Jesus, Mary, and Joseph love families. Their three hearts are very concerned about what is happening to families today. Families are falling apart.

Modern man has distanced himself from God and attempted to redefine what it means to be a family. As a result, divorce rates are at an all-time high; the majority of married couples use contraception; abortion is legal; and it is socially acceptable for children to be raised by two dads and/or two moms. The family stands on the edge of a great precipice.

Various programs backed by very powerful resources nowadays seem to aim at the breakdown of the family. At times it appears that concerted efforts are being made to present as “normal” and attractive, and even to glamourize, situations which are in fact “irregular.” Indeed, they contradict “the truth and love” which should inspire and guide relationships between men and women, thus causing tensions and divisions in families, with grave consequences particularly for children. The moral conscience becomes darkened; what is true, good, and beautiful is deformed; and freedom is replaced by what is actually enslavement.

— St. John Paul II

Saint John Paul II is absolutely correct. God established the family to be a school of love, something beautiful, delightful, and life-giving, and the devil and his agents want to destroy it. How are we ever going to turn the situation around? How can we return to order? The only way is to elevate the Holy Family as the model and blueprint of the family. When the Holy Family is celebrated in society, we will again know the sanctity of motherhood, the heroism of fatherhood, and the blessing of children.

SAINT JOSEPH WANTS TO BE THE PILLAR OF YOUR FAMILY. A pillar is a foundation. In order for your home to stand on a firm foundation and be unshakable, your family needs St. Joseph. He will teach your family the importance of prayer, mutual respect, purity, honesty, forgiveness, love, and, most importantly, placing God above all things.

SAINT JOSEPH LOVES THE FAMILY! Saint Joseph, the pillar of the family, teaches us the importance of motherhood, fatherhood, and children. He is the saint of the childhood and hidden years of Jesus. He teaches modern man that the only true definition of a family is that it consists of a mother, a father, and children. The notion of a “modern family” is a deception from the devil. The redefinition of marriage and the family causes the breakdown of society, culture, morals, and true family values.

In the person of St. Joseph, men can learn what it means to be a husband and a father. They must be self-sacrificing for women, children, and the common good. It is honorable for men to sacrifice themselves for others. Manhood and fatherhood are perfected through love, sacrifice, and faithfulness to those entrusted to their care. The exercise of such manhood is how husbands and fathers become pillars of civilization, and indeed, become holy. A world filled with men like St. Joseph will experience a renewal of social and moral order.

I saw Jesus assisting his parents in every possible way, and also on the street and wherever opportunity offered, cheerfully, eagerly, and obligingly helping everyone. He assisted his foster-father in his trade, and devoted himself to prayer and contemplation. He was a model for all the children of Nazareth.

— Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Read “Silent Witness”

Pray the Litany of St. Joseph

“Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Stockbridge, MA USA.”