St. Joseph's West Orange

St. Joseph's West Orange Mass Schedule:
Sat. 5 p.m. Sun. 7:30, 9, 11:30

Daily Mass
Mon - Fri 7, 8:30 a.m. Sat 8:30 a.m Saint Joseph's is a beautiful church.

We've heard many times that the church is its people, not a building. Its beauty is the beauty of faith in the lives of dedicated parishioners gathering in a warm and inviting place. It is a great blessing that we worship in one of the most distinctively charming churches in the Archdiocese of Newark, and we serve our community, young and old, in a variety of ministries. All are welcome to join us in liturgy and ministry!

From the Pastor's DeskDear Parishioners, Did you ever watch a movie that was so good you didn’t want it to end? You...
07/30/2023

From the Pastor's Desk

Dear Parishioners,

Did you ever watch a movie that was so good you didn’t want it to end? You wanted to stay in the world that the movie created forever – it was that good. In this week’s gospel, Jesus tells His apostles a parable to help them understand what it is like when you find true happiness.

Jesus knew that everyone’s idea of true happiness is different, but one thing we all have in common is that when we find something that makes us truly happy, we will do anything to try to make it last forever. The kind of happiness that Jesus is talking about can only come from God and the Kingdom that awaits anyone who seeks His love.

Jesus starts by talking about a man finding a treasure. Even though he buried it deep in the ground, that was not enough – he had to purchase the entire field just to be sure it would always be his. He just couldn’t get enough of that treasure!

In the second example, a merchant is searching for a priceless pearl. A pearl with a perfect shape and color is a treasure beyond measure, and this merchant is willing to risk his life savings to get it. He just can’t get enough.

Having created that perfect happiness in their minds, Jesus reminds His apostles that this is what God is offering to us in the Kingdom of Heaven. His kingdom is more priceless than the field containing the buried treasure or that perfect pearl. Why is it more priceless? Because God Himself ensures that once we enter His Kingdom, it will truly be ours forever. We don’t have to worry about securing it.

In the Kingdom of Heaven, God will make sure we get enough!!!

Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito

07/26/2023

Today is the feast day of Saints Joachim & Anne. Pope Francis has designated this feast as World Grandparents Day. May God bless all grandparents for their work in passing on the faith to their children and grandchildren!

From the Pastor’s DeskDear Parishioners, Could staying “in the weeds” be a good thing? In this week’s gospel, we he...
07/23/2023

From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

Could staying “in the weeds” be a good thing? In this week’s gospel, we hear the story of a farmer whose enemy sabotaged his field by planting weeds among his crop of wheat. The farmer’s servants are angry and they want to pull up all the wheat, but to their surprise, the farmer tells them to let the weeds grow together with the wheat.

The good farmer is looking beyond the moment — he knows that when it’s time for harvest, the good wheat can be salvaged and the weeds will be discarded, so there is no need to take matters into their own hands now.

This parable depicts God as the farmer who is willing to forgive and let the weeds coexist with the wheat. As always, our loving God sees the big picture, just as the farmer did.

God knows the world may always be filled with people who try to do good and those that try to do evil. Living together is inevitable. Although the evil weeds may cause our lives to be very difficult, those seeking to do good must persevere and not let the evil one influence or change our lives. We need to become stronger, not weaker, when confronted with evil. Forgiving those who hurt us may be difficult, but we should be comforted by the fact that God is the ultimate judge.

Our job is not to retaliate, but to trust in the good and just judge who has our best interest at heart. If we can all do that, the good people will become even better people. In this case, “staying in the weeds” could be a “win – win” situation.
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito

From the Pastor's DeskDear Parishioners, How’s Your Soil?In this week’s gospel, we are taken back to our roots....
07/16/2023

From the Pastor's Desk

Dear Parishioners,

How’s Your Soil?

In this week’s gospel, we are taken back to our roots. Jesus uses one of His most powerful teaching techniques — the parable. Parables are “simple stories that Jesus used to teach important lessons.” In this case, Jesus turns to farming and the importance of soil quality.

It’s generally understood that all seeds need water, sun, and of course, fertile soil. Although all are necessary, soil gets the growing process started because soil is the first component to encounter the seeds. Without soil, nothing will grow. Let’s take a closer look at soil. Most dictionaries will describe it as being made up of three components: (1) minerals that come from rocks, (2) organic matter which comes from the remains of plants and animals, and (3) living organisms that reside in the soil (www.soil-net.com). Therefore, soil is a product of its environment, which makes it easy to see that not all soil is the same. Jesus uses the extreme case of the “absence of soil” (i.e., the foot path), to the case of very shallow soil (i.e., rocky ground), to soil that is overpowered by thorns and finally to the nutrient-rich soil as being analogous to people at different stages in their spiritual journey.

In this parable, the ability of each type of soil to sustain life depends on where the soil ended up in life — not so different from us. But unlike soil, we have the ability to be aware of the external forces that could have a negative impact on us, and we have the ability to change them. Jesus is making us realize that we can influence who and what surrounds our lives so that our hearts and minds are ready to receive and understand His word. Once His word enters into a fertile heart, a heart that is ready for it — it will grow and even spread to others. The only question that remains is “are we cultivating the right soil?”

Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito

From the Pastor’s DeskDear Parishioners, In this week’s gospel, Jesus speaks very frankly to His apostles. He i...
06/25/2023

From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Parishioners,

In this week’s gospel, Jesus speaks very frankly to His apostles. He is very clear that they are to boldly proclaim everything He has taught them about the Father. He also tells them that many people will reject them and some may even try to kill them, but despite these possible outcomes, they are to, “Fear No one!”

Knowing that His apostles must be filled with questions and maybe doubts, Jesus goes on to reassure them of the Father’s unfathomable love for them. He poses a thought-provoking analogy. If two sparrows, which are worth only a small coin, have the Father’s undivided attention, how much more are their lives worth to the Father?

This one-to-one relationship between the Father and His children is quite comforting. Understanding that the Father knows each person individually — to the point of knowing every hair on their head — tells us we are truly in His hands!!!

One can imagine that with this kind of support and encouragement, the apostles were fired up and ready to bear witness to the one true God, trusting that the outcome will be worth any suffering they may endure.

As with any good relationship, commitment is needed on both sides, and when that commitment is present, there is no limit to what can be accomplished. God’s everlasting commitment is surely worth fighting for.

Sincerely in Christ,
Father Lito

A PRAYER FOR FATHERSHeavenly Father,you entrusted your Son Jesus,the child of Mary,to the care of Joseph, an earthly fat...
06/18/2023

A PRAYER FOR FATHERS

Heavenly Father,
you entrusted your Son Jesus,
the child of Mary,
to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers
as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom,
tenderness and patience;
support them in the work they have to do,
protecting those who look to them,
as we look to you for love and salvation,
through Jesus Christ our rock and defender.
Amen.

Address

44 Benvenue Avenue
West Orange, NJ
07052

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 12pm
Tuesday 9am - 12pm
Wednesday 9am - 1pm

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