Wednesday, February 15, 2023
TOTAL CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH-Singles Awareness
Genesis, Chapter 20, Verse 8
Early the next morning Abimelech
called all his servants and informed them of everything that had happened, and
the men were filled with FEAR.
“I, the LORD, your God, am a
jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the
children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but
bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who
love me and keep my commandments.”(Exodus, 20:5-6)
I
would like to share something of why Sarah was one of the most beautiful women
of all times.
The apparent
implication is that Sarah was beautiful inside and out—and what’s more, that
the inside and outside were interdependent. Her face was a transparent canvas
from which emanated her inner radiance. Chassidic philosophy demonstrates three
ways in which the body and soul can interact:
·
The
soul can try and mitigate the urges of the body. Things that look good, taste
good and feel good are stimulating and addictive. Most of us live life with our
body in the driver’s seat. The soul just can’t compete. And so, the soul tries
to negotiate reasonably, and encourages moderation.
·
Or
the soul can choose to reject the body and abhor anything associated with
materialism. The soul-driven person would then rebel against society’s shallow
and false veneers. Simplicity and ascetism become the ultimate goals of the soul.
·
The
third scenario is not a compromise between the first two. It is an entirely new
approach, where the body and soul learn to work together. The soul neither
leans towards the body nor rejects it. It does not react; it pro-acts. In a
proactive position, the soul directs and channels the body’s inclination in a
constructive way.
·
In
this last approach, instead of repressing the body’s needs, the soul views them
as an opportunity to serve God in a whole new
way. [1]
Now is the time to plan to attain a religious retreat or conference before Easter. This book was conceived after attending a Marian conference.[2]
Total Consecration to St. Joseph-Day 1[3]
I did not understand St. Joseph
well enough, but that will change.
— St. John of the Cross
In
the 16th century, St.
John of the Cross humbly acknowledged that
he lacked a proper understanding of the greatness of St. Joseph. Inspired by
the tremendous love that his friend, St. Teresa of Avila, had for St. Joseph,
St. John of the Cross made a firm resolution to get to know and love St. Joseph
better.
What about you? Do you know St.
Joseph? Do you feel you understand his greatness
and love for you?
Saint José Manyanet, a priest in 19th-century Spain, fervently
promoted devotion to St. Joseph and the Holy Family. He prophesied that a “time
of St. Joseph” would soon arrive in the life of the Church. He wrote:
I believe that the true time of Saint Joseph has not arrived yet: after two thousand years we started only now to glimpse something of the mystery in which he is immersed.
Well, my friends, I firmly believe that in our day the Lord
wants to direct our hearts, families, parishes, dioceses, and Church to St.
Joseph in a major way. In 1961, St. Pope John XXIII made a profound statement
about St. Joseph. He wrote:
In the Holy Church’s worship, right from the beginning, Jesus, the Word of God made man, has enjoyed the adoration that belongs to him, incommunicable as the splendor of the substance of his Father, a splendor reflected in the glory of his saints. From the earliest times, Mary, his mother, was close behind him, in the pictures in the catacombs and the basilicas, where she was devoutly venerated as “Holy Mother of God.” But Joseph, except for some slight sprinkling of references to him here and there in the writings of the Fathers [of the Church], for long centuries remained in the background, in his characteristic concealment, almost as a decorative figure in the overall picture of the Savior’s life. It took time for devotion to him to go beyond those passing glances and take root in the hearts of the faithful, and then surge forth in the form of special prayers and of a profound sense of trusting abandonment. The fervent joy of pouring forth these deepest feelings of the heart in so many impressive ways has been saved for modern times!
What
the Vicar of Christ clearly stated is that now is the time
of St. Joseph. We are living in modern times, the time in which the Church is
witnessing an unprecedented era of devotion to St. Joseph. According to St.
Pope John XXIII, God desires devotion to St. Joseph to surge forth in our day
in the form of special prayers of “trusting abandonment.” This means one thing
in particular:
It’s time for total consecration
to St. Joseph!
Here is a list a list of remarkable events
that have taken place over the past 150 years that show St. Joseph’s increasing
importance in the life of the Church. They clearly indicate that we are living
in an unprecedented time of St. Joseph.
·
1868 — Blessed
Jean-Joseph Lataste, OP, writes a letter to Blessed Pope Pius IX asking him to
declare St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.”
·
1870 — Blessed Pope
Pius IX declares St. Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church.”
·
1871 — Founding of the
Josephites by Cardinal Herbert A. Vaughan
·
1873 — Founding of the
Congregation of St. Joseph by St. Leonardo Murialdo
·
1878 — Founding of the
Oblates of St. Joseph by St. Joseph Marello
·
1879 — Apparitions at
Knock, Ireland. Saint Joseph appears with the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the
Apostle, and Jesus (appearing as the Lamb of God).
