Happy Feast Day, St Joseph and The Institution of the Eucharist

First of all, Happy Feast Day, St. Joseph!  (For the final novena prayer, see this link.  While you're at the site, sign up for email reminders so you won't miss the novena next year.  They also send notices for other popular novenas throughout the year.)

We recently bought 20 acres of beautiful land with a spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The man who sold the land to us showed my husband a pile of rocks at the base of a giant oak tree.  He told my husband that he often walked to that site early in the morning and watched the sun rise over the mountains as he said a prayer for a special intention.  After he finished the prayer, he placed a rock on the pile by the tree.  The pile was already quite large, and my husband assured him that we would treat the site with respect and would likely add our own prayer rocks to the pile.

Today my family gathered at that pile of rocks and asked St. Joseph to watch over the construction of our new home and to help us grow in holiness as a family.  We placed a rock on top of the pile, the first of many, I'm sure.  As a military family, we have often called upon St. Joseph to help us sell our old home and find a new one.  Now that my husband has retired from the Air Force, I hope we will enjoy many wonderful years in this newest home.

Now, back to the Rosary Mysteries for Lent...

I recently bought one of the wonderful Glory Stories CDs and played it for my two middle school-age children in the car.  (The CDs are aimed at slightly younger children, but the stories are told so well that all of us enjoy them.)  We listened to the story of Blessed Imelda, the patron saint of First Communicants. 

During Imelda's lifetime, children did not receive First Communion until about the age of 14, but Imelda did not want to wait that long.  She watched longingly as others at Mass waited in line for the Body and Blood of Jesus.  She often said, ""Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?"  At age 11, a miracle occurred, allowing her to finally receive her First Communion.  She returned to her pew in a state of ecstasy and literally died of happiness.

During Lent, spend some time meditating on the 5th Luminous Mystery, The Institution of the Eucharist.  As you wait in line for Communion, think of Blessed Imelda's words.  Are you so filled with joy at the prospect of actually receiving Jesus' Body and Blood that you could die of happiness?