One year anniversary

Rather than another catechetical teaching tonight, I thought I would just take a minute and say thank you for being faithful readers of this blog for a little over a year now.  (My first post was on July 19, 2015.)  It has undergone a title change since it began; it was formerly Saint Joseph the Worker blog, now it is Jim's Catholic Blog.  However, hopefully, you have found it to have the same quality and interest level despite the title change.  I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it, and that you get something out of it.  I know I learn something new every time I write one of these posts.

You may have noticed there have been times when this blog has focused on current events, sometimes when it has focused on the Readings of the Day, sometimes on a seasonal (i.e. Christmas) or yearly (i.e. Year of Mercy) theme.  Right now, the focus is lessons from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  This is helping myself, and hopefully many of you, grow in your Faith, or learn a little bit more about what the Church teaches.  Church teaching has great depth to it, and I feel I barely scratch the surface of it, but better to scratch the surface than not to inquire at all.

If there is any topic related to Church teaching, or the Church in the world today, or whatever, that you would like to see me cover, please do not hesitate to let me know.  You may have questions or curiosities about the Catholic Church you may want to have me explore in a little more detail, and I would be happy to as best I can.

Even though I call this a Catholic blog, I will not hesitate to express my opinion on something.  Hopefully, I have been clear where I am expressing my own opinion and where I am expressing the teaching of the Church.  I do apologize for any instance(s) where I did not make that distinction clear enough.

I know the audience of this blog is not the biggest, and probably is one of the smallest in the Catholic blogosphere.  There are many Catholic blogs out there, and 95% of them at least have a bigger audience than I do.  However, the best evangelization comes when a person you know personally speaks to you about his or her faith.   A father can evangelize his son better than a priest or the Pope can.  A mother can evangelize her daughter better than Mother Angelica or Mother Theresa could.  A good friend can evangelize you or me better than Scott Hahn, Patrick Madrid, or any other leading Catholic evangelist today could.   Now the mother and father and the friend absolutely can and should benefit from the witness of those aforementioned holy people.  However, the witness of those people is no substitute for the testimony of a friend or family member. 

In that spirit, this blog is mostly me talking to people I know on a personal level.  Some of you I see more than others, some of you I am closer to than others, but almost all of you I know to one degree or another.  When friends and family speak to each other of Jesus and the Church, that, friends, is the best evangelization, the best friendship, and the best life has to offer this side of eternity.  I think that is why I enjoy writing this blog, and maybe why I am content with the relatively small audience it has compared to most Catholic blogs.

Now perhaps (because I make these posts public on Facebook and Twitter)  there are a few of you who read this faithfully whom I do not know at all.  To you, I say, thank you for giving some stranger a chance to be of benefit to you, and I am honored you are reading this.

Finally, I want to thank the Holy Family; Jesus, Mary, and yes, good Saint Joseph, for their intercession to make this blog what it is.   Just as I could not do it without my friends here on Earth, I know I could not do it without my friends in heaven.

I think a fitting way to close this anniversary post is to post the entire litany to Saint Joseph. I refer to a line or two in most of my posts, so let's just post it all here, in thanksgiving to Saint Joseph for being the patron of this blog, and the fruits his prayers has helped it bore.  May it continue to bear fruit for some time longer.  God Bless.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.  God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.  God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.  God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.  Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.  Holy Mary, pray for us (after each line) Saint Joseph, Renowned offspring of David, Light of Patriarchs, Spouse of the Mother of God, Chaste guardian of the Virgin, Foster-father of the Son of God, Diligent protector of Christ, Head of the Holy Family, Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most strong, Joseph most obedient, Joseph most faithful, Mirror of patience, Lover of poverty, Model of artisans, Glory of home life, Guardian of virgins, Pillar of families, Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, Patron of the dying, Terror of demons, Protector of Holy Church,  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.  Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.  V. He made him the lord of His house: R. And ruler of all His substance. Let us pray, ---  O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. Saint Joseph, pray for us.