The Christian Wheel of the Year: Saint Joseph's Day

Saint Joseph's Day

March 19th is the Feast of Saint Joseph. (We're a day behind schedule, for which my apologies, I've been quite swamped lately.) 

Traditions




Saint Joseph is revered throughout the Western Christian world, and numerous customs are associated with his feast day. Probably the best known are those associated with Italian and Sicilian communities, both in their homeland and in the United States. Saint Joseph is the patron of Sicily, and Sicilians aren't known for doing things half-heartedly! In Sicily and in Sicilian/Italian immigrant communities around the world you'll find Saint Joseph altars heaped with food, parades and processions, and, of course, special meals and dishes. In many Catholic regions, Saint Joseph's Day is Father's Day, and that doesn't seem like a bad way to celebrate his Feast to me. 

Wearing red is traditional for Saint Joseph's Day. As his feast falls right after Saint Patrick's Day, which is associated with green, and as Saint Joseph is associated with Italians, it was at one time common to wear either red or green to demonstrate one's ethnic affiliation. The history of the rivalry between Italians and Irish in America is long, sometimes bloody and often amusing. These days, a great many ethnic-Catholic Americans are of mixed descent, love, after all, being not very different from war. 

The Patronage of Saint Joseph

As Saint Joseph was the foster-father of Christ, he is the patron of fathers everywhere, and of families, and everyone who works for a living. He is also the patron of the homeless and those who are seeking a home, and the poor. Since 1870, he has been regarded as the patron of the Unviersal Church. He is also the patron of the dying, and a powerful aid against demons and evil spirits. Indeed, Saint Joseph's patronage and power extend further than that of any other saint except for his spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Catholic theology, the honor due to a saint is called dulia, or reverence. The honor due to Mary is called hyperdulia; that due to Joseph is called protodulia. This reflects the fact that, in being given the charge of raising the Word Incarnate, these two were honored above all other human creatures. 
 
The Power of Saint Joseph

I'm writing this post late, on a day in which I have a whole pile of additional writing to do, and I'm finding that it's hard to bring the words forth. I usually write these posts in a formal style, as those they were entries in a book, rather than posts in a blog or journal. Just now, the formality is not coming, and attempting to affect an encyclopedic style feels stilted and awkward. So I'm going to try something different; I'm going to speak from the heart and tell you: 

Saint Joseph is an immensely powerful intercessor and protector. 

Two stories about him.

Some years ago I became a step-father to a (then) seven year old boy. This was entirely unintentional on my part. When I began dating his mother, I was delighted to discover that she had a son with whom she shared custody half time with her ex-husband. My assumption was that, since she'd need to spend half the week with her child, I'd have half the week off from the relationship, and be able to spend that time doing my own thing. "My own thing," in those days, mostly meant spending hours training at a local martial arts gym, laying on the beach, and playing videogames, while working just enough to afford food and rent. (Ah, California, ah, youth, ah, ignorance!) 

Well, as is so often the case, things didn't work out the way I intended. One thing led to another, and by "thing" I mean "pregnancy." And so I found myself living with my still rather new girlfriend and looking after her son, who was now, it seems, my stepson. And I had no idea what I was doing.

One day, I wondered to myself whether I might call upon Saint Joseph for assistance, as he had, after all, found himself in a similar position at one time. A few weeks later, I got a card in the mail. It was a Saint Joseph's Day card, from my mother, a natural psychic. Now, she'd never sent me a Saint Joseph's day card before, and I didn't really even know there were such cards. Inside, she'd written "I saw this while I was shopping for Saint Patrick's Day cards for you. I thought that, since Saint Joseph was Jesus's foster father, he could help you learn to be a step-dad."

Well, that answered that. 

I began a novena to Saint Joseph that day, and a devotion to him in which I've persisted. Step-fatherhood has expanded to include bio-fatherhood, but to my mind it's all the same

Another time, I found myself suddenly needing a place for my family to live. We had relocated across the country, and we'd managed to get my wife a job. The trouble was that the job was in Maryland, and we were staying with her family in New Jersey. And-- oh, yeah-- the job was starting nine days from now. 

I again went to Saint Joseph. In addition to prayer, I made a series of donations in his name to various churches under his patronage, while we filed one application after another for places to rent. At one point, with nothing coming in, I felt like giving up in despair. I found myself staring at Google Maps, looking at various broken down old mining towns in Pennsylvania where you can still buy a house for $50,000 cash and wishing we'd picked one of those places to live instead. I saw one town and, just for the heck of it, decided to look more closely with Google Street View. So I grabbed the little yellow guy and tossed him at random onto the map. And I found myself staring at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church of Somewheresville, PA. 

I immediately went online and set up a recurring donation to that church in particular. And the next day, we got a call saying we'd been approved to rent a house in a nice little town in central Maryland. We moved in two days later. Saint Joseph is a powerful patron. 

Further Study

Many fine books have been written on the topic of devotion to Saint Joseph. Here is one example, and here is another. Either would make a fine subject for meditation and lectio divina. 

I want to close with two prayers. One is an ancient prayer to Saint Joseph, which I have found very effective in calling upon his help; the other is his Litany. 

The Prayer to Saint Joseph

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 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 us.

 

Amen.

The Litany of Saint Joseph

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, have mercy. 

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us. 

Christ, graciously hear us. 

 

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. 

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. 

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us. 

 

Holy Mary, pray for us (after each line) 

Saint Joseph, 

Renowned offspring of David, 

Light of Patriarchs, 

Spouse of the Mother of God, 

Chaste guardian of the Virgin, 

Foster-father of the Son of God, 

Diligent protector of Christ, 

Head of the Holy Family, 

Joseph most just, 

Joseph most chaste, 

Joseph most prudent, 

Joseph most strong, 

Joseph most obedient, 

Joseph most faithful, 

Mirror of patience, 

Lover of poverty, 

Model of artisans, 

Glory of home life, 

Guardian of virgins, 

Pillar of families, 

Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, 

Patron of the dying, 

Terror of demons, 

Protector of Holy Church, 

 

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, 

Spare us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, 

Graciously hear us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, 

Have mercy on us. 

 

V. He made him the lord of His house: 

R. And ruler of all His substance. 

 

Let us pray. 
 

O God, who in Thine unspeakable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thine own most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we reverence as our defender on earth: who livest and reignest world without end.

Amen.