Consecration To Saint Joseph
Ite ad Ioseph – Go to Joseph!” (Gen 41:55).
Ite ad Ioseph – Go to Joseph!” (Gen 41:55). These words from the Old Testament foreshadow the important role of Saint Joseph in God’s plan of salvation. St. Joseph was the man chosen by God to be the earthly father of Jesus and the loving guardian of the Virgin Mary. Though Scripture records not a single spoken word from Joseph, his life spoke volumes through faith and action.
He is called a “just man” in the Gospel (Matt 1:19), meaning he lived in complete obedience to God’s will. Consider Joseph’s trust and courage: he accepted the angel’s message to take Mary as his wife despite the mysterious pregnancy, protected Mary and the Child Jesus by fleeing to Egypt in the night and faithfully provided for the Holy Family at Nazareth. In every situation, Joseph proved himself a dependable father and protector, placing his family’s safety and God’s plan above his own comfort. For us today, St. Joseph shines as a model of holiness in ordinary life. He was a humble worker – a carpenter – who sanctified his daily labor and family duties. He shows that fathers and mothers, workers and hidden souls, can become great saints through simple, steadfast fidelity. Joseph’s virtues are the everyday virtues we all need: faith, humility, obedience, courage in trials, chastity of heart, tender love for Jesus and Mary. He is lovingly called the “Silent Saint”, but his example thunders in the silence: a life of trust in God, purity of heart, and selfless service is immensely pleasing to the Lord.
In Catholic tradition, St. Joseph has come to be honored as the spiritual father of all Christians and the patron and protector of the whole Church. Just as God entrusted the child Jesus to Joseph’s care, so He has entrusted each of us to Joseph’s fatherly intercession. Pope Leo XIII wrote, “Joseph was the guardian, the administrator, and the legal defender of the divine house… it is thus fitting and most worthy of Joseph that, as he once kept unceasing holy watch over the family of Nazareth, so now does he protect and defend with his heavenly patronage the Church of Christ” (Quamquam Pluries, 1889). We are encouraged to “go to Joseph” in our needs, confident that he who protected Jesus will help protect and provide for us in our spiritual life. Over the centuries, many saints have loved and extolled St. Joseph. St. Teresa of Ávila in the 16th century was a great promoter of devotion to Joseph, attributing countless answered prayers to his intercession. In our times, St. John Paul II echoed the sentiment of the whole Church when he said: “Saint Joseph has become the man in whom the whole Church trusts”, adding that this trust “regards the entire life of the Church and all that pertains to her earthly mission.” In other words, now is truly “the time of St. Joseph.” We are witnessing an unprecedented surge of love for Joseph in the Church today. This is no coincidence: when the times are troubled – when family life is under attack, when the world is in need of real fatherly virtue – God directs us to Joseph. He is invoked as the Terror of Demons, a mighty defender against evil. He is Patron of Fathers, Families, and Workers, showing us how to place God above all things, “strive for purity of heart,” maintain a strong interior prayer life, and have “boundless confidence” in God’s truth. Joseph’s example can fortify our families and renew the Church, making us, as Jesus called, a light to the world.
To anyone who feels small or hidden, St. Joseph says: God sees your faithfulness. To fathers, he says: lead your family to God by example, as I did. To all of us, he says: trust God with what is most precious to you, as I trusted Him with Jesus and Mary. How blessed are we to have such a powerful spiritual father!
St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father and Protector
Devotion to St. Joseph has naturally blossomed into the practice of total consecration to St. Joseph – a formal act of entrusting oneself entirely to this great saint’s care, in order to grow closer to Jesus. Inspired by the longstanding Marian consecration, modern spiritual leaders have developed a similar 33-day consecration journey for St. Joseph. One popular program, created by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, guides participants through 33 days of daily readings and reflections on St. Joseph’s titles and virtues. Over this preparation, you come to know Joseph better – his role in Scripture, his attributes like patience, courage, chastity, obedience, and his illustrious titles (Patron of the Universal Church, Pillar of Families, Mirror of Patience, etc.). By learning about him, you also come to love him and trust him as your spiritual father. Many people choose to make this consecration together in a group (for example, in a parish or family setting), meeting weekly to share insights and pray, and then consecrate themselves on a special day (often March 19, St. Joseph’s solemnity, or May 1, St. Joseph the Worker). Whether done in community or privately, it is a grace-filled journey.
