March 19, 2021

Good morning everyone, today is Friday, March 19, 2021. St. Joseph’s Day. I think he may give us a blessing by granting us no snow today as earlier predicted. So we get to celebrate without that worry.
Yesterday I spoke about the name Joseph and it’s meaning and what it ultimately means to me . Today I want to relate how happy I have always been on St. Joseph’s Day. It was mine, yes I shared it with my father so it was a bond we had together. Now I have mentioned it before but my father was real product of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, he was not a hugggy kissy kind of man I don’t think many were back then. But he was my father and a good father and on St. Joseph’s Day we celebrated it together and I enjoyed that. Sometimes we don’t really realize what we have til we no longer have it. Now in my home we followed all the traditions, the day is always in lent so there is some kind of sacrificing especially if it fell on Friday we could not eat meat now the chuch grants a dispensation and it is allowed today.
St. Joseph’s Day is Father’s Day all across Europe and father’s are celebrated, it makes sense St. Joseph was the greatest father of all humanity. Even if you are not catholic most religions recognize Jesus Christ as a major prophet and this was his earthly father , the man who raised him. Of course it is a major holiday in Spain and Italy, Portugal and others but in Sicily it is of major proportion. Legend goes in I believe the fifteenth century such a drought and famine descended on Sicily that thousand were dying, the people began to pray to Joseph to end this and they would honor him forever, he answered their prayer and from that day they have venerated him with food of all kinds on a St. Joseph’s table. Now my grand mother being Sicilian followed all the traditions, me being her sidekick learned them all. Of course we will have today some kind of food with breadcrumbs to represent the saw dust from the carpenter, that was Joseph’s profession so he is the Paton saint of them. Also, the day would never be complete without Zeppola San Guiseepe a pastry filled either with ricotta or cream another Sicilian creation to pay homage to the St. so he is patron saint of bakers.. so a lot goes on today. Years ago out of respect we would bring zeppolas to anyone named Joseph or a dirivative. At Wilson Ave I always recieved them from my colleagues, and even from other schools. This was always a treat, so I will once again thank you for them , I love each and every one of you. Before I continue I want to take a moment to wish one of my dearest friends a Happy Birthday, I will not mention her by name because I don’t do that without permission but she has always been a person who had my back and always in my corner. So I am sending you the biggest zeppola I could find.
Now my father and I always got a present today from my mother and for fifty years I’ve been saying that and the answer is for what I don’t get a gift in may, the month of Mary. But I never fails there is always something there. I have gone on once again but I want you all to know you are getting a virtual zeppole from me with love, enjoy it. In the St. Joseph prayer I say everyday I want to send this to you is my favorite part: Jesus asleep in your arms: I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart press him in my name and kiss his forehead for me and ask him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. I prayed that so often in hospitals it became part of me . Please enjoy today along with your zeppole and we will talk tomorrow. Til Tomorrow!