6 Simple Ways to Celebrate the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Husband of Mary
Spend Time In Silence
In Pope Francis’ proclamation of the Year of St. Joseph in 2020, he published an Apostolic Letter about Joseph called “Patris Corde” (”With A Father’s Heart”).
In it he says happiness for Joseph involved a true gift of self: “In him, we never see frustration, but only trust,” writes Pope Francis. “His patient silence was the prelude to concrete expressions of trust.”
Imitate Joseph’s virtue of patient silence.
Spend 15 minutes in silence today.
Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash
Wear Brown, Yellow, or Green
Depictions of St. Joseph show him wearing these colors.
This is an incredibly simple way to honor him on his feast day.
Go the extra mile: Only wear sandals or go barefoot today.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Pray the Memorare
Remember, O most pure spouse of Mary,
and my dearly beloved guardian, St. Joseph,
that never was it known that anyone who
invoked your care and requested your help
was left without consolation.
Inspired with this confidence,
I come to you and with all the
ardor of my spirit I commend myself to you.
Do not reject my prayer, O Foster Father of the Savior,
but graciously receive and answer it. Amen.
FUN FACT: St. Faustina Kowalska prayed this prayer every day.
Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash
Create a St. Joseph’s Table
There is a time-honored tradition in Italy for celebrating St. Joseph’s Feast Day called: St. Joseph’s Table.
Families in their homes or churches create elaborate tables of food, full of symbolism honoring the Holy Family.
But the special emphasis of the tradition is on giving alms to the poor and that no one is turned away from the table.
EAT
St. Joseph’s Day Pasta
(aka Sawdust Pasta or Carpenter’s Pasta) made with bread crumbs sautéed in butter to resemble wood sawdust.
Cheese isn’t used, symbolic of the food shortage experienced in the origin legend of the tradition.
DECORATE
Decorate with any candles, icons, prayer cards.
Put a basket in the center where each member of the family can write a prayer petition to St. Joseph.
GIVE ALMS
Choose one charity to give money to today.
One of our favorites is Catholic Relief Services who helps refugees (just like the Holy Family when they had to flee to Egypt!).
Photo credit: St. Joseph's altar 2003, Bisaquino, Sicily (sicilyroutes.com)
Thank Someone For Their Quiet Service
Not much is known of St. Joseph’s life or personhood, except that he was described as a “just man.”
He quietly took care of the Holy Family, provided for and protected them.
Meditate on those in your life who have quietly or silently taken care of their loved ones this past year.
Send them a thank you text or handwritten note.
Download our free Thank You card (part of our Lenten Liturgical Guide)
Dream Like Joseph
Write a prayer petition and place it under your pillow tonight.
Ask St. Joseph to be your friend and guide for whatever problem that is heavy on your heart, and that he would bring your prayer to God as you dream.
Photo by Lux Graves on Unsplash
Husband to Mary, foster father of jesus, Carpenter
Saint Joseph is a wonderful role model for little ones and grown ups alike!
Get your saint joseph doll
wait,
does st. joseph have more than one feast day?
Yes!
We love St. Joseph so much, we celebrate him TWICE.
March 19 - St. Joseph Husband of Mary
May 1 - St. Joseph the Worker
St. Joseph's feast day on March 19 has been officially celebrated in the Catholic Church since the 16th century. The feast day on May 1 is much more recent, as it was brought forth by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to challenge communist May Day observances, acknowledge Christian workers’ value and pay tribute to the nobility of human labor.
Looking for more inspiration on how to celebrate the Liturgical seasons?
Living The Seasons: Simple Ways To Celebrate The Beauty Of Your Faith Throughout The Year is a full-color guide to creatively celebrate our faith. Each page is filled with beautiful inspiration with effortless directions to celebrate feast days, holy days and seasons within the Church. This will be your resource for living liturgically! Now available for pre-order on our website.