·
1889 — Pope Leo XIII
writes Quamquam Pluries, an encyclical letter on St. Joseph.
·
1895 — Blessed Petra
of St. Joseph begins construction on a shrine to St. Joseph in Barcelona,
Spain. It is consecrated in 1901. At her beatification in 1994, St. John Paul
II calls Blessed Petra the “apostle of St. Joseph of the 19th century.”
·
1904 — Saint André
Bessette constructs an oratory dedicated to St. Joseph in Montreal, Canada. It
expands, is declared a minor basilica, and finally is completed in 1967. Today,
it is known as St. Joseph’s Oratory and is considered by many to be the
preeminent international center of devotion to St. Joseph.
·
1908 — Saint Luigi
Guanella begins constructing a church dedicated to St. Joseph in Rome. It is
completed and consecrated as a basilica in 1912.
·
1909 — Saint Pope Pius
X officially approves the Litany of St. Joseph.
·
1914 — Saint Luigi
Guanella founds the Pious Union of St. Joseph for the Salvation of the Dying.
·
1917 — Apparitions at
Fatima, Portugal. During the last apparition on October 13, St. Joseph appears
holding the Child Jesus and blessing the world.
·
1921 — Pope Benedict
XV inserts the phrase “Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse” into the
Divine Praises.
·
1947 — Spanish
Discalced Carmelites found Estudios Josefinos, the first
theological journal devoted to St. Joseph.
·
1950s — The alleged
apparitions of Our Lady of America given to Sr. Mary Ephrem emphasize a renewed
devotion to St. Joseph, and St. Joseph himself speaks to the visionary about
this devotion.
·
1955 — Venerable Pope
Pius XII establishes the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to be celebrated on
May 1.
·
1962 — Saint Pope John
XXIII inserts St. Joseph’s name into the Canon of the Mass (Eucharistic Prayer
I).
·
1989 — Saint Pope John
Paul II writes Redemptoris Custos, an apostolic exhortation on
St. Joseph.
Whoa! Did you know all that?
Most people are unaware of these remarkable events. Without exaggeration, the
Church has done more to promote St. Joseph in the last 150 years than in the
previous 1,800 years of Christianity! But why now? Why St. Joseph?
There are many reasons, but I believe there are two that are especially
important.
First, 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. Many
people no longer know what it means to be a man or a woman, let alone what constitutes
a marriage and a family. Many countries even claim to have redefined marriage
and the family. There is great confusion on these matters, greater confusion
than in any previous era of human history. The Servant of God Sr. Lucia dos
Santos, the longest-lived visionary of the Fatima apparitions, knew the
seriousness of the times and made a powerful statement about this issue. She
wrote:
The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.
To combat and overcome Satan’s deceptions, the Church needs
St. Joseph. His example and protection are the only way out of the confusing
mess we are in. Who else can we turn to who can help us understand what
marriage and the family are all about if not to the Head of the Holy Family and
our spiritual father?
Second, the entire world needs to be re-evangelized, including the vast
majority of baptized Christians. Saint Joseph was the first missionary. Today,
he desires again to bring Jesus to the nations. Many nations and cultures that
were previously Christian have fallen away from their Christian roots and are
on a path of self-destruction. Countries once established on Judeo-Christian
principles have become overrun by ideologies and organizations that seek to
strip society of all that is sacred. Without a major turnaround, civilization
itself is going to self-destruct.
In an apostolic exhortation on St. Joseph in 1989, St. John Paul II reminded us
of the necessity of invoking St. Joseph in the work of re-evangelizing the
world. He wrote:
This patronage [of St. Joseph] must be invoked as ever
necessary for the Church, not only as a defense against all dangers, but also,
and indeed primarily, as an impetus for her renewed commitment to evangelization
in the world and to re-evangelization in those lands and nations where religion
and the Christian life were formerly flourishing and are now put to a hard
test.
Now is the time to
consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! God
is telling his Church that, in order to defend marriage and the family, elevate
morals, recover lost ground, and win souls for Jesus Christ, we need to bring
St. Joseph onto the battlefield. He is the Terror of Demons! With his powerful
spiritual fatherhood, incredible love for his spiritual children, and constant
intercession, the Church can be renewed as a light to the nations!
What exactly is consecration to St. Joseph? In other words, what does it mean
for a person to be consecrated to St. Joseph? Well, it basically means that you
acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To
show it, you entrust yourself entirely to his paternal care so that he can help
you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means
you make a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he
can take care of your spiritual well-being and lead you to God. The person who
consecrates himself to St. Joseph wants to be as close to their spiritual
father as possible, to the point of resembling him in virtue and holiness.
