Although the 7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph devotion can be done anytime, one of the more traditional times to start is seven Sundays before the March 19 Feast of St. Joseph, and that is today!
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Here's what we're watching, but just because it's here, doesn't always mean it was good!
Prayer for the beatification and canonization of John Paul II God our Father, you reward all who believe in you. May your servant, John Paul our Pope, vicar of Peter and Shepherd of your Church, who faithfully administered the mysteries of your forgiveness and love on earth, rejoice with you for ever in heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen! |
 St. Joseph, My Real Estate Agent The intercession of St. Joseph is sought in all sorts of family matters, including the sale of a home. It is now a popular belief that burying a St. Joseph statue on your property can help you in the sale of your house. As webmaster of the Virtual St. Joseph Altar, I get many questions about burying St. Joseph. It was my hope that St. Joseph, My Real Estate Agent would shed a bit more light on this increasingly popular practice. Author Stephen J. Binz presents a light and sometimes personal look at the life of St. Joseph. Although not much is actually known or written about St. Joseph, Binz, a Catholic biblical scholar, brings the reader to the town of Nazareth where he explores the details of the daily life of the foster-father of Jesus. St. Joseph becomes your friend as his life as a carpenter, husband, and father unfolds. The author shares with the reader his own personal journey towards true devotion to St. Joseph. Only a small portion of the book delves into the actual practice of burying a statue of St. Joseph. Binz rightly encourages the reader to get to know St. Joseph and cultivate a friendship with him. This is not a superstitious ritual and it must be approached with faith and sincerity. In fact, you don’t even need to bury the statue. At the back of the book there is a section of prayers which includes: a prayer service for the burial of a St. Joseph statue; blessing a home; a spouse’s prayer; a parent’s prayer; and a prayer for daily work. Binz confirms that the statue burying ritual has no endorsement by the Church and no one knows how or where it began, but I have my own theory. The tradition may have began hundreds of years ago during the time when St.Teresa of Avila was opening Carmelite Convents throughout Europe. Taking only the bare necessities and their statue of St. Joseph, her nuns would set out in search of land or buildings suitable for a new convent. St. Teresa of Avila always encouraged her nuns to pray to St. Joseph. It is believed that, on one particular search, the nuns found a piece of property perfect for their needs. Having no money, the nuns immediately started to petition St. Joseph for the funds needed to buy the property. In the meantime, having no place to stay, the nuns decided to bury their statue of St. Joseph on the property so he would not get stolen or broken. After the nuns prayed to St. Joseph, someone purchased the land and built them a convent. When it was finished, the sisters dug up the statue and built a beautiful shrine inside in honor of St. Joseph. St. Joseph’s popularity is on the rise and not just because of his so-called home selling skills. Binz states: . . . Our society has been described as father-hungry. We have too many absent fathers, deadbeat dads, daughters without fathers to encourage them, and sons without dads to look up to. . . . For the father-hungry people of the world, for the million deprived of a healthy, fulfilling relationship with a father, Joseph is an ideal foster father. When we need the attention that only a father can give, the man that Jesus called Dad is ready to listen. St. Joseph is a saint for today. Seek his intercession and you will be pleasantly surprised. When asking for the intercession of St Joseph to sell your home, the emphasis should properly be placed on our belief in the communion of the Saints and our desire to do all things according to the will of God.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on St. Joseph, My Real Estate Agent.  Happy Saint Joseph the Worker Feast Day. St. Joseph rates two special days in the Church year: The Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary — March 19, Solemnity, and The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker — May 1, Memorial. Pope Pius XII instituted today’s Feast in 1955. Daily Prayer to Saint Joseph, the Worker Glorious Saint Joseph, Check the left side bar for a link to some photos of our family’s 2009 St. Joseph Altar. This year we used our upright piano for the base of the altar. The bench is actually the lowest tier. This was a nice size , and not too overwhelming of a space to fill. Isabel made the cross cake and Crown of Thorns. Ida made her traditional giant fish cookie. Maxine helped me with choosing the flowers. Everyone had a hand in setting up and arranging, and Audrey and Crozet lit lots of candles. We had a delicious feast day meal of crawfish etoufee followed by those lovely desserts. Although I hate to do it, I will be taking the Altar down today. Viva San Giuseppe! A happy and blessed feast day to all! Viva San Giuseppe!
