St. Joseph the Hymnographer (810-886)
When he was twenty, Joseph fled the Arab invasion of Sicily and became a monk in Constantinople. Ten years later, he was captured by pirates and made a slave. He escaped and returned to Constantinople to open a monastery. He is one of the great hymnists of the Byzantine Church, with over a thousand works.
Reflections from the Saints
May I know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, day by day.
A man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family. This institution is prior to any recognition by public authority, which has an obligation to recognize it. It should be considered the normal reference point by which the different forms of family relationship are to be evaluated.