A Note From Fr. Tom
Back on December 8, 2020, Pope Francis proclaimed a special “Year of St. Joseph.” The eighth of December is a significant date, not only because it’s the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, but because on that day in 1870, Blessed Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph to be the Patron of the Universal Church.
Why is St. Joseph so important? Because he guarded and protected the greatest treasures the world has ever known: the Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Bernadine of Siena once said, “Holy Church in its entirety is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to St. Joseph.” We owe this gratitude to St. Joseph because he carried out his God-given vocation perfectly.
St. Joseph is the spouse of the Mother of God, the head of the Holy Family, the glory of domestic life, the pillar of families, the terror of demons, and the foster-father of the Son of God. And while he was the foster-father of Christ, his relationship with Jesus was much more than a mere legal relationship. In the words of Fr. Donald Calloway, St. Joseph’s spiritual fatherhood was an authoritative, affectionate, faithful, and everlasting fatherhood. As he took care of Jesus on earth, so he continues to take care of us on our earthly pilgrimage to heaven. St. Joseph will always be our spiritual father, and we owe him our love and gratitude.
So how can we foster a deeper devotion to our spiritual father in this “Year of St. Joseph”? A book that I would like to recommend to you is Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Fr. Donald H. Calloway, MIC. It’s a 33-day meditation on the life and wonders of this awesome saint. He goes line-by-line through the Litany of St. Joseph, and sheds a lot of light on this great saint. I highly recommend it.
Also, the Novena to St. Joseph is a great way to grow closer to him. While we already celebrated his big feast day on March 19th, another feast day is coming up on May 1st: the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. This novena starts on Friday, April 23rd, and you can find it online. I will also be posting daily YouTube videos on the Together As One website.
Peace,
Fr. Tom
St. Joseph Prayer
Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you
all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.
Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls - Pray for me.
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