Grace and peace, everyone.

Here's a piece (text, tune, and harmonization mine) about St. Joseph, dedicated to my father. The tune name, EDWARDSVILLE, honors his Illinois hometown.

[Tweaked a few things for the upcoming feast.]

1. O glorious St. Joseph,
How great your soul, how strong,
In toil and dust how wise and just,
How true to God your song;
Observant of His Torah,
You knew His precious grace,
And saw His light in tender brightness
Of Our Lady's face.

2. How peerless was that Maiden,
Our Galilean Queen!
For her your heart was set apart
In chastity serene;
And when her very body
Cast doubt upon her word,
An angel came to guard her name,
That you might guard Our Lord.

3. At Bethlehem your lantern
Met God within the straw;
In Egypt's flight, in anxious night,
A father's life you saw,
A life of stalwart goodness
And quiet sacrifice;
At final breath, a holy death
Was yours with Jesus Christ.

4. And now you stand in friendship
With vast angelic throngs,
For still the fight for love and light
To Heaven's realm belongs;
O how you frighten Satan!
No evil can he do
When you arise to heed the cries
Of those who honor you.

5. When lure of clan is rising,
When we are weak with sin,
When those unborn meet scythe and scorn,
When demons taunt within,
Your arms are quick to seize us
And raise us high to greet
The Rose in bloom at our true home,
Our Lady, fair and sweet.

6. Arise, O mighty Joseph,
Arise for us today,
Your Church defend, good man, good friend,
And in your kindness pray
That this your house may flourish
And worthily may laud
The Holy Name the skies proclaim
Of Jesus, Son of God!

(c) 2024 Anna Bendiksen (b. 1969)