Denver Catholic

23 DENVER CATHOLIC | FEBRUARY 8-21, 2020 In the Jan. 25 issue, on page 17, some Catholic school teachers cel- ebrating milestone anniversaries this year were mistakenly left out. They are as follows below. We apol- ogize for the error, and we thank all of our Catholic school teachers for their many years of service! ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC SCHOOL Mary Tellus 25 Years Patty Baxter 10 Years MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD CATHOLIC SCHOOL Barbara Garrett 25 years Cathy Schilling 25 years Roma Haling 20 years Brenda Herbrand 20 years Jeremy Cassidy-Cernanec 15 years Anne Buteyn 5 years Betsy Hartman 5 years CORRECTIONS Pray the new Consecration to St. Joseph beginning Feb. 16 "N ow is the time of St. Joseph!" Although it possible to overlook St. Joseph in the story of salvation history due to his silence in the Gospels, he plays an essen- tial role as the "Son of David." Joseph is the heir to the great king and, thus, it is through his adopted fatherhood that Jesus inherited the Davidic throne. Fur- thermore, Joseph's obedience to the angel initiates his guardianship over the Holy Family, which continues in his protecting role as protector of Jesus' household, the Church. Joseph models many virtues, particularly for fathers and workers, demonstrat- ing obedience, trust, fi delity, and strength. Although we all have patron saints, particularly through our baptismal and confi rmation names, there are some saints who play such a central role in salvation that the Church honors them universally. Our Lady is the mother of all the disciples joined to her son, as members of his Body, Sts. Peter and Paul oversaw the growth and continuity of the Church, St. Michael, originally the guardian angel of Israel, now protects the Church, and St. Joseph continues to oversee the household of the Church as her universal patron. Every Chris- tian should develop a relationship with these saints — particularly Jesus' close family and friends — who will, in turn, draw us into deeper friendship with Jesus. St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) popularized a consecration to Jesus through Mary, recognizing that plac- ing one's life into the hands of Mary as mother and queen would provide a surer way of coming close to her Son. De Montfort developed a 33-day preparation period and act of con- secration, renewing one's baptismal vows, on a major feast day of Our Lady. Drawing upon this important devotional practice, Father Donald Calloway proposes a similar con- secration to her spouse, St. Joseph, in his new book, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiri- tual Father (Marian Press, 2020). The book leads through a 30-day preparation period through its three sections, the fi rst of which examines Joseph's titles in his litany, the second of which looks at the wonders related to his life and role in the Church, and the fi nal of which o‰ ers prayers to him. Although his arrangement may be new, the book contains acts of con- secration to St. Joseph written by St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Bernadine of Siena, and St. Peter Julian Eymard. Father Calloway explains the importance of this devotion to St. Joseph and why one should make a consecration to him: It "means that you acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and that you want to be like him. To show it, you entrust yourself entirely to his paternal care so that he can lovingly help you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means you make a formal act of fi lial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he can take care of your spir- itual 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 loving attention, protection, and guidance" (5). For those who have already done the consecration to Jesus through Mary, Father Calloway recommends this consecration as well: "God desires that all his children be committed to the love and care of a mother and a father" (ibid.). The next beginning date for a consecration to St. Joseph begins on Feb. 16, with 33 days leading to the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19. Father Calloway rightly points out that now is the time of St. Joseph. We need Joseph right now as a protector of the Church so that she may expe- rience renewal. We also need him as a protector of purity and the sanctity of family. We need him as a guide for working and living in the world in faith and obedience. In order to strengthen our daily devotion to him, I would also propose the following prayer based on the Bible's references to his role (including the prefi gure- ment of the Old Testament): Joseph, Son of David, you are the just man the Lord placed over His house. You did what the angel com- manded and so we go to you in time of need.ššO adopted father of Jesus, pray to your Son for us.šAmen. occasionally, but always in reverent tones. We put his picture in a corner of the house somewhere. Perhaps we even quote Him when his words bol- ster our argument. But is that what He asks of us? Did He say "Join my church, and give me lip service every once in a while"? Did He say "As long as you're a basically good person, you really don't need to pay too much attention to me"? No. He said "Follow me." Actually, technically, it was "deny yourself, take up your Cross and follow me." He invited us to lose our lives for His sake. He commanded us to love Him with our whole heart and soul. What does it look like to follow Him? It looks like St. Teresa of Cal- cutta, who never worried about fund- ing her ministries, but prayed for an hour every day and the funds arrived when they were needed. It looks like St. John Paul II, who risked his life pursuing the priesthood in an under- ground seminary in defi ance of the Nazis. It looks like Bl. Franz Jagerstat- ter, who refused to swear allegiance to the murderous dictator Hitler, even when it led to his execution. It also means you and I strive to put Him fi rst in our everyday lives. It means we read his word and ponder what He is telling us through it. It means we work to live lives of service instead of merely comfort. It means we see his image and likeness in every person we encounter. It means we stand up for his truth in our own little ways, even when doing so will cost us popularity or business or "likes." But that can be unpleasant at best, and can cost us our lives at worst. Why do we have to go through it all? Are these just the hoops we are sup- posed to jump through so we can get to Heaven? No. We bother not because He needs us, but because we need Him. We need Him at the center of our lives. We need him because, as Father Mike said in his talk, we are not "fi ne" without him. We are desperate, in need of a savior, to save us in this life and in the next. Also, lest you think I am preaching at you from some high spiritual perch where I have attained this incredible one-ness with him, think again. I'm just the girl who heard a reminder twice in a week and had to take a good hard look at her own life. Let's all make a commitment to take Him out of the corner in 2020. Let's put Him fi rst. Let's make sure his voice is the fi rst one we seek in the morning, and that his word informs our every decision. Let's ask Him to shine his love through us. Let's recommit to his sacraments. And then we can show the world who He r eally is. The Catholic Reader R. Jared Staudt, PhD, is a husband and father of six, the director of formation for the Archdiocese of Denver, a Benedictine oblate, prolifi c writer, and insatiable reader. DR. R. JARED STAUDT

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