The holy example of Jesus Christ who, while upon earth, honored St. Joseph so highly and was obedient to him during his life should be sufficient to inflame the hearts of all with devotion to this saint.
— St. Alphonsus Liguori
Are you familiar with the phrase “To Jesus through Mary”? It’s a wonderful expression of devotion coined in the early 18th century by St. Louis de Montfort. In his book True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis taught that Mary is the surest, easiest, and fastest way of going to Jesus. To instill this message in people’s hearts, St. Louis fervently promoted the rosary and Marian consecration. What is interesting, though, is that in all of St. Louis’ writings, he only mentions St. Joseph a few times. Why is that? Didn’t he love St. Joseph? Oh yes, St. Louis de Montfort loved St. Joseph very much. Every saint loves St. Joseph. The reason he didn’t offer any significant teaching on St. Joseph is because the Church had not yet developed a theology of St. Joseph.
An understanding of the greatness of St. Joseph did not begin to flourish in the devotional life of the Church until the mid-19 th century, 100 years after St. Louis de Montfort lived. Were St. Louis de Montfort preaching in the streets of France today, he would most likely be heard extolling the wonders of St. Joseph. He might even add St. Joseph to his famous phrase, and say, “To Jesus through Mary and Joseph!” Jesus wants you to know and love His mother and His father.
The two greatest saints in Christianity are Mary and St. Joseph.
Consecration to St. Joseph flows naturally from baptismal consecration to Jesus Christ and filial consecration to Mary. Indeed, consecration to St. Joseph, your spiritual father, allows you to be consecrated to each person of the Holy Family!
In our day, marriage and family are under attack. Jesus and Mary want you to be consecrated to St. Joseph because there is no father or husband who knows more about the sacredness of marriage and the family or the self-sacrificing love required of fathers and husbands than St. Joseph. His paternal mission continues from heaven. He is our guardian, loving protector, and fearless defender. He is the model of saintly fatherhood. After Christ, St. Joseph is the model of heroic manhood and the defender of marriage, chastity, and life itself. Consecration to St. Joseph is the key to overcoming the anthropological confusion so prevalent in our times. Under the watchful, steadfast love and care of St. Joseph, all ideologies and idols will crumble and fall before Jesus Christ!
How thou [St. Joseph] didst rejoice to have always near you God himself, and to see the idols of the Egyptians fall prostrate to the ground before him.
— Blessed Januarius Maria Sarnelli
CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH WILL INCREASE YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS! The entire life and mission of St. Joseph points to Jesus. Saint Joseph never points to himself. His role is to lead everyone to Jesus, just as Mary does. Mary was predestined to be the Immaculate Mother of the Savior; St. Joseph was predestined to be the earthly father of the Savior and your spiritual father. Your spiritual father has been given all the graces necessary to complete his mission, a mission that includes increasing your relationship with Jesus.
Joseph carried Jesus Christ first to Egypt, then to Judea, and so traced for us the path of the apostles who preached his name to the Jews and to the Gentiles.
— St. Hilary of Poitiers
Saint Joseph was the guardian of Jesus and Mary. He was naturally also the one who introduced those souls eager to approach them more closely.
— Blessed Jean Joseph Lataste
Read “Privileges of Devotion to St. Joseph”
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.”
