Today we celebrate a great solemnity which in some places is even a holy day of obligation.  We honor St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary and Foster Father of Jesus, the Son of God.  Though not one word of his is recorded in the Gospels, he was a powerful presence in the life of the Holy Family.  He was the protector of Mary and Jesus and so it makes sense that in 1870 Blessed Pope Pius IX declared him to be the Patron of the Universal Church.  Chosen by God to be the head of the Holy Family, he is the Patron of the Body of Christ, the Church.

In 1917 Our Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima, Portugal, once a month from May through October to three children, two of whom, Francisco and Jacinta, are recognized as saints.  The final apparition on October 13 was accompanied by miraculous phenomena that were seen by tens of thousands.  It also included an appearance by St. Joseph.  The third child, Sister Lucia, died in 2005 and has been declared “Servant of God,” the first step toward canonization. She described the appearance as follows:

“After Our Lady had disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament, we beheld St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. St. Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands.”

At Fatima Jesus and His Foster Father blessed the world.  As Protector of the Holy Family, St. Joseph is a special patron of all families.  In a letter to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra at the beginning of this century, Sister Lucia wrote that “the final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family.” With that in mind, here is a prayer that uses one of his titles from the Litany of St. Joseph:

Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons, cast your solemn gaze upon the devil and all his minions, and protect us with your mighty staff. You fled through the night to avoid the devil’s wicked designs; now with the power of God, smite the demons as they flee from you! Grant special protection, we pray, for children, fathers, families, and the dying. By God’s grace, no demon dares approach while you are near, so we beg of you, always be near to us! Amen.