You may have heard that the Blessed Virgin Mary is our spiritual mother. That teaching comes directly from Jesus’ mouth as recorded in John 19:26-27. But what about a spiritual father?
The Holy Family is fashioned from the members of that Nazareth home in which lived Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—so of course our spiritual father is St. Joseph, the father of the Holy Family.
What we learn from Scripture is that St. Joseph was a righteous man. Because of his righteousness he did not want to publicly shame Mary when he learned that she was with child; instead, he was going to divorce her quietly. Fortunately, the angel of the Lord spoke to him in a dream and told him the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. For this reason, he is known as the protector of the Jesus and Mary.
Concerning Jesus, his protection goes further when he whisked Jesus and Mary out of Bethlehem before Herod’s henchmen came to kill the Holy Innocents—all the male children under the age of two years.
Pope Francis declared the Year of St. Joseph on Dec. 8, 2020, the 150th anniversary in which Blessed Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church. The year continues until Dec. 8, 2021.
Today, with the spiritual attacks on fatherhood, more than ever, we need the example of a righteous father. In Consecration to St. Joseph ~ The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, Donald H. Calloway, MIC states, “… in order to defend marriage and the family, elevate morals, recover lost ground, and win souls for Jesus Christ, we need to bring St. Joseph onto the battlefield.”
Let us use today, the Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, learn more about St. Joseph. The Diocese of Victoria in Texas will be participating in the Consecration to St. Joseph on May 1, the next feast day for St. Joseph. To join the diocese in the 33-day period of prayerful preparation and to purchase the book, Consecration to St. Joseph, contact the diocese at www.victoriadiocese.org/stjoseph
The Internet is loaded with resources to help us celebrate the Year of St. Joseph:
Prayer to St. Joseph after the Rosary | USCCB
How to Celebrate – Year of St. Joseph
5 Books on St. Joseph to Read for the Jubilee Year| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)