Pope Benedict reflects on St. Joseph
 Tomorrow, March 19, is the Feast of St. Joseph. I have a special devotion to St. Joseph and ten years ago I began the Virtual St. Joseph Altar. I invite you all to visit the Altar and make a virtual offering. You can also add the names of deceased loved ones to the prayer list. Other prayer intentions can be posted on the message board. Other pages of the site include the history of St. Joseph Altars, prayers, photos, recipes, and more. Head over to the Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog for news, events, and updates on St. Joseph Altars. Enter the ebook giveaway – last one for this year! Winner will be announced tomorrow. New this year on the coloring page is the cut & color mini St. Joseph Altar. A great way to teach children about the St. Joseph Altar tradition. Virtual offerings and prayer listings will only be accepted until 10 pm tomorrow evening. The rest of the site remains open year long. Viva San Giuseppe! Head over to my Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog to enter the latestViva San Giuseppe: A Guide For St. Joseph Altars e-book giveaway. With over 40 pages of recipes, stories of faith, Altar background, and history, this little out of print booklet is a handy reference for anyone setting up a St. Joseph Altar. The ebook is also my gift to those who make donations of $25 or more to the Virtual St. Joseph Altar. My Virtual St. Joseph Altar is featured in this week’s St. Louis Review:
 Visit the Virtual St. Joseph Altar for a novena to St. Joseph. If you begin today, March 11, you will end your novena on the March 19th Feast of St. Joseph. I will also post the novena daily at the Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog. Viva San Giuseppe! Make your own mini 3d Virtual St. Joseph’s Altar. Complete instructions included on the pdf download. This is an idea I have had for almost two years. Many thanks to Isabel and Maxine for helping me get it done, and just in time for the 2009 Feast of St. Joseph! Send me a photo of your 3d Altar and I will post it on the Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog.  The 2009 Virtual St. Joseph Altar is now open! Visit the Altar to make your virtual offering, add deceased loved ones to the prayer list, or for special prayer requests visit the message board. Be sure to visit the Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog. Because of your continued prayers & support, the Altar gets bigger and better each year! Thank you for helping to spread devotion to St. Joseph & Viva San Guiseppe! The March 19 Feast of St. Joseph is just over one month away. Why talk about a feast day so far in advance? Well, if you are going to set up a St. Joseph Altar, you’ll need to do some planning, and some research. The penitential nature of Lent makes finding inspirational family activities somewhat difficult. Forty days is a very long time to the smaller members of the household. One bright spot in our Lenten journey is the March 19 Feast of St. Joseph. In the tradition of the Sicilian St. Joseph Altars of New Orleans, we prepare our own small Altar on our dining room table in honor of St. Joseph for his feast day each year. The Altar is a medium of petition and thanksgiving.  In 1999, I started the Virtual St. Joseph Altar to make this wonderful Sicilian/New Orleans tradition available to everyone. The goal of the Virtual Altar is not to replace the traditional Altars, but to encourage them. To learn more about the St. Joseph Altar tradition visit The Virtual St. Joseph Altar. You’ll find history, prayers, photos, recipes, coloring pages, and more! At the Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog, I’m holding an e-book giveaway. With over 40 pages of recipes, stories of faith, Altar background, and history, Viva San Giuseppe: A Guide For St. Joseph Altars is a handy reference for anyone setting up a St. Joseph Altar. Winner will be announced on February 19! So, get ready and Viva San Giuseppe! Head over to my Virtual St. Joseph Altar blog and enter the Viva San Giuseppe: A Guide For St. Joseph Altars e-book giveaway.
 For many homeschoolers, the month of February is cabin fever at its worst. I know we are longing for warmer temps and the great outdoors. But, with a bit of extra effort, you can revive your students and yourself and actually make it to spring.
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February: Month of the Holy Family
2009-2010 Homeschool Patron
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