Last December 8th, Pope Francis declared the year in honor of St Joseph in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s dedication of the universal Church to the patronage of St Joseph. Pope Francis draws our attention to the person of St Joseph often a forgotten figure. He invites us to the school of St Joseph and lays out the syllabus for developing the spirituality of St Joseph.
“Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble,” wrote Pope Francis in the apostolic letter, Patris Corde. “St Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”
As a member of the Catholic Men’s Association (CMA), I found it incumbent to drill further into the Pope’s invitation and to propose a guide for the year. Pope Francis suggests seven themes along which to celebrate the life of St Joseph and I have added five more to make twelve – one for each month. For fifty weeks of the year, I have come up with a weekly meditation to provide “a lamp to our feet and a guide to our path” (Psalm 119:105) (You can preorder your copy)
While these meditations are weekly and could be used on any day of the week, they are especially relevant on Wednesdays of every week for as Pope Francis himself writes: “Special prayers are offered to him each Wednesday and especially during the month of March, which is traditionally dedicated to him.”
One of the recommended activities for the Year of St Joseph is for Catholics to consecrate themselves to St Joseph. Fr Donald Calloway, MIC, an American priest has published one of the best and authoritative books on all things St Joseph. It is entitled “Consecration to St Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.”
“Now is the time to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph!” This consecration follows the popular 33 days preparation for consecration to Mary and is patterned to coincide with major events in St Joseph’s life. Fr Calloway’s proposed schedule is as follows:
Consecration Chart
| START OF THE | FEAST DAY | CONSECRATION | |
| 33 DAYS | DAY | ||
| December 22 | Feast of the Holy Spouses | January 23 | |
| January 1 | Presentation of the Lord | February 2 | |
| February 15* | Solemnity of St. Joseph | March 19 | |
| March 30 | St. Joseph the Worker | May 1 | |
| April 11 | Our Lady of Fatima | May 13 | |
| July 16 | Our Lady of Knock | August 17 | |
| September 30 | All Saints | November 1 | |
| November 8 | Our Lady of Loreto | December 10 | |
| November** | Holy Family | December |
Filed under: Religion | Tagged: Catholic Men's Association, Fr Donald Calloway, Patris Corde, Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis, Pope Pius IX, St. Joseph |
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