The last public Mass I attended was on the Solemnity of St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. I felt it was ironic that the penultimate public Mass in England before the lockdown happened when the Church celebrates the feast of her patron. Be it as it may, Fr John Martin, our parish priest encouraged us to "go joyfully glorifying the Lord by your life". The lock down meant homeschooling for Chiara and working from home for me. Nidz, the bravest of us three, is a front liner in the health service.
Previous to the lock down, I received from the post the book "Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father" by Fr Donald Calloway, MIC. I learned about it from social media. I listened to the talk of Fr Calloway and decided to order the book, after all, St Joseph is my patron. He's the saint I fondly call Tay (short for Tatay or Itay, the Tagalog word for father). The book was published at a very appropriate year - 2020 marks the 150th anniversary when Pope Pius IX declared St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 focuses on a 33-day preparation where, on each day, a short invocation on the Litany of St Joseph is explained. Part 2 showcases the wonders of this beloved saint as written by saints, mystics, popes, and other devotees. Part 3 features various prayers to St Joseph, including acts of consecration to him.
Statue of St Joseph (a gift from my former teacher and colleague, Prof Maribel G Nonato)
Initially I planned to do the 33 day devotion on 30th March (to finish on 1st May, feast of St Joseph the Worker) on my own. The lock down changed that! I talked to my wife about the devotion and asked her what if we do this as a family? She agreed with me. And so, for 33 nights, we gathered in front of an altar with a statue of St Joseph and read through the book. Chiara was our main reader. She told me how she enjoyed doing it as well as learning a lot from St Joseph. I felt the same way too! It was refreshing to revisit the Church's teachings on this great man, testimonies from people who looked up to him as their spiritual father, and the Seven Sorrows and Joys of St Joseph. I once wrote about this devotion and Fr Calloway's book serves as some sort of affirmation to my own work.
There were also some stories there that I vaguely or never knew before such as the Holy House of Loreto, the Santo Anello (holy ring), the Miraculous Staircase, St Joseph's Holy Cloak, how Pope Pius IX eventually declared St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church in 1870, and the bishop whose testimony moved Pope John XXIII to include St Joseph in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I).
The author also wrote his thoughts, backed up by good and strong references, whether St Joseph was an old man or not when he became engaged to Mary. I am glad that this was included. Personally, I am not a fan of St Joseph being depicted as an aged dad, but as a young man. We laughed when Fr Calloway quoted the saintly Mother Angelica: "Old men don't walk to Egypt".
The author also wrote his thoughts, backed up by good and strong references, whether St Joseph was an old man or not when he became engaged to Mary. I am glad that this was included. Personally, I am not a fan of St Joseph being depicted as an aged dad, but as a young man. We laughed when Fr Calloway quoted the saintly Mother Angelica: "Old men don't walk to Egypt".
When we were reflecting on St Joseph as "Patron of the Dying", it brought back memories of St Joseph de Gagalangin Parish Church (where I was baptised). Back in the day, the main altar had a huge and beautiful painting of the dying St Joseph. To his right stood Jesus holding St Joseph's forehead with His left hand (I think the Lord's right hand was raised in blessing). To St Joseph's left was Mary in tears. In the foreground were two angels and a vase with lilies. On top of the painting were two cherubs and an inscription: "Mahal na Poong San Jose, ipanalangin mo kami" (Dear lord St Joseph, pray for us). Unfortunately, the painting is now gone when the altar was renovated in 1985. The reflection reaffirmed too my belief that one of the gifts of devotion to St Joseph is a peaceful death. My late grandmother Pilar passed away peacefully. She was a devotee of St Joseph.
Learning more about St Joseph made me, or should I say made us three, love him more. And from that love comes a desire to imitate him further so we could serve Jesus whom he served faithfully and lovingly.
I am very grateful for joining in this 33-day preparation with my family. The lockdown may have shut our churches, but it made our home a domestic Church indeed. The journey with Tay Joseph continues! If you want to know more about St Joseph and how he could be your spiritual father, I strongly recommend that you buy this book.
St Joseph, our spiritual father, pray for us!
