In Need of Repair

This year we had no fireworks. I heard two stories about why. The first story was that whatever municipal entity pays for the fireworks over the bay didn't want to pay for it this year. Understandable on the face of it, but considering the legions of people the fireworks bring to the area, hard to believe the local businesses didn't step up. The other explanation I heard was that we are in a drought and to blow off the fireworks, they have to have a lot of water on hand in case something goes awry.  We had Noah's Ark type rain this year and the fireworks are set off on a boat in the bay.  So all they would need to have water would be some buckets.


But because there were no fireworks, everyone and their dog, Rollo, took it upon themselves to light up their own backyards.  Our neighbors on the other side of the alley had a party, complete with non stop screaming and music, that went on all day and into the night.


At one point, whatever they were setting off over there was being tossed out of the compound in which they live and into our yards, frightening cats, dogs, bunnies in hutches and old nuns. Sister St. Aloysius was convinced that the next cherry bomb could touch off a brush fire or blow a hole in our already porous roof.  She convinced me to call the police.  


I called the non-emergency number. They never answered, but the party finally shut down just after midnight. If there had been fireworks over the bay, I'm sure there would have been a lot less crime, what with everyone preoccupied "oooing" and much less need to try a homemade 4th of July show. Meanwhile, we offered up our suffering to the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  The roof is fine. Which brings us to today's question from a reader.


Sister,
Could you please tell me you is the patron saint of broken homes in need of repair?

Thank you!


I hope you mean the house is in need of repair and not the people inside that make it a home. Of course, that would be our dear step father in Heaven, St. Joseph. He is the patron saint of all things building related.

There has been much arguing in recent years, that St. Joseph was not a carpenter, but a stone mason. To which I say, "Whatever."  Clearly he was building something. If all the holy cards showing him carving table legs while Mary made lunch for Jesus are wrong, who cares?  If he was out building houses and walls, Mary still had to make lunch for the Holy Family while Joseph worked.

I would also recommend Blessed Brother Andre of Montreal, although his claim to saintly fame is that he prayed for the intercession of St. Joseph so faithfully that the Oratory of St. Joseph was built.  Seeing the Oratory in real life gives you the feeling that you've arrived at the top of the beanstalk and found the Giant's house. At one point, the Oratory building project had run out of money, with only the dome roof to go. Brother Andre suggested that they put the statue of St. Joseph out there with no roof and if he (St. Joseph) felt the need for a roof, he would have one built. So the roof went right on there.


St. Joseph didn't want to stand around in the rain.


P.S. Even if you meant the other kind of repair, St. Joseph had a lot to reconcile to make his house a home. So, either way....