Why St. Joseph?

In this official Year of St. Joseph, which extends through Dec. 8, the following is not an unreasonable question to ask: Why St. Joseph?

For starters, this humble carpenter became husband of the Mother of God, foster father of Jesus, provider for — and watchful defender of — the Holy Family. In doing so, he fulfilled an essential position in the plan of our salvation. This is why, after Jesus and Mary, St. Joseph is the most highly honored and influential member of the human race.

For we who strive to live the Divine Mercy message — to turn from sin, ask for God’s mercy, and share His mercy with others — St. Joseph models how doing God’s will inevitably brings about great graces that the world desperately needs.

Let’s face it: The world is in a state of disarray. We must acknowledge the need for conversion and the risk so many of our loved ones face — whether they know it or not — of an unhappy death, one that leads to eternal damnation.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: “From a sudden death and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord,” to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us “at the hour of our death” in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death. (1014)

Moreover, St. Joseph played a conspicuous role in the life of St. Faustina as well. Her devotion to St. Joseph no doubt was fostered through her choice of spiritual congregations. The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy prayed daily to St. Joseph, and St. Joseph served as the namesake for the congregation’s motherhouse in Krakow-Lagiewniki, where St. Faustina lived as a novice, professed her first and perpetual vows, served as cook, gardener, and doorkeeper, and spent the last years of her earthly life.

Still, St. Faustina could rightly claim a relationship with St. Joseph far beyond that of her fellow religious sisters. In her Diary, entry 1203, we learn four important things:

  • that St. Joseph urged her “to have a constant devotion to him”;
  • that he wanted her to recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, and the Memorare [to St. Joseph] once every day;
  • that he was supporting her work to make Christ’s mercy known to the world; and
  • that he promised her special help and protection.

So, there you have it. Let us members of Friends of Mercy complete this special Year of St. Joseph with the intention to grow in holiness and to prayerfully aid our loved ones who may have abandoned their faith. Together, let’s help to bring about conversion through St. Joseph’s intercession. Like him, may we be steadfast in our duties on behalf of the Kingdom of God. May we serve the Lord, our loved ones, and our neighbors with hearts full of love and self-sacrifice.

Do you have your copy yet?

Hundreds of thousands of people have been entrusting themselves to the paternal care of St. Joseph in this Year of St. Joseph using Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC.
More than 350,000 copies have sold in English and another 55,000 in Spanish (plus 4,400 eBooks), making it one of the best-selling books in Marian Press history. Since he published the book in January 2020, Fr. Donald has been sought after around the world for interviews and livestream talks. The demand increased exponentially after Pope Francis declared the Year of St. Joseph on Dec. 8, 2020.

Visit ShopMercy.org or call 1-800-462-7426 to order Consecration to St. Joseph. Product code: FCSJ.

Prayer to St. Joseph to Obtain a Conversion

Knowing full well that St. Joseph rushes to answer prayers, particularly those for conversion, consider praying the following prayer each day:

O glorious patriarch, St. Joseph, who merited to be called “just” by the Holy Spirit, I urgently recommend to you the soul of [state the name(s) here], whom Jesus redeemed at the price of His Precious Blood.
You know how deplorable is the state and how unhappy the life of those who have banished this loving Savior from their hearts, and how greatly they are exposed to the danger of losing Him eternally. Permit not, I beseech you, that a soul so dear to me should continue any longer in its evil ways. Preserve it from the danger that threatens it. Touch the heart of this prodigal child, and conduct them back to the bosom of the fondest of fathers.
Abandon them not, I implore you, until you have opened to him the gates of the heavenly city, where they will praise and bless you throughout eternity for the happiness which he will owe to your powerful intercession. Amen.

(Prayer attributed to the Rev. Paul J. Gorman.)

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