33-Day Consecration to St. Joseph

With the phrase “guardian of the mystery of God” used to describe St. Joseph’s role in salvation history, Pope St. John Paul II has left us with a sure point of departure as we begin our 33-Day Consecration to St. Joseph. It is for us, all of us, to become a new creation, to become people who, having been knit together by the Holy Spirit, are now focused and bidden to draw life from the Mystery of God, from the mystery made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, the one who bids us to come after him, called to become faithful guardians of the mystery of God. In making this consecration to St. Joseph, we are asking the Holy Spirit, through the patronage of St. Joseph and in imitation of him, to bring into relief the identity we received at our baptism, reborn in order that we might permanently turn our gaze to wonder at Mary’s motherhood, to the infant who grew in wisdom and strength, that by his suffering, death, and resurrection, a world is redeemed, a love unassailable definitively and forever proclaimed. Jesus, by his sacred person and flesh, has remade the family into a God-bearing manger, which holds the mystery of sonship, of true spousal self-donation, of lifelong chaste fidelity to the will of God and the glory of his name. God will use this consecration to draw you to a different promontory, from which all the mystery that is you will be understood anew in the mystery of God; he will draw you to embrace a new vision and identity, a vision which is caught up in his plan, in the mystery of Christ, so that your identity and mission, with the heavenly assistance of St. Joseph, might, like a precious gem, radiate the luminescence of the resurrection, the hope which cannot disappoint. If we don’t yet understand that Jesus and his suffering, death and resurrection is the new turning point for history — for each of us and for all of our history — then we especially need this consecration. We need the help of the one to whom God entrusted this mystery, to aid us and help us to remove the scales from our eyes, which troubled St. Paul and still frustrate us, so that the grandeur God has in store for us all, his glory, might be revealed. I ask you to join me, and all the Archdiocese of Detroit, this Father’s Day — most particularly all men who have the charism of fatherhood, priest and parishioners alike — to walk these 33 days with St. Joseph, confident that with his help, we will be made by the Holy Spirit more apt guardians of the mystery of God. I urge you fathers, young and old, to particularly pay attention to the challenges contained in this consecration, to see in them a challenge to our complacency and torpor, to begin to exercise anew the gift which becomes clear to us as we meditate on the motherhood of Mary and the motherhood of our own beloved spouses. If you should skip a day in this consecration, fear not. We are all running as fast as we can. Simply pray the missed prayer on the following day and continue on with your consecration. God bless us all and grant us a share in the renewal of all of our families. — Bishop Gerard Battersby

Day  1

Noble Offspring of David

The Old Testament prophets always taught that the Messiah was to spring from the seed of David, the great hero-king to whom the Jews looked back with such pride. The prophecy was first declared by the prophet Nathan to King David himself: The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you: when your days have been completed and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, sprung from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. He it is who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. (2 Samuel 7:11-13) Joseph was of the royal blood of David. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke show the lineage of Joseph to the Davidic king. Although Jesus is not the biological son of Joseph, he is the Son of Joseph by law and therefore has a legal right to be called a descendant of King David. Joseph is called “Son of David” by the angel who instructed him to take Mary into his home (Mt 1:20). The angel reminds him of his royal ancestry and the role God had given him in the coming of the Messiah. God gives each of us a role in His plan of salvation. You were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). Reflect on the role God has given you and the people He has entrusted to you. St. Joseph, pray for me so that I may have the grace to carry out my role and care for the people God has entrusted to me.

Pray the Litany of St. Joseph.

Daily Challenge: Reflect on your exalted identity as a beloved son of God the Father and how you are helping those entrusted to your care grow closer to Jesus.

LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Noble Offspring of David, pray for us.

Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.

Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.

Foster-Father of the Son of God, pray for us.

Zealous Defender of Christ, pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Joseph Most Just, pray for us.

Joseph Most Chaste, pray for us.

Joseph Most Prudent, pray for us.

Joseph Most Courageous, pray for us.

Joseph Most Obedient, pray for us.

Joseph Most Faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of Patience, pray for us.

Lover of Poverty, pray for us.

Model of Workmen, pray for us.

Glory of Domestic Life, pray for us.

Guardian of Virgins, pray for us.

Pillar of Families, pray for us.

Comfort of the Afflicted, pray for us.

Hope of the Sick, pray for us.

Patron of the Dying, pray for us.

Terror of Demons, pray for us.

Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

He has made him lord of his household. And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, who, in your loving providence, chose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most Holy Mother, grant us the favor of having him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our protector. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.