Saint Joseph, in turn, will give those consecrated to him his loving attention,
protection, and guidance.
Perhaps someone reading this has already consecrated themselves entirely to the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and is wondering if they can consecrate themselves to St.
Joseph and entrust everything to him, as well. The answer is a resounding “Yes!”
God desires that all children be committed to the love and care of a mother and
a father. You are not a member of a single-parent spiritual family. Mary is
your spiritual mother, and St. Joseph is your spiritual father. The spiritual
fatherhood of St. Joseph is extremely important for your spiritual growth.
Total consecration to Mary is not diminished by total consecration to St.
Joseph. Mary wants you to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Jesus wants you to
consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Everything you have given to Jesus and Mary
can also be given to St. Joseph. The hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are one.
So, is there a book that offers a method of consecration to St. Joseph? Yes,
there is! It’s called Consecration
to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father and it follows
a method similar to the tried-and-true 33-day preparation method employed by
St. Louis de Montfort in his Marian consecration. The 33-day program can be
done by individuals, parishes, and entire diocese. Through this program, I hope
to spark the first worldwide movement of consecration to St. Joseph!
Consecration to St. Joseph has endorsements from Cardinal Raymond
Burke, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Jim Caviezel, Scott Hahn, and many others.
Get your copy of Consecration to St. Joseph and be part of
the movement! Go to www.consecrationtostjoseph.org to find out more!
Veni Sancte Spiritus[4]
Holy Spirit, God of light, fill us with your radiance bright; Gentle father of the poor, make us, by your help, secure; Come, your boundless grace impart, bring your love to every heart.
Lord of consolation, come, warm us when our hearts are numb; Great consoler, come and heal, to our souls your strength reveal; Cool, refreshing comfort pour, and our peace of mind restore.
Light immortal, fire divine, with your love our hearts refine; Come, our inmost being fill, make us all to do your will; Goodness you alone can give, grant that in your grace we live.
Come, our lukewarm hearts inspire, mold our wills to your desire; In our weakness make us strong, and amend our every wrong; Guide us when we go astray, wash our stain of guilt away.
Give to every faithful soul, gifts of grace to make us whole; Help us when we come to die, so that we may live on high; Ever let your love descend, give us joys that never end.
Litany of St. Joseph |
|
Lord, have mercy on us |
Christ, have mercy on
us. |
Lord, have mercy on us. |
|
Jesus, hear us, |
Jesus, 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. |
St. Joseph, |
pray for us. |
Renowned offspring of
David, |
pray for us. |
Light of Patriarchs, |
pray for us. |
Spouse of the Mother of
God, |
pray for us. |
Chaste guardian of the
Virgin, |
pray for us. |
Foster father of the
Son of God, |
pray for us. |
Diligent protector of
Christ, |
pray for us. |
Head of the Holy
Family, |
pray for us. |
Joseph most just, |
pray for us. |
Joseph most chaste, |
pray for us. |
Joseph most prudent, |
pray for us. |
Joseph most strong, |
pray for us. |
Joseph most obedient, |
pray for us. |
Joseph most faithful, |
pray for us. |
Mirror of patience, |
pray for us. |
Lover of poverty, |
pray for us. |
Model of artisans, |
pray for us. |
Glory of home life, |
pray for us. |
Guardian of virgins, |
pray for us. |
Pillar of families, |
pray for us. |
Solace of the wretched, |
pray for us. |
Hope of the sick, |
pray for us. |
Patron of the dying, |
pray for us. |
Terror of demons, |
pray for us. |
Protector of Holy
Church, |
pray for us. |
Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world, |
spare us, O Jesus. |
Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world, |
graciously hear us, O
Jesus. |
Lamb of God, who takes
away the sins of the world, |
have mercy on us, O
Jesus. |
He made him the lord of
his household |
And prince over all his
possessions. |
O
God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to
be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be
worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as
our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Single? So Sad, too bad[5]. Singles Awareness Day
After a Christmas spent
with elderly family members asking when they’re finally going to get married,
or at least find a boyfriend or girlfriend to bring home, life does not get any
easier for singles after Christmas, either. No sooner have the Santa Claus and
snowman decorations vanished from the shops than the shelves begin to burst
with cuddly teddy bears, heart-shaped balloons and boxes of cheap chocolates, all
in shades of nauseating neon pinks and reds. Yes, Valentine’s Day has become
one of the world’s most profitable occasions, yet another marketing scheme that
has hit pay dirt more than the original creators of the idea could have ever
dreamed. If you’re not in a relationship Valentine’s Day is bad enough, what
with all the additional pressure to be ‘romantic’, if such rampant and blatant
consumerism and commercialism can be considered romantic at all. The
restaurants are all overpacked with couples trying too hard to impress each
other, and it seems every flower in the whole city has been bought out, just so
someone can say it’s pretty once and then thrown away. Hallmark holidays are
called that for a reason. For singles, on the other hand, Valentine’s Day can
be a simple and cruel reminder that they are alone. No pink stuffed animals for
them, and no tacky heart-shaped boxes of poor-quality chocolate, either though
one does tend to wonder whether that really makes them worse off in the first
place. Singles Awareness Day used to
be an alternate name used for Valentine’s Day among those who found themselves
unattached during the day, but it all became too depressing. So, by
single’s hive-mind consensus, it fell to the day after as a perfect antidote to
all of the neon nonsense.
