When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Matthew 1:24
The other day I was perusing social media and I was coming across post after post by Christian women who were wanting to uplift women. This is a laudable goal. But I was sad in reading through them because in their effort to uplift women, there was an extreme bitterness towards men. One even claimed to be emulating the Blessed Mother while at the same time bashing the all male Priesthood.
You all may remember that when I was at the Shrine in Hanceville, Alabama, I heard the Lord say to me, “Restore the Father’s Blessings.” At the time I was not sure what this actually meant, but I have come to understand that God the Father wants us to be restored to union with his Will, and it is in this that Blessing is poured upon us.
But here’s the thing, we don’t walk in God’s will if we walk in bitterness and resentment. I don’t believe women get uplifted by putting men down. This does not mean that I do not recognize the damage that men have done to women over the years. It simply means that I want for my own salvation and for the salvation of men. It also doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in punishing bad behavior. It simply means I do not have to let the bad behavior of someone else torture me with demons of bitterness and resentment. So hear me now when I say, to all the men who have ever hurt me, I FORGIVE YOU. And to all the men I have ever hurt, I AM SORRY. This is meant especially for my own spouse, who is a gift from the Father in Heaven to me.
And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.” For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:23-24
We are not meant to be in competition with one another. We are meant for cooperation with God.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
This restoration of the Father’s blessings that God wants to pour on us begins with the restoration of the Priesthood. I freely admit that I am one who used to think women should be Priests, until I realized that was a worldly longing for equality, and that God already gave me equality of dignity so that I need not be angry at His design. We each have a purpose and a destiny, and it is okay that they are different. Every person’s role is meant to built up the Kingdom of God and the Mystical Body, but it’s when the sin of envy comes in that we begin to tear one another down. And it is the sin of Pride that makes one Lord themselves over another. These are the deadliest of sins.
When the Priesthood is properly restored, Sacramental Grace flows straight from heaven down on the altar and into our souls. Priests need to be serious about their duty to God the Father because they are a conduit of the Father’s Blessing. Clericalism often gets called out these days, and it is something that is real, but clericalism is a fruit of sin. Sin that Priests and Bishops do not want to root out, but instead cover up and use the power of their office to do so.
I recently read a book by Kevin Wells, called The Priests we need to save the Church. This book outlines the formula of what made Priests Saints. I urge every Priest out there to read it because we need you to be Saints.
But this restoration of the Father’s Blessings doesn’t stop there with the Priesthood. God the Father wants to restore earthly Fatherhood. And I believe it is for this reason he is more and more pointing out Saint Joseph. Remember, Joseph was a righteous man, but he was a man who wanted to divorce Mary quietly. We do not see Mary get bitter or resentful towards Joseph. We can know from who she is that she prayed and trusted God. And Joseph had a dream and he listened to God.
Here in this small insight that the Gospels give to us of Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see two people who cooperate with the Will of God that leads them to cooperate with one another. There is no envy, no bitterness, no resentment. It is two people who did the will of God and together raised the Savior. And a Savior who subjected Himself to them.
That is why another book I came across is so vitally important right now as well, and that is the Consecration to Saint Joseph by Father Donald Calloway. I believe that the Spiritual repercussions of doing this Consecration will spread far and wide to help our Christian society receive the grace of the Father’s Blessings.
What many of us women fail to understand, is that when our men are blessed these blessings extend to us as well. We are not some afterthought of God. We are part of the completion of the design of God that brings wholeness and healing. The fruit of our love for one another brings children but it also bears virtue. What could be a better blessing from God our loving Father?
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:4
So for me I do not say down with the Patriarchy. I pray the Patriarchy to be properly restored as it was in the beginning; because when it is restored my own life will flourish to it’s fullness.
Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. John 14:6-8
Veil of Veronica 
This is beautiful and very well-written, thank you.
Thank you and God Bless you!
Wonderful reflection and gives me great hope for the future. It really feels like “Aslan is on the move” in the world. Thank you for being faithful to God’s call. May we all be faithful!
God is on the move for sure!
Amen! Well said. Men and women are full partners in the spiritual life in Christ. That is our assignment and God assigns the roles. Envy and pride get in the way and if we are not humble, we are in the way not “on the Way”. Christian men and women, we are in this together. Here I am Lord, I come to live in your will. Fiat!
Yes! God bless you!
In being a female–and at one time a liberal one in a medical profession–I have come to see that accepting and living my femininity is God’s will and to pursue a life of holiness it is imperative to seek and do God’s will in my life. I always wear a skirt to Mass and have started to wear a veil as well; I wish to be as feminine as possible. And, yes, I have apostolates within the parish; I am not a shrinking violet but active but all within where God has willed for me.
We need not be shrinking violets to be feminine. Mary is the fiercest warrior I know, she just knows the enemy is Satan and not people. God Bless you.
