Devotion to the foster-father of Christ is an ancient practice that has endured to the present day, and wherever Catholics are found there is also found a deep love for the man to whom God gave the elevated work of raising His Incarnate Son.
The Month of St. Joseph by the Abbé Berlioux is a powerful tool with which to equip the devotee as he embarks upon the month of March, and a fitting one. Each chapter contains the whole day’s reading, prayer, and a fitting example for the reading, usually taken from the author’s personal knowledge or some other historical example. As each of the thirty-one days of March progress, the subjects cover every possible facet of the life and history of St. Joseph, solidifying for the devotee a rich theological truth and piety.
The subjects, containing two short points each day, range from St. Joseph’s fatherhood and devotion as a husband, his poverty, his holy name, his meekness, his exile in Egypt, and life in Nazareth, his example as a worker, and his aid at death beds. So many more subjects are given, which seem to exhaust the complete realm of St. Joseph’s honor, glory, and aid to his devotees. The readings are short and easy for modern man to complete for a morning meditation or between a life of busy labors.
Likewise the prayers following each daily reading are concise and powerful, always containing a petition to beg the grace and strength to imitate the saint. They are also matched to the theme of the reading.
The examples after each reading and prayer reflect upon each truth taught each day. Many of the stories are literally of miraculous events, and others are simply inspiring about individuals who lived a deeply devoted life consecrated to St. Joseph. In these latter, what really shines is the fact that with a fervent devotion to and trust in St. Joseph, even the impossible will be made possible.
The Month of Saint Joseph was first published in the French language in Grenoble in 1872. The book was soon after translated for the English-speaking world. The Abbé Berlioux was a priest of the diocese of Grenoble and was the Curé of the church of St. Bruno. In his works he often uses a literary charm of addressing the reader as “Christian Soul”. In this work, he repeats this name in nearly each day’s reading as he gets to the point of what the individual could do to utilize and live a Christian life based on a greater devotion to the holy patriarch, increasing the seriousness of the tone as well as the attention of the reader with it.
Read
The Month of St. Joseph to increase in the soul the love of Christ’s foster-father. The devotion taught in its pages will take the reader by the hand and lead him to live more fully the life of a brother of Christ. In its pages you will find:
- An organized 31 days of St. Joseph devotions for the complete month of March
- Daily spiritual reading on the life, character, and devotions of St. Joseph
- Daily prayers to the holy foster-father of Jesus
- Daily examples of true-life stories that draw out the truths within each day’s reading.
- A collection of devotions and prayers
“Devotion to St. Joseph is among the most powerful of all the devotions, if for no other reason than he is called St. Joseph most powerful. If a father fosters a devotion to St. Joseph, he will help him fulfill his needs. St. Joseph is also called terror of demons, and if one prays to St. Joseph and has a strong devotion, then he will protect his family against the demonic.”
—Fr. Chad Ripperger, PhD
