Why consecrate yourself to St. Joseph?
Why consecrate yourself to St. Joseph?
Because Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary did!
They entrusted and surrendered themselves to the care and protection of St. Joseph as the head of the Holy Family.
Saint Joseph was the man chosen by God to be the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of the God-man Jesus.
What is consecration? Consecration means to make holy by being set apart or separated from the common and the worldly, for a Divine purpose, the exclusive service of God.
Our primary consecration is our baptism, where we renounced Satan and his works, and professed our faith in God.
Consecration to St. Joseph means to entrust oneself to the care, protection, and guidance of St. Joseph. It is living under the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph whose mission is to help us grow in holiness and to bring us closer to God.
Today, there is a great need for consecration to St. Joseph. In “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father,” Fr. Don Calloway writes, “We need the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph to help us protect marriage and the family. Marriage and the family have always been under attack, but in modern times, the threats have reached extraordinary heights… To combat and overcome Satan’s deceptions, the Church needs St. Joseph.”
Patron of the Universal Church
Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church in 1870. “Patron” comes from the Latin word “pater,” from which we get the word “Father.” By the Holy Father’s declaration, every member of the Church is called to live under the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph.
When we live with more conscious awareness of St. Joseph as our father, then we will be more open and receptive to his care, guidance, and protection. We will strive to imitate his virtues and he will help to form us into holy children of God.
Venerable Mary of Agreda identified seven wonderful spiritual benefits of devotion to St. Joseph: 1) attaining the virtue of purity, 2) procuring powerful intercession to escape sin, 3) increasing love and devotion to Mary, 4) securing the grace of a happy death, 5) fighting off demons with the mention of his name, 6) gaining health of body and assistance in difficulties, 7) securing children in families.
How to make a consecration? I will be leading a Consecration to St. Joseph starting Feb. 13, concluding with the formal Consecration to St. Joseph on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. We will be using the book of Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, “Consecration to St. Joseph.” It is a 33-day preparation with readings and prayers for each day to grow in deeper knowledge an understanding of St. Joseph and his role in our life.
Each week, I will also hold Zoom meetings to review and summarize the readings of the previous week. All are welcome to join these meetings.
Take advantage of this wonderful way to grow in holiness and to become a saint, following the examples of Jesus and Mary. “Go to Joseph!” (Gen 41:55)
To register, please contact 0920-9722140 or marianhelpers.manila@gmail.com.