How to Celebrate Singles
Awareness/Appreciation Day
·
It’s
a humorous holiday to celebrate being single, to share with single friends, to
send each other presents or even order yourself some flowers. On this day many
people wear green, as it is the complementary opposite of red.
·
Another
popular option is an absence of color (black), to symbolize an absence of
celebration.
·
One
increasingly popular activity is to travel to Brazil and witness the
Brazilian Carnival. The trip, coupled with the fact that Brazil doesn’t
celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14, but in June, provides a temporary
getaway from the neon pink of the Valentine’s holiday in the Western culture,
by simply substituting it with another celebration.
·
Some
who celebrate Singles Awareness Day just want to remind romantic couples that
they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life, and that the key to
being happy is being able to be happy with yourself.
·
Contrary
to popular misconceptions, Singles Awareness Day is not about self-pity but
rather a chance to announce to the world that you are single and happy to be
so. Originally, most singles referred to February 14 as Single’s Awareness Day
(acronym: SAD) until it they realized that that was just depressing. Choosing
the next day allowed single people a chance to turn this into a celebration
rather than a festival of self-pity. There is no reason to be miserable that
you are independent and unattached; on the contrary, there are many more people
in relationships than you might think who rather wish they were in your shoes,
with nobody to answer to but themselves. This is the day that all of the
single people can proudly stand up and show that it is okay to be single. Take
that, cupid!
While cleaning out my files the other day I came across this note. I don’t know the source but thought I would share it.
A Note
From Heaven
Dear Beloved, One,
I see your loneliness and fears, your guilt and frustrations. I see your endless search for love and fulfillment. All this must be, in order for you to come the end of your own understanding—then you can hear My voice. Listen carefully amid the noise of the world and you will hear…I love you, I shed My blood for you to make you clean. Give yourself completely to Me. I created you to be just as you are, and you are lovely in My eyes. Do not criticize yourself or become depressed for not being perfect in your own eyes. This leads only to frustrations. I want you to trust Me one step, one second at a time. Dwell in My power and My love and be free, be yourself. Don’t allow other people to control you. I will guide you, if you let Me, but be aware of My presence in everything. I will give you patience, love, joy, and peace. Look to Me for answers for I am your shepherd and will lead you. Follow Me only!! Do not ever forget this. Listen and I will tell you My will.
Let My love flow from you and spill over to all you touch. Be not concerned with yourself—you are My responsibility. I will change you without your ever knowing it. You are to love yourself and love others, simply because I love you. Take your eyes off yourself, look only to Me, I lead, I change, I create, but not when you are striving. You are mine…let Me have the joy of making you like Christ.
Your only command is to look to Me and Me, only—never to yourself and never to others. Do not struggle but relax in My love. I know what is best and will do it in you. Stop trying to become and let me make you what I want.
My will is perfect;
My love is sufficient. I will
Supply all your needs…
Only look to Me.
I love you,
Your
Heavenly Father
Every Wednesday is Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
·
Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph
Attend a Horse Show
February 15-25
Visit the 64th annual Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale, Arizona to watch
over 2,400 horses compete for a chance at winning the coveted gold title. In
between the competitions, there are plenty of kids’ activities like an ice
cream social, pony painting (ceramic ponies, not real ones), and art contests.
And the best part, kids 17 and under are free.
Daily
Devotions/Activities
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The Families of St. Joseph
Porters
·
Total Consecration
to St. Joseph Day 1
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Plan
winter fun:
o
Soak in hot
springs
o
Hit the snow slopes
o
Ride a
snowmobile
o
Go for a
dog sled ride
o Ride a hot air
balloon
·
Rosary.
[3]https://catholicexchange.com/now-is-the-time-to-consecrate-yourself-to-saint-joseph
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veni_Sancte_Spiritus
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