St. Joseph the Worker and the Mysterious Staircase

The Parish of St. Joseph the Worker

I had the chance to once again visit our beautiful parish church in Barangay Palanan, Makati City, St. Joseph the Worker, just yesterday before flying back here to Cebu late afternoon. It has been my promise to our parish's patron saint that I would always pay him a visit everytime I go to Makati to see my parents and brothers, who are all in Canada now. I made a short stop to see my aunt and cousins instead, who are the ones currently residing in our house. I write this article to honor St. Joseph in time for one of his big feast days in the church aside from our parish's fiesta every May 1 --- it is this coming Wednesday, March 19.

I have fond memories of Palanan and my parish since I grew up there and saw how the yearly fiesta of St. Joseph the Worker, the Church's universal patron saint for workers which we celebrate every May 1, has developed and improved so well. There is always a novena before the fiesta, as colorful buntings would be set up along our barangay's major street, Filmore, where our house is located. The cyclists of our place would be seen practicing around the whole barangay before the day of the fiesta when the yearly Tour of Palanan is conducted. I received the sacrament of Confirmation on the day of our parish's fiesta, and it was in one novena day of St. Joseph that I heard about St. Josemaria Escriva and Opus Dei, since the topic of that novena mass was all about the Sanctification of Ordinary Work.

St. Joseph, the father of Jesus on earth and the head of the Holy Family, is known as the Master of a Christian's interior life. He is our Protector, the Model of all workmen, a most chaste and prudent, faithful and obedient man. He may seem to be silent but he is an ever vigilant saint who looks after each one of us and who has received the important task of looking after Our Blessed Mother and the Christ Child, especially during the flight to Egypt when there was a serious threat to take the life of the newborn Baby Jesus.

I would also like to mention here about a wonder we have on earth that is believed to be made by St. Joseph: the Mysterious Staircase found in a chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Two mysteries surround that spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel: the identity of its builder and the physics of its construction.

For more information about this modern day wonder credited to St. Joseph, please visit http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_mysterious_staircase15.htm and http://www.lorettochapel.com/staircase.html

St. Joseph, please continue protecting us and our families from the snares of the enemies of our soul. Help us to direct our path to heaven in everything we do. Amen.

Happy Feastday this March 19, St. Joseph!