Holy St. Joseph pray for us.

In the Tradition of the Holy Mother Church, Wednesdays were often days that included prayer Devotions directed towards Saint Joseph, in addition to a special feast day celebrating him on  March 19. How fitting it would be for us to start to devote some of our prayers to this wonderfully holy man. Not only is he recognized as the earthly father of Jesus, and the chaste husband of the Blessed Mother, he is described as being “a just man” in Matthew’s gospel. He is also recognized as one of the saints whose intercession we should seek  when praying for those who are dying, that they may have the grace of a happy death. Saint Thomas Aquinas once noted that St. Joseph is unique among patron saints in that he is able to assist us at anytime for anything.

During these days when the role of the father has often been reduced to ‘baby daddy’ we should remember to offer prayers for the intersession of St. Joseph for our families and for the fathers in our families, but especially for those families where children are being raised without fathers. A stable family unite is paramount to a stable society. And whether we want to admit it or not, fathers play a vital role in the familial structure. For even as God was the Father of Christ Jesus, He sent Joseph to be His father on earth, so that Jesus’ family would be complete. Jesus did not need an earthly father, but God in His eternal wisdom knew that we need fathers, and sent St. Joseph as an example to us, to fulfill this vital role in human history. Dear Saint Joseph, patron of families. Please watch over our families; our fathers; our children without fathers; as closely as you watched over your  adopted son Jesus, and help us, so that we too may be close with you and Jesus in heaven. Amen.