation going about St Patrick’s Day on March 17 and St. Joseph’s Day on March 19?
Many saints are recognized as the patrons of particular countries. Since the early days of the Catholic Church, national well-being and protection have been dedicated to the intercession of different holy men and women. Some examples are: St. Denis (France), St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine of Siena (Italy), St. Boniface (Germany), St. Charles Lwanga and Companions (Uganda), St. George (England), St. Andrew (Scotland), St. Stanislaus (Poland), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico) and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (United States).
Of course, the most famous national patron is St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland! Catholics honor St. Joseph as the patron of the Universal Church, the New World and immigrants. Those last two have particular importance for us in the United States as almost all of our families can trace our roots back to an immigrant past and resettlement in the Americas.
Connecting lessons about the saints to our national heritage is an excellent way to deepen our children’s understanding of who the saints are and the traditional devotions that have developed around them.
Praying novenas (nine straight days of intercessory prayer) to national patron saints helps create a connection not only to our ethnic origins but also to the important contributions the Church has made throughout time to the development of world culture, learning and service. Everyone claims to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but that claim should not only be about parades, corned beef and cabbage, and, dare I say – beer? Indeed, March 17 is a day to talk to children about our shared responsibility to evangelize as St. Patrick did, that is, share the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ with those who may not know it and to tend to our own repentance and conversion. St. Patrick’s Day usually occurs during the season of Lent, when we should be paying particular attention to how we may or may not be responding to Jesus’ call to love with real intention.
Parents can focus on the Shamrock!
St. Patrick used a three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity. Use this day as an opportunity to help young people in your family understand the Mystery of the Trinity: three persons in one God – a loving Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People of Italian descent often bring blessed bread into their homes on St.
Joseph’s Day. They share wonderfully sweet and delicious St. Joseph’s pastries as well. The day is also an occasion to talk and pray together as a family for the good of the Church as a whole, for fathers, for working people and for expectant mothers.
On St. Joseph’s Day, we can remind our children about Joseph’s unique and important role as Jesus’ earthly guardian.
We can tell them of the great care Joseph took to help Mary raise Jesus in faith and devotion to God, introducing him to the Jewish Scriptures and traditions, teaching him to be a carpenter as a teenager.
You can have your children make a card to a man in their life – a father, uncle, friend or their parish priest – and let them know that they are praying for them especially on St. Joseph’s feast day. Or simply share this simple prayer as a family on St. Joseph’s feast day: “St. Joseph, watch over me and care for me just as you cared for the child Jesus; and by your help, may I come to know your Son, and so grow in strength and wisdom and the favor of God. Amen.”
This March, maybe we can all be a little more purposeful in remembering that celebrations like St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day have their origins in our Catholic faith and not just in national memory. What is your country of origin? Who is your national patron saint?
In what month does the Church celebrate that saint’s feast day? Why was that saint chosen as a national patron?
There is so much to learn about the saints.
This year, try to go a little deeper to understand how the lives of the saints have helped make us who we are.
Mark Russoniello is parish catechetical leader in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.