If you’re going to refrain from abstaining from meat today, don’t do it just because you can, but actually celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And make it a family affair. With St. Joseph as a model for all fathers to emulate, today represents a special opportunity for Catholic Dads to reinforce their domestic churches. Particularly so, today, given the unique cause of the dispensation with St. Joseph’s being the only solemnity to occur during Lent–it’s a natural attention grabber.
Dad: Honey, let’s have meatballs with the spaghetti tonight.
Mom: Meatballs? It’s Friday–we can’t have meatballs.
Child 1: Meatballs, Dad?
Dad: We can eat meat today. It’s the Solemnity of St. Joseph.
Child 2: I love meatballs!
Mom: [looks incredulously]
Dad: I looked it up. I’ll tell you about when we all sit down… with our spaghetti and meatballs.
Mom: [sigh] O…K…
Dad: And cream puffs for dessert!
Child 1, Child 2 & Child 3: [together] Yeah!
CatholicCulture.org has some great resources on prayers, activities, and recipes for marking the day. For my part, I am picking up a novena of consecration to the Devoted Heart of Joseph and taking The Clan out to eat. I’m not one to pass up an opportunity to do some dinner table catechesis.
Expanded from The Troglodyte.
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We almost ate out… at least I thought about it on the way home tonight! We did, however, have chicken on the caesar salads. And there was a resounding thanks to St. Joseph at the dinner table. We prayed the Litany with the kids before bed. Happy Solemnity!
Pingback: St. Joseph’s Day and the Swallows. « Catholic Dads
Nice. I stopped by at the bakery on the way home from work for some cream puffs (wouldn't have thought of that if I hadn't posted it), so we had those when we got back from the restaurant. The little kids asked if we can have cream puffs every St. Joseph's Day (new tradition?) and the older kids didn't seem to mind my quizzing them about how St. Joseph is important to the Church (both universally and domestically). This is the first time we made a deal out of it, but it won't be the last.