MARCH: THE MONTH OF ST JOSEPH

The Church has always advised the faithful to develop a devotion to St Joseph, to pray to him, to look to him as their patron – but how many of the faithful have heeded these recommendations? The Popes through the ages have made recommendations for us in order to enrich our spiritual lives, but how many people actually listen? If, for example, a Pope speaks through an Encyclical or a Moto Proprio, does anyone follow through with the Holy Father’s advice? Does it matter if the document is from years ago?

Take, among many examples, the Moto Proprio of Pope Benedict XV “BONUM SANE” (1920). In this document, the Holy Father at the time is explicitly exhorting the bishops to encourage the faithful to pray to St Joseph – to honor him at least every Wednesday of the year (not just on March 19) that devotion to St Joseph be practiced “as much as possible”, in “every diocese.”

Now when was the last time your local Bishop encouraged you to pray to St Joseph? (I mean REALLY encouraged it?) We cannot rely on the Bishops since many have not even heard of “BONUM SANE” or other papal documents asking for devotion to St Joseph to be practiced by the faithful. So it is up to us to tell others of devotion to St Joseph and to practice this devotion. This is not to say that there aren't some diocese in which there is devotion to St Joseph, but they are very few.

True, it is easier for people to pray the prayers we have memorized: “Our Father”, “Hail Mary” and “Glory Be”, but why not get to know a short prayer to St Joseph? Something we can learn and keep in our hearts, like this simple prayer composed by Pope St Pius X:

O Joseph, virgin father of Jesus, pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us daily to the Son of God, that, armed with the weapons of His grace, we may fight as we ought in life, and be crowned by Him in death. + Amen.

... or how about this adaptation of the “Hail Mary” to St Joseph:

Hail Joseph, Son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you amongst men, and blessed is Our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us and be with us now and as we sigh our last breath.  + Amen.

More prayers to St Joseph HERE.

Very soon the Apostolate of St Joseph Prince of the Church will be releasing the booklet: “THE LITTLE OFFICE OF ST JOSEPH”, which is a perfect way to honor the Patron of the Universal Church - by praying the hours of St Joseph. It is hoped that many people will benefit from using this booklet and that they will help spread this simple devotion to St Joseph.

I wish everyone a Blessed Month of St Joseph and a Holy Season of Lent. Benedicamus Domino! Ite ad Ioseph!

Pope Benedict XV, Bonum Sane:  We, full of confidence in the patronage of the one to whose provident supervision God was pleased to entrust the custody of His only-begotten Incarnate Son, and the Virgin Mother of God, we earnestly exhort all the Bishops of the Catholic world that, in times so turbulent for Christianity, to induce the faithful to pray with greater commitment for the valuable help of St. Joseph. And since there are several ways approved by the Apostolic See with whom you can venerate the Holy Patriarch, especially every Wednesday throughout the year and month consecrated to him, We want, for every Bishop to heed these requests - that all these devotions, as much as possible, are practiced in every diocese.