What a wonderful treatise on both father AND mother wounds! The enemy has targeted the family for many, many years, and perhaps more than any time in history during this past century!
I might add that many people struggle with the demons that have attached themselves to these wounds and feel “powerless” to be rid of them…and rebuild their families…
My spiritual director had me read Abba’s Heart by Neal Lozano which exposed my wounds and led me to the Unbound “five keys” process (of freedom) that was formulated by the same author. I highly recommend these books!!!
God bless,
John
Yes I work in deliverance ministry. Forgiveness allows people to shut the door on the demons that plague them. Neal Lazano’s books are very good and we recommend them too- but they’re just made for wider Christian audience- so we need to remember each confession is a deliverance. The Sacraments are where grace pours out! Add that in to what he teaches and freedom awaits.
Men and women are meant to complement each other. One is not necessarily better than the other. While we are equal, we are not equivalent; and that is by design. The single greatest Saint was Mary, no male comes close. The Priesthood is about sacrifice. Not even all men are called to be Priests, it takes a special man to be one. We all sacrifice (male and females), but a truly good Priest and especially a pastor must sacrifice for their congregation. This is what separates a Priest from a Minister, a Priest offers the Sacrifice. It is not about power, that all belongs to God, it is about sacrifice in particular ways. Back to Mary (and all Mothers), they too sacrifice in ways most men do not and in a sense can not. My wife is down due to an injury, and I am taking on much of what she would normally do. My daughters are also helping. The sacrifices she (and they) do are worthy of respect and I now have a better understanding of it! As you said in a reply “Mary is the fiercest warrior I know, she just knows the enemy is Satan and not people.”, and let me say that is an understatement! Mary’s “Yes” was the impetus for the downfall of Satan. She will crush his head. Her humility more than compensates for the devil and his minion’s pride. Humility allows in a very special way the power of God to flow out to the world.
Talking on the Will of God, I mentioned once on Janet’s blog, I was once given a definition for Love. Love is the active participation in the Will of God. Since God is always active in his will, everything God does is an act of Love. God (and his will) defines love and scripture says “God is Love”. There is much I could say to this, but know if you are doing what God wills you are acting out of Love and are in fact Loving in the purest sense. The opposite of Love is “the active non-participation in the Will of God” and that is mortal Sin, this is the offering from and the state of Satan and his minions. When we find “Thy will be done on earth as it in in Heaven” the Kingdom of Heaven will come to earth! It will be a state of PURE Love. As you said “God the Father wants us to be restored to union with his Will, and it is in this that Blessing is poured upon us.”, when we align with his will and actively follow his will we will be in a state of complete Love. The state of being perfectly aligned and following the Will of God is what we call “Sainthood”. Those in Heaven are perfectly formed in the will of God and irreversibly so. Some are declared Saints by the Church, but all in Heaven are Saints. That state perfectly aligned to the Will of God truly should be and for a Catholic is our goal.
Amen.
I see you work in deliverance ministry, if you would reply to my email I would be happy to send you more on the topic and the event that gave me the definition. From the definition of Love I have come to better understand God, evil, sin etc. and it may be of use to you and those you minister to. Much of what I have was given to me, I need no reference etc. and it is free to be used if helpful. In reality nothing in it is new, but I do think it clarifies many things, at least it has for me. The definition for a word can be substituted for the word in a sentence. So if someone says “I have fallen out of love for my spouse” it means “I have fallen out of the active participation in the will of God for my spouse” and that understanding certainly can be clarifying. Anyway you are welcome to it, or I can post it here etc. if you are interested but it is sort of long for a format like this.
May God bless you in your ministry and outreach!
Mark
Thank you. I will look for your email.
Malachi 2:7 – “It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will (John 6;39-40), because they are the messengers of the Lord Almighty.” – 1 CORINTHIANS 4:15 – “For even if you have ten thousand guardians in your Christian life, you have only ‘one “FATHER”.’ For in your life in union with Christ Jesus I (Paul) have become your ‘”father'” by bringing the Good News to you.” – Reference: Good News Bible GNT
LUKE 11:13 – “…..How much more, then, will the “Father” in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” – Reference: Good News Bible GNT
Excellent.thank you.st Joseph has been on my mind for a few days.just before reading your blog I had read Mark Mallets ….a priest in my own home.
June 2011. Worth reading.
And yesterday a friend was given a statue of st Joseph!!
Hmm…. interesting!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
PLEASE READ St. JOSEPH THE JUST MAN AND THE PROTECTOR (from the Writings of Maria Valtorta) IT IS AWESOME
AT http://www.mariavaltortawebring.com/Documents/Saint_Joseph-Valtorta.pdf
Thank you!
It’s so hard to be alone single childless and feel far from God because of Fear/Pride
Juliette take all your fear to the Heavenly Father and have a conversation with him about it. I will pray for you.
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