- October 15, 2021
By Sister Janet Teresa Muehlbauer
From my youth, I have loved and prayed to St. Joseph. The National Shrine of St. Joseph is located in De Pere, Wisconsin, where I lived before entering the Sisters of St. Joseph. There, the statue of St. Joseph is crowned with a flat (mural) crown, and Jesus wears an imperial crown. I often attended the novena preceding the Feast of St. Joseph, which helped me to grow in my love and devotion to St. Joseph.
My favorite prayer to St. Joseph is: St. Joseph, the faithful one, pray for us. I pray to Joseph as the faithful one for several reasons:
His faithfulness and love for Mary and Jesus was outstanding.
He listened to the angels and quickly responded.
He knew how to be still and hear God's word, and this demanded Joseph to be faithful even when the future was unknown.
May faithful Joseph pray for us and teach us to listen to the Spirit within us we plan for our future.
Joseph, the faithful one, listened and responded to the call to travel an unknown road to Egypt as a refugee going to a foreign land, What challenges he faced.
Joseph, the faithful one, help us to grow in trust as you did and to embrace the unknown Sacred Journey.
Joseph, the faithful one, took loving care of Mary and Jesus. He taught Jesus to pray, to read the Torah, to enjoy and care for all creation, and to care for the dear neighbor. Joseph, the faithful one, took loving care of Mary as they traveled to Bethlehem and later to Egypt. He worked as a carpenter to support his family and laid his hands on Jesus as he blessed him during the Sabbath ritual.
Joseph, the faithful one, pray for us and help us to love the dear neighbor as you loved Mary and Jesus.
This article is written in response to Pope Francis' proclamation of 2021 as the "Year of St. Joseph."