Pope Francis has declared 2021 the “Year of St. Joseph” and asked Catholics around the world to dedicate the year to remembering and honoring the husband of the Blessed Virgin and the foster father of Jesus.
   The pope said the goal of this special year is to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession, and to imitate his virtues and his zeal. 
   The Pope noted that over the years, Catholics have recognized St. Joseph in a variety of ways --as “Patron of the Catholic Church”, “Patron of Workers”, “Guardian of the Redeemer”, and “Patron of a Happy Death”.
   He urged Catholics to imitate the virtues of St. Joseph by
   -- Showing compassion, tender love, and mercy, the same as God has for us.
   -- Deferring to the plan of God, to the well-being of others, and to the common good.
   -- Having a practical love for the community of the Church, and for the poor.
   -- Being active and creative when God engages us in finding solutions to problems.
   The pope called St. Joseph “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence;” each of us can discover in him an intercessor, a support, and a guide, especially in times of trouble. “Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”
 

What You Can Do to Observe
the Year of St. Joseph . . .

• Include a prayer to St. Joseph in your daily prayer or recitation of the rosary [here].
• As part of your daily or weekly examen, ask yourself if you modeled any of the virtues shown by St.
  Joseph:
  > quiet obedience to God’s will,
  > willing cooperation with God’s grace,
  > chaste faithfulness to Mary,
  > courage in the face of adversity,
  > protection of the vulnerable in dangerous situations,
  > dedication to his vocation as husband and father.
  [Read more here.]
• Observe Wednesdays or the 19th day of each month as special days of devotion to St. Joseph [here]. 
   Choose one of these traditions in honor of St. Joseph [here].
• Make a pilgrimage to one of the churches in the Archdiocese dedicated to St. Joseph [listed here] and
   pray the Litany to St. Joseph [here], the Rosary of St. Joseph [here] or meditate on the sorrows and joys
   of St. Joseph [here].
• Meditate on one of these songs about St. Joseph:
  > "Hymn to St. Joseph" by the Benedictines of Mary [link]
  > "Only Joseph" by Garrison Doles [link]
  > "Prayer to St. Joseph" by Jacob Haselbarth [link]
  > "Joseph's Song" by Amos and Margaret Raber [link]
  > "Joseph's Song" by Michael Card [link]
  > "Litany of St. Joseph" by Colleen Nixon [link]
  > "I Am a Carpenter" by Cher and Gene Klosner [link]
  > "St. Joseph's Song" by Dana [link]
  > "I Was Not His Father, He Was Mine" by Mike Laude [link]
• Pray these mysteries of the Rosary which focus on St. Joseph:
   > Sorrowful mysteries [link]
   > Joyful mysteries [link]
   > Glorious mysteries [link]
   > Luminous mysteries [link]
• Visit a Cathedral named in honor of St. Joseph [link]

Related Links
> Prayers to St. Joseph [link] and [link]
> Novena to St. Joseph [link]
> Rosary of St. Joseph [link]
> Text of the Pope’s declaration, “With a Father’s Heart” [link]
> Archbishop Jackels’ statement on the “Novena of the 19s” [link]

Learn More
> Watch "St. Joseph Our Spiritual Father" video [link]
> Read “Why St. Joseph Is the Saint We Need Today” by Fr. James Martin SJ [link]
   or watch the video [link]
> Learn Ways to Gain an Indulgence in the Year of St. Joseph [link]
> Find More Prayers to St. Joseph [link]
> What Popes have said about St. Joseph [link]
> Reflect On the Virtues of St. Joseph (Family Activity) [link]
> Watch Bishop Barron's video, "Saints Patrick and Joseph" [link]
> Watch "St. Joseph, A Father Rich in Mercy" [link]
> Listen to Fr. Richard Rohr's reflection, "Joseph is the Hero" [link]
> Read St. Joseph, Patron of the Church". Pope FRancis [link]
> Read "This Angry Unkind World Needs St. Joseph" [link]
> Read "Live Like St. Joseph--Silence Fosters Faith-Filled Action" [link]
> Read "A Man of Dreams, A Man of Action" [link]
> Read "What Would Joseph Do?" [link] 
> Read "Remaining Faithful to Those Who Have a Claim on Your Life" [link]
> Read "St. Joseph and the Christ Child" [link]
> Read "Five Things We Can Learn from St. Joseph" [link]
> Read "Mary and Joseph" [link]
> Read "What Would Joseph Do? [link]
> See how St Joseph is depicted in sacred art through the ages [link]
> Reflect on the disturbing and uncertain life of Mary and Joseph [link]
> Reflect on Guido Reni's "St. Joseph and the Christ Child" (above) [link]
> Read "A Visit to St. Joseph Basilica" [link]

•   •   •

[Posted: 03.22.21]