In a recent interview with “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley about the conclusion of the Year of St. Joseph, Father Tom Margevicius recalled being at the foot of his father’s deathbed, praying the Mass of St. Joseph, patron of a happy death.
His father was named Joseph and he was a carpenter, Father Margevicius said. “So here I am, a priest, the son of Joseph the carpenter,” he said, “and it stirred in my heart the parallels between what the Lord has called me to as a priest of Jesus Christ to parallel the situation in Scripture. So, it really has been a fruitful experience for me as well to invest and participate in this, and I hope it has for many of our faithful, too.”
Father Tom Margevicius
Father Margevicius, director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, also kicked off a series of 10 talks earlier this year on the 10 wonders of St. Joseph as described in the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” by Father Donald Calloway.
The realities of St. Joseph’s personality and his spiritual graces are not limited to just this year of St. Joseph, Father Margevicius said. “If anything, the year should awaken in us and enliven within us a realization that these realities continue on for the rest of our lives.”
Honoring Joseph in a particular year and at a particular celebration is not meant to be the final word, Father Margevicius said. “In fact, it’s part of an ongoing expanding of our whole spiritual life that these aspects of St. Joseph’s life, such as his being a silent witness or the patron of a happy death, are going to extend well beyond just this year of St. Joseph.”
Many of those who presented monthly talks in the archdiocese about St. Joseph have commented on the “exactly zero words” from St. Joseph recorded in sacred Scripture, Father Margevicius said. It’s important to remember, he said, because everyone tends to look for a quick, easy fix, and life doesn’t work that way. St. Joseph “is not a flashy character” with monologues of great oratorical skill, he said.
“This actually gives us a perspective for our own lives, our spiritual lives,” he said. “So many of the saints have warned about trying to seek certain fantastic or extraordinary manifestations of grace in our life.” God most often works in the ordinariness of life, Father Margevicius said.
The final talk in the series devoted to St. Joseph premieres at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, on archdiocesan social media channels. Father Jon Vander Ploeg, director of spiritual formation at The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, will be speaking at St. Joseph in Taylors Falls on St. Joseph as the “Terror of Demons.”
To close the Year of St. Joseph, Archbishop Bernard Hebda is celebrating a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
To hear the full interview with Father Margevicius, listen to this episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show. It airs at 9 p.m. Nov. 26, 1 p.m. Nov. 27 and 2 p.m. Nov. 28 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with clergy sexual abuse survivor Gina Barthel, who tells her story of hope and how Bishop Andrew Cozzens walked with her through her dark times, and Lori Hannasch, director of pastoral care at St. John Neumann in Eagan, who discusses ways to help the homebound this holiday season.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
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