Ite ad Ioseph! Vai a Giuseppe! Go to Joseph!
In elementary school, I had a Protestant friend who liked to ask me the classic Protestant question of “Why do Catholics worship Mary?” But on one occasion, she asked me why Catholics make such a big deal about Mary, but we never talk about Joseph. I said something to the effect of, “I think it’s because we don’t know that much about him.”
And that’s true. He wasn’t venerated in the Church for so long as the greatest saint after Mary because we didn’t know enough about him. Through Biblical accounts and historical data, as well as by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, theologians and Church leaders can speculate what the life of St. Joseph looked like.
In Advent, I prayed through a devotional that viewed the preparation for the coming of our Lord at Christmas through the eyes of Joseph. The reflections written, based on scripture, allowed the reader to encounter the heart of St. Joseph and all of its faculties—reverence, humility, pain, fear, trust, surrender, etc. Something that seems to be sweeping the nation in the Catholic world right now is Fr. Donald Calloway’s new Consecration to St. Joseph. I will finish the 33-day consecration today, March 19th, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The consecration provides supplementary materials that dive deeper into each of the names given to Joseph (see below), and it’s been beautiful to piece together the person of Joseph and why he’s still relevant now.
I find the life of St. Joseph so intriguing, and I wonder if it is because it’s so mysterious. We presume he was a normal man who worked hard to provide for and protect his family. He had to be somewhat holy and virtuous in order to be the head of the Holy Family (which included Jesus Christ and His sinless mother Mary—lol). He was a faithful Jew and certainly was obedient to the will of God.
Since coming to college, I’ve fallen in love with St. Joseph and his role as our spiritual father. Perhaps part of it is because he seems more within reach than God the Father does, yet he has the mission to bring anyone and everyone to his most beloved Son, who will in turn bring us to the Father.
Throughout this consecration and the 30-day novena included in the book, I have been drawn under the protection of the Holy Cloak of St. Joseph and have seen prayers answered. The earthly father of our Savior desires to be a father to us as well. The Protector and Patron of the Holy Church will never cease to protect and intercede for us. In this dark time of unknown and suffering, may we run to our spiritual father, and allow ourselves to be sheltered under his Holy Cloak, trusting that he will care for us and continue to lead us to his Son.
St. Joseph, comfort of the afflicted, pray for us!
St. Joseph, hope of the sick, pray for us!
St. Joseph, patron of the dying, pray for us!
Titles of St. Joseph:
Noble Offspring of David
Light of Patriarchs
Spouse of the Mother of God
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin
Foster-Father of the Son of God
Zealous Defender of Christ
Head of the Holy Family
Most Just
Most Chaste
Most Prudent
Most Courageous
Most Obedient
Most Faithful
Mirror of Patience
Lover of Poverty
Model of Workmen
Glory of Domestic Life
Guardian of Virgins
Pillar of Families
Comfort of the Afflicted
Hope of the Sick
Patron of the Dying
Terror of Demons
Protector of the Holy Church