Joseph the Faithful Carpenter

 (March 19th Commemorates Joseph, Stepfather of Jesus)


Joseph, the Faithful Carpenter
Ponders the news he keeps concealed
His bride-to-be is found with child—
A father’s name is not revealed.

As Joseph slumbers fitfully
An angel enters Joseph’s dream
To tell him that this comes from God
And things are not as they may seem:

“O, Joseph, banish all your fears
And take Young Mary as your wife
And be a father to God’s child
Who comes to share in human life.”

Good Joseph, born of David’s line
(Which matters not in days of Rome)
Bequeaths a human royalty
And gives the Boy a godly home.

A jealous Herod fears this King,
So Joseph takes them speedily
To Egypt, where again he works,
To care for his small family.

An angel tells that Herod’s dead,
So Joseph brings them all back home;
He brings them to quaint Nazareth
And raises God’s Son as his own.        

---C. Marie Byars, (c) 1999

  

       

Deer's Cry

(St. Patrick's  Breastplate) 

I arise today 

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of sun, 

Radiance of moon, 

Splendour of fire, 

Speed of lightning, 

Swiftness of wind, 

Depth of sea, 

Stability of earth, 

Firmness of rock. 

 I arise today 

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, 

Through belief in the threeness, 

Through confession of the oneness 

Of the Creator of Creation. 

I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism, 

Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, 

Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, 

Through the strength of His descent for the judgement of Doom. 

 I arise today 

Through the strength of the love of the Cherubim, 

In the obedience of angels, 

In the service of archangels, 

In the hope of the resurrection to meet with reward, 

In the prayers of patriarchs, 

In prediction of prophets, 

In preaching of apostles, 

In faith of confessors, 

In innocence of holy virgins, 

In deeds of righteous men. 

 I arise today 

Through God's strength to pilot me: 

God's might to uphold me, 

God's wisdom to guide me, 

God's eye to look before me, 

God's ear to hear me, 

God's word to speak to me, 

God's hand to guard me, 

God's way to lie before me, 

God's shield to protect me, 

God's host to save me, 

 Christ to shield me today, 

Against poising, against burning, 

Against drowning, against wounding, 

So there come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, 

Christ before me, 

Christ behind me, 

Christ in me, 

Christ beneath me, 

Christ above me, 

Christ on my right, 

Christ on my left, 

Christ when I lie down, 

Christ when I sit down, 

Christ when I arise, 

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, 

Christ in the eye of every one who sees me, 

Christ in every ear that hears me. 

 I arise today 

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, 

Through belief in the threeness, 

Through confession of the oneness 

Of the Creator of Creation. 

---Attributed to St. Patrick, 385-461 (from a translation by Kuno Meyer;adapted from an earier translation by Cecil Francis Alexander)