Dr. Quinn Knight: What does it mean to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph?
Father Calloway: What does it mean for a person to be consecrated to St. Joseph? Well, it basically means that you acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To show it, you entrust yourself entirely into his paternal care so that he can help you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means you make a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he can take care of your spiritual well-being and lead you to God. The person who consecrates himself to St. Joseph wants to be as close to their spiritual father as possible, to the point of resembling him in virtue and holiness. Saint Joseph, in turn, will give those
consecrated to him his undivided attention, protection, and guidance. If you have already consecrated yourself to the Virgin Mary, can you be consecrated to St. Joseph, as well?
The answer is a resounding “Yes!” God desires that all children be committed to
the care of a mother and a father. You are not a member of a single-parent
spiritual family. Mary is your spiritual mother, and St. Joseph is your spiritual
father. The spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph is extremely important for your
spiritual growth. Total consecration to Mary is not diminished by total
consecration to St. Joseph. Mary wants you to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph!
Jesus wants you to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Everything you have given
to Jesus and Mary can also be given to St. Joseph. The hearts of Jesus, Mary,
and St. Joseph are one.
Program Overview
Consecration to St. Joseph emulates the tried-and-true preparation method employed by St. Louis de Montfort in his Marian consecration, highlighting many of St. Joseph’s titles, privileges, and heroic virtues. The program of preparation and consecration takes 33 days. It can be undertaken on your own or in a group. How to make your consecration as an individual · Choose a consecration date It’s recommended to choose a day that coincides with a liturgical feast of St. Joseph. Your consecration date is day 33 of the program.
You'll spend about 20-30 minutes a day on a short exposition on one of the invocations in the powerful Litany of St. Joseph, followed by a reading on St. Joseph, concluding with the recitation of the Litany of St. Joseph.
If you miss a day, just make it up and continue your preparation.
On the day of your consecration, feel free to use whichever act of consecration
you like best; you can also make up your own, if you like.
Group Program
In the book, you will find instructions on how to make the preparation and consecration as a group. Group meetings should last about 90-120 minutes.
Speak with your pastor and/or your director of religious education to determine how to proceed.
Once you’ve chosen a consecration date and advertised, everything you need for the weekly group meetings is provided in the book, including discussion questions for each meeting.
When doing the preparation and consecration as a group, recite the same consecration pray.
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