The story of the wooden stick and the blooming flowers goes like this:

After Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents, presented Mary in the Temple when she was 3 years of age, they allowed her to remain there as a temple virgin dedicated to God’s service. When Mary was on the verge of womanhood, the high priest announced that it was time for all of the temple virgins of that age to return home so that marriages could be arranged for them. Mary, however, said that she could not do this since her parents had dedicated her to the service of the Lord and that she herself had made a vow of virginity to God. When the high priest sought guidance from God, a loud voice called forth all of the men of the House of David who had not taken a wife, instructing them to come to the Temple and to bring a branch to lay on the altar. The voice said that one of the branches would bloom forth with flowers and that the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, would land upon the branch. Joseph was one of the men who came and when he placed his branch on the altar, it immediately bloomed into flowers and a dove descended from heaven and landed on it, thus revealing that Joseph was to take the virgin Mary as his spouse.

From: https://bustedhalo.com/questionbox/where-does-the-church-get-some-of-the-legendary-stories-of-st-joseph

The Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs-Central NY

Established in 1885 as a monument to the first saints of North America to be canonized, the Shrine is located on the site of the Mohawk village of Ossernenon. The Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs honors the martyrdom of three Jesuit missionaries. It is the birthplace of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, known as the Lily of the Mohawks, as well as 3 Martyrs: Saints Isaac Jogues, Saint René Goupil, and Saint John Lalande. The site features four chapels, the Saints of Auriesville Museum, a visitor center and more among 400 acres of flowered landscapes and tree-studded slopes and lawns. Click here for more information.

Find ways to laugh and be well...play time is just for fun this summer; indoors and out!

Set up a slip and slide on a hot day this week! Don't have one? You can make your own now to last you all summer long: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/diy-slip-n-slide/

July 4th is drawing near! It is a great time to cook as a family and talk about how blessed we are to live in America. Find 20 amazing red, white and blue snacks that will have the stamp of approval from the kids here.

It must have been refreshing when Jesus came home. But, it was not easy for him. Growing up he would have been known in Nazareth, he would have played with the other children. Mary and Joseph would have been known by the other families, maybe they even commissioned Joseph to build something for their family. And now, here he comes back as an adult – and not just any adult, but the grown Son of God. Where he had performed miracles for others, the people in his home town still saw him as the little boy that grew up before them. It’s amazing how familiarity can lead us to stop recognizing the amazing.

Parents – Do you see the amazing in your children? Mary and Joseph must have known how amazing Jesus was – an angel talked to both of them before he was born. But imagine seeing your child heal someone, or make the blind see. Even knowing he was amazing, the miracles are still awe inspiring! What do your children do that inspires awe in you?

Children – Sometimes people remember what they want. Try not to be frustrated when people remember you as the small child learning to walk – it is just their way of showing love. Imagine if you knew THEM when they were little.