For me, consecration to St. Joseph began many, many years ago, as far back as March 4, 2004, when I believe, St. Joseph interceded to save my life. (read story) I have done so many Consecrations to St. Joseph over the years that I honestly don’t remember which one I was using when St. Joseph saved my life. I have done the Act of Consecration to St. Joseph in the booklet called Favorite Prayers to St. Joseph by TAN, and I simply prayed it for 30 or 33 days. I have done the 31 Day Novena to St. Joseph – As seen by the mystics by Rosalie A. Turton. I have done the 30 day – St Joseph’s Holy Cloak Novena; however, I don’t remember doing the Thirty Days’ Prayer to Saint Joseph.
Incidentally why 30 days? According to tradition, St. Joseph died just before Jesus began his public ministry at the age of 30 as mentioned in Luke 3:23. The prayer, therefore, honors St. Joseph for each of the 30 years he spent with Jesus and Mary on earth.
Other times I simply used a favorite prayer to St. Joseph for that year or I read a chapter of a book for 30 or 33 days which has led to collecting 39 books on St. Joseph! I pray the following prayer every day before getting up. It’s simply a personal devotional prayer, and one time I used it as my daily consecration prayer,
Hail “Joseph, Son of David,” (Mt.1:20) “Husband of Mary,” (Mt. 1:16) the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst men and blessed is the Son that you raised, Jesus. Holy Joseph, Virgin Father of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
I have also done the Month of St. Joseph by St. Peter Julian Eymard which up until now ranks as the best one for consecration; however, the very, very best, I believe, is the brand-new Consecration to St. Joseph – The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Fr. Donald Calloway which can be found (here).
This book is hot off the press! This has to be the best book I have ever read or close to the very best book that I have ever read. God told St. Thomas Aquinas, “You have written well of me, Thomas!” I think St. Joseph would say the same to Fr Donald! The boy whom the dragon almost destroyed has now become a dragon slayer! This book has already changed my life, and it is very powerful! Scott Hahn gave it this review:
“This book is a marvel. It is a summary of the whole of the study of St. Joseph — the wisdom of the saints, the teachings of the popes, and the reflections of theologians. And yet it is readable and accessible to anyone — clergy or laity, men or women, married or single. This book — and consecration to St. Joseph — are gifts not only from Fr. Calloway, but from our Lord, to get us through our current crisis, and all the way home to heaven. Let us look to, and learn from, St. Joseph, the spiritual father of us all.”
Fr. Calloway’s book follows the 33-day Marian consecration initiated by St. Louis de Montfort, and it can be done by individuals, groups, parishes, or an entire diocese. Maybe one day our Holy Father will give us a Year of St. Joseph.
Close to seven years ago, I was hired as one of two formators in the Diocese of Austin for men studying to be permanent deacons which is the 5-year diaconal formation program. I, also, introduced them to Consecration to St. Joseph using different models but most especially the one by St. Peter Julian Eymard. At times even Bishop Joe S. Vásquez has joined us in the Consecration to St. Joseph.
This year the 46 men in diaconal formation and their wives who wish to will begin the Consecration to St. Joseph on Feb. 16, 2020, and end on March 19, 2020. Why is St. Joseph important for the deacons or men studying to be deacons? He was the model deacon, or as St. Peter Julian Eymard explains, “St. Joseph lived for one purpose: to be the personal servant [deacon] of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh…Realizing this, he fulfilled to perfection the role of a good and faithful servant [deacon] charged with caring for the House of God.” Furthermore, St. Peter Julian Eymard expounds, “St. Joseph had the virtue which marks a good servant [deacon], disinterested devotedness. Every moment of his life was consecrated to the service of the Lord: sleep, rest, work, – everything was sacrificed uncomplainingly and unselfishly…In the Eucharistic service, we must imitate St. Joseph with generosity.” [added] Incidentally, in the past many of the men and wives have expressed many special graces due to the consecration.
This year is the 150th anniversary of the papal declaration: St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church – a title given by Pope Pius IX in 1870, and you can put St. Joseph to the test! Unleash the Terror of Demons! If you are a single person, father, or mother and need assistance with your vocation, a healing or other problem give this consecration a try. One quote from St. Teresa of Avila stands out in my mind if you have doubts,
“I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I have never known anyone to be truly devoted to him and render him particular services who did not notably advance in virtue, for he gives very real help to souls who commend themselves to him. For some years now, I think, I have made some request of him every year on his festival and I have always had it granted.”
Interestingly, Bishop Peter Joseph Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina is declaring a Year of St. Joseph for his diocese from January 1 – December 31, 2020. I am sure they will do the Crowning of St. Joseph ceremony like the yearly one we do at Saint Mary Cathedral in Austin, Texas (Read story) My sense is that Bishop Peter understands what Pope Pius XII says about the power of St. Joseph,
“If Joseph was so engaged, heart and soul, in protecting and providing for that little family at Nazareth, don’t you think that now in heaven he is the same loving father and guardian of the whole Church, of all its members, as he was of its Head on earth?”
THE END!
January 23, 2020 Feast of the Espousals of the Joseph and Mary.
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