In addition to the feast of St. Joseph celebrated on March 19, you probably know that May 1 is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, the just man, husband to Mary, foster father of Jesus, hailed by popes as the protector of the universal Church. I knew all those facts from childhood too. But what I didn’t know until recently was the tremendous power St. Joseph has to intercede for us. Even living in New Orleans, Louisiana where Italian-Americans hold St. Joseph in great honor, even witnessing the deep devotion to St. Joseph of my father-in-law and husband, even after naming our first child Mark Joseph, I still had no relationship with the glorious saint myself.

Sure there was the time years ago when I needed a job and my friend, who had been a Sister of St. Joseph, began to invoke his help. Within days we were both hired as religion teachers at a prestigious high school. Then there was the time we were selling our family car and my husband put the sale in St. Joseph’s hands. The first day the newspaper ad ran, the first person who called, offered us the exact amount we were asking in cash! Yet, those were answers to other people’s prayer, not my own.

Then, in July, 1989, as I stood before a beautiful statue of St. Joseph cradling the child Jesus, something happened. A bond was established. It was simply a grace. In the ensuing months I found myself confiding my father’s health to St. Joseph’s care. Before the end of that year, my dad was rushed to the hospital for emergency bypass surgery. It was a close call, but my dad came through, thanks to the prayer of St. Joseph! Joseph had gotten my attention.

About that time our family began a novena to St. Joseph because of a special financial need. On the eighth day of the novena our son, Peter asked, “Is the money coming tomorrow, Dad?” Now that’s faith! We explained that we weren’t sure how or when the answer would come, but we knew that it would come. Within a few weeks we had a dramatic answer to our financial need from an anonymous source. St. Joseph had me won over completely. Forever will I sing his praises.

Soon afterwards as I was reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, I learned of her tremendous devotion to St. Joseph. Teresa, a Doctor of the Church, speaks convincingly about the power of Joseph’s intercession. Listen to her own words, “I took as my advocate and Lord the glorious St. Joseph and earnestly recommended myself to him. I saw clearly that as in this need, so in other greater ones, this father and lord of mine came to my rescue in better ways than I knew how to ask for. I do not recall up to this day ever having petitioned him for anything that he failed to grant. It is an amazing thing the great and many favors God has granted me thorugh the mediation of this blessed saint, the dangers I was freed from both of body and soul. The Lord wants us to understand that just as He was subject to St. Joseph on earth–for since bearing the title of father, being the Lord’s tutor, Joseph could give the Child commands–so in heaven. God does whatever Joseph commands.”

What a marvelous insight! In heaven, Jesus continues to listen attentively to the requests of his foster father, Joseph. Joseph has special influence with his beloved son. Of course, we know that we can approach God directly with our needs and He hears and answers us in love. Yet, for his own mysterious purpose, God chooses to be glorified in his saints. He delights to send us his blessing as we invoke the help of one who has served him so well in this life...one like the glorious St. Joseph.

So, St. Teresa says, “Try it and you’ll see!’ Go to Joseph. Like Mary did. Like Jesus did. I am convinced that God is calling us today to rediscover St. Joseph’s power, and I’m in good company. Read the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation about St. Joseph entitled Guardian of the Redeemer. After expounding on Joseph’s life, Pope John Paul II expresses his desire that “the whole Christian people not only will turn to St. Joseph with greater fervor and invoke his patronage with trust, but also will keep before their eyes his humble, mature way of serving and of ‘taking part’ in the plan of salvation.”

Having experienced for myself the power of St. Joseph, I am determined to place everything in my life under his patronage. I want his hand on me, even as it was on Jesus: training, guiding, providing, protecting. I’m asking him to teach me to pray. He lived his whole life in the company of Jesus and Mary, speaking to them, listening to them, serving them. St. Teresa tells us that Joseph is a tremendous help to anyone serious about prayer and holiness of life.

As we celebrate one of his feast days this month, may we recall the words spoken long ago to God’s people when they were seeking provision in their lives. “Go to Joseph!” © Patti Gallagher Mansfield, 2007, www.ccrno.org