In preparation for the National Consecration of Families to St Joseph
/MS
In preparation for the National Consecration of Families to St Joseph, we are sharing here the 33-Day Consecration videos of Fr. Donald Calloway, author of the book Consecration to St Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father. (You may also wish to like and subscribe to Fr. Donald Calloway's Youtube channel.)
There is a video guide per day of the 33 days. Watch the video (see below) and then say the prayers posted under the videos.
Preparing for Consecration to St Joseph
Total consecration to St. Joseph means making "a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father", St. Joseph, so that he can take care of your spiritual well-being and lead you to God. Saint Joseph, in turn, gives those consecrated to him his undivided attention, protection, and guidance.
Step 1:
Fr. Don Calloway says that the general purpose of the Consecration is to grow in our relationship with Jesus by becoming “another Joseph” for Jesus, i.e., a faithful, loving and trusting companion of our Savior.
You may want to have a reason for doing the Consecration. What are you hoping for in doing these exercises for the next 33 days? You may seek St Joseph’s help to overcome a bad habit, sinful tendency, past trauma, or troubling situation. We can ask for his guidance and help as our spiritual father to grow in the spiritual life as we become closer to and get to know our Lord Jesus better. Step 2: Note that the consecration is personal so doing you can do the daily exercises of spiritual reading and reciting prayers for the next 33 days at your own pace. All it takes is around 20 minutes! But be sure to be fully present in the moment. You can begin by thanking God through a short prayer, using your own words and calling to mind what you are hoping to receive by doing this in Consecration. Then do the readings from the corresponding day in “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” by Fr. Don Calloway. If you do not have the book, watch the videos we are sharing here. Finally, pray the prayers referred to in the book, including the Litany of St. Joseph, which we are also sharing here. It would also be extremely helpful to pray the Rosary. Intentionally offer to our Lord Jesus your frustrations, setbacks, temptations, etc. through St. Joseph's intercession. You may also make the offering to Jesus for your good or the good of others, including the souls in purgatory. If possible, we encourage you to try to do the readings and prayers first thing in the morning, before beginning your day’s work. As we are praying for the National Consecration of Families to St Joseph, we recommend gathering your family to do these prayers together.
Step 3: After the 33-day preparation, you then do the Consecration by declaring out loud your intention to entrust yourself and family entirely to St. Joseph's paternal care.
All parishes nationwide will have the National Consecration of Families to St. Joseph on December 8. It is recommended that you attend this mass for your family's Consecration to St. Joseph.
We hope this helps you in your journey to consecrating yourself to St. Joseph.
Ite Ad Joseph!
Fr. Dan Calloway's 33-Day Consecration to St. Joseph
Day 1
Prayer:
Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit, Send Down Those Beams)*
Come Holy Spirit, send down those beams,
Which gently flow, in silent streams,
From thy bright Throne above:
Come Thou enricher of the poor,
And bounteous source of all our store;
Come, fill us with thy love.
Come Thou our souls dilicious Guest;
The wearied Pilgrim’s sweetest rest;
The Sufferer’s best relief:
Come Thou our passions cool Allay;
Whose comfort wipes all tears away,
And turns to joy all grief.
Come thou bright Sun, shoot home thy darts
Pierce to the center of our hearts,
And make our faith love thee:
Without thy grace, without thy light,
Our strength is weakness, our day night,
We can nor move, nor see.
Lord wash our sinful stains away;
Water from Heav’n our barren clay;
Our many bruises heal:
To thy sweet yoke our stiff necks bow;
Warm with thy fire our hearts of snow,
Our wand’ring feet repeal.
O grant thy Faithful, dearest Lord,
Whose only hope is thy sure word,
The seven gifts of thy Spirit:
Grant us in life t’obey thy grace;
Grant us at death to see thy face;
And endless joys inherit.
All glory to the sacred three
One ever-living Deity,
All pow’r and bliss and praise:
As at the first when time begun,
May the same homage still be done,
Till time it self decays. Amen.
*This is the Sequence hymn for Pentecost in the Roman Missal. This is the original text of this hymn as it appears in the 5th edition (1687) of Devotions In the Ancient Way of Offices (1668) where it is listed as the Ghost:
Words: Unknown author, 12th C.; tr. John Austin under the pseudonym William Birchley, 1668. Tune (St. Basil’s Hymnal): Unnamed Tune. Meter: 8.8.6.D
Litany of Saint Joseph
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy
Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father in 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.
Illustrious son of David, pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us.
Pure Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Provider for the Son of God, pray for us.
Zealous defender of Christ, pray for us.
Servant of Christ, pray for us.
Minister of salvation, 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 brave, pray for us.
Joseph, most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph, most loyal, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model for workers, pray for us.
Glory of family life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Cornerstone of families, pray for us.
Support in difficulties, pray for us.
Comfort of the sorrowing, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of exiles, pray for us.
Patron of the afflicted, pray for us.
Patron of the poor, 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, you take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
He made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possessions.
Let us pray.
O God, who in your inexpressible providence were pleased to choose Saint Joseph as spouse of your most holy Mother, grant, we pray, that we, who revere him as our protector on earth, may be worthy of his heavenly intercession. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
***
For the videos for all 33 Days please go here:
Remember that you can also do this at any other time of the year, you can even choose your own Consecration Day, whether it be your birthday, the feast day of your patron saint, your anniversary, etc. May the Lord be with you in this journey as you seek to embody the values and grow spiritually by the example of of St Joseph!