A Path of Trust, Purity, and Mission: Total Consecration to St. Joseph
But what does it actually mean to be “consecrated to St. Joseph”? It means you acknowledge St. Joseph as your spiritual father, and you want to imitate his virtues and depend on his guidance. You formally entrust yourself – all that you are and have – to Joseph’s paternal care, just as a child entrusts himself to a loving father. In doing so, you are not diverting devotion from Jesus; on the contrary, you are asking St. Joseph to bring you closer to Jesus, as he brought Jesus up in his home. You pledge to honor St. Joseph and seek to follow his example of holiness: his trust in God’s providence, his purity of heart, respect for Mary’s virginity, and his dedication to the mission God gave him. For Joseph, that mission was guarding the Redeemer and the Virgin Mother; for us, it might be our duty to our family, our work, or our service in the Church. Consecration to St. Joseph is a path of trust, purity, and mission. We learn trusting abandonment to God’s will, as Joseph showed in every trial. We cultivate purity in our relationships and intentions, honoring the dignity of others and living chastely according to our state of life, and we take up our mission in the Church with new zeal – be it the mission of family life, evangelization, or works of mercy – all under St. Joseph’s patronage.
Those who have made this consecration often testify to a newfound sense of peace and strength in their spiritual lives. By entrusting ourselves to Joseph, we invite him to teach us and guide us. And what a teacher he is! – the man who taught Jesus Himself how to pray, work, and sacrifice. Our Lord, in His youth, obeyed St. Joseph and received his loving care; in a similar way, when we consecrate ourselves to Joseph, we become spiritual children in his household, open to his fatherly instruction.
St. Joseph, in turn, delights to bring us closer to Jesus and Mary. As one writer observed, “loving Joseph invariably brings one to love Mary more…and to love Jesus more”. All the devotions of our faith harmonize beautifully. You can be totally consecrated to Mary and to Joseph – loving one does not diminish the other, it multiplies love for both, and ultimately for Christ who is the source of all holiness. In fact, consecration to Joseph is a perfect complement to Marian consecration: Joseph will help you live your Marian devotion in your duties of work and family, and Mary will rejoice that you honor her beloved spouse.
Together, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – the Holy Family – will take you under their wing and form you into a faithful disciple. If you feel drawn to this devotion, know that St. Joseph is waiting with open arms to embrace you as his child. Perhaps God is calling you, like so many in the Church today, to “bring St. Joseph onto the battlefield” of our spiritual lives – to defend your family, strengthen your virtues, and deepen your faith under his protection.
Consider embarking on the 33-day journey of consecration to St. Joseph. Through daily prayer and reflection, you will walk with Joseph and invite him into your home and heart. On the day of consecration, you will make a simple but profound act: speaking words of entrustment that declare St. Joseph as your father and guide, and asking him to take special care of your soul. Imagine Jesus Himself saying to you what He said from the Cross about Mary: “Behold, your mother!” (John 19:27) – but in Joseph’s case, perhaps in heaven Jesus says to us, “Behold, your father!” He shares His own dad with us! This is the beauty of our faith: we gain a family in the communion of saints.
Through consecration to St. Joseph, may you come to experience in a tangible way the fatherly love of Joseph. He will teach you how to listen to God in silence, how to act with courage and faith, and how to love Jesus and Mary with all your heart. Under his patronage, may you fulfill your own mission of holiness. St. Joseph, Pillar of Families and Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us!
