Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Saint Joseph Help for Life's Emergencies - Kathryn J. Hermes - Stories and Prayers

Saint Joseph: Help for Life's Emergencies
Stories and Prayers
Kathryn J. Hermes
Pauline Books & Media
ISBN  9780819871237
eISBN 9781306806558
ASIN B002BWQLRQ

 


After I became a father, and as I had more children, I found that my devotion to Saint Joseph is continually growing. And this volume though not written specifically for fathers who seek the aide of Saint Joseph, it is an excellent volume for fathers or all who wish to have a deeper devotion to this saint.

The sections in this volume are:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Who Is Saint Joseph?
Life of Saint Joseph
Devotion to Saint Joseph
Popular Celebrations in Honor of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph’s Table
Fava Beans
Patron Saint
Why We Can Trust Saint Joseph
Why Joseph?
Go to Joseph!
Joseph Understands Broken Hearts
Joseph Is a Father
Joseph Got Up and Went
Joseph Has Connections
Joseph Lived Through Catastrophes
Joseph Had an Untimely Death
The Powerful Intercession of Saint Joseph
Where Do We Learn About Saint Joseph’s Power?
Prayers to Saint Joseph
For Families and Homes
Prayer for One’s Family
Prayer to Obtain a Special Favor
Prayer When a Spouse Has Had an Affair

Prayer to Ask Saint Joseph to Be One’s Father
Prayer of a Father
Prayer of a Divorced Father
Prayer of a Father for His Children
Prayer to Sell a House or Property
Prayer to Find a New Home
Short Petition to Find a New Home
Ritual for Those Moving to a New Home: Blessing of Memories
For Financial Needs and for Those Seeking Employment
In Times of Financial Stress
For a Family Person Seeking Employment
For a Single Person Seeking Employment
A Worker’s Prayer
Prayer in Time of Need
Prayer in Time of Difficulty
For Those Suffering from Catastrophes
Prayer in Dark Times
Memorare to Saint Joseph
Prayer When Threatened by Natural Disasters
For Spiritual Needs and for the Church
Prayer to Grow in Devotion to Mary
Saint Joseph, Patron of the Church
Prayer for Spiritual Growth
Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
Te Ioseph
Litany of Saint Joseph
Novena to Saint Joseph
Rosary in Honor of Saint Joseph
A Triduo to Saint Joseph
For a Happy Death
Prayer for a Happy Death
Prayer for the Dying
Afterword: Becoming Like Joseph
Additional Resources

The introduction begins with these words:

“The book in your hands is about Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus Christ. If you are leafing through the pages of this book, you probably have a very special intention you are holding in your heart. Perhaps you want to sell a house. Maybe you are accompanying someone who is approaching his or her final hours on earth. You could be looking for a job or starting a business. You may have financial difficulties or be looking for protection for your family. Or perhaps you never knew your father, or your father abandoned or hurt you, and now you are looking for a second father. If so, Saint Joseph is your patron saint. As head of the Holy Family, Saint Joseph experienced many of these things in his own life, as we shall see. He is a powerful intercessor before God for our needs.”

And further we are told:

“In our archives there is a precious book in Italian about Saint Joseph — its binding taped and its pages torn. A woman had purchased the book from a Daughter of Saint Paul in 1933. Forty years later, in 1973, she returned the book to the sisters, stating that her devotion to Saint Joseph was strong and that the saint had provided for her many times when she was greatly in need. Although the book was worn and the pages ripped, she thought someone else might still be able to use it to grow in devotion to Saint Joseph!”

This could become such a book. A book that is used over and over again. Weather prayers are said to Saint Joseph daily, upon occasion, or in time of specific need. There are many wonderful stories and prayers in this volume. Some of the stories in this volume were familiar to me, such as the story from the 1800s of the miraculous staircase of Our Lady of Light Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Or about the oratory in Montreal. Others were new to me like the tradition of Saint Joseph’s Table or the story of the Fava Beans were new to me.

The book is split into three nearly equal parts. The first is information and history. The Second is personal stories of Saint Joseph’s intercession and the final third is a collection of prayers. The book is more than worth the price for any one of those three sections. But when you combine them it becomes a book of incredible worth and value to Catholics.

This is an excellent book, and one I am very thankful I came across.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Kathryn J. Hermes:
Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach
Beginning Contemplative Prayer: Out of Chaos Into Quiet
Prayers for Surviving Depression
Holding on to Hope
St. Joseph: Help for Life's Emergencies
Making Peace with Yourself: 15 Steps to Spiritual Healing
The Journey Within: Prayer As A Path To God
Cherished by the Lord
Minute Meditations for Lent
Jesus: Help in Every Need
Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life's Disappointments

...

Other reviews and articles about Saint Joseph:
Consecration to St. Joseph - Fr. Donald Calloway
Favorite Prayers to St. Joseph Compiled from Traditional Sources- TAN Books
Prayer to Saint Joseph Prayer of the Day
Joseph of Nazareth - Federico Suarez
Devotion to St. Joseph - F. Declaux
Go to St. Joseph: Do Whatever He Tells You - Brian Kiczek
Saint Joseph: Help for Life's Emergencies - Kathryn J. Hermes
Feast of Saint Joseph 2018 Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary Principal Patron of Canada
Companion to Saint Joseph - J.B. Midgley - CTS Companions Series
Saints of the Roman Canon - Julien Chilcott-Monk - CTS Living the Liturgy Series
Seven Saints for Seven Virtues - Jean M. Heimann


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