The book "Divine Favors Granted to St. Joseph" by Pere Binet, S.J. first suggested 16 different
devotions to honor St. Joseph. As the author clearly wanted devotion to St. Joseph to be increased (the purpose of this
website), I have briefly adapted his suggested ideas and tried to modernize its language for you here. Of course, the
original book is available for purchase on the St. Joseph Book page of the website St. Joseph and Brother Andre Books.
First Devotion ---The primary devotion
to Saint Joseph is to imitate his virtues, to model your actions on his, and to act as he acted.
Second Devotion ---Say attentively each
day a short prayer in honor of Saint Joseph with all of your heart.
Third Devotion ---Consecrate an entire
week to the glorious St. Joseph, that he may offer all you do to Jesus and Mary, and that he may use, according to his pleasure,
all the fruits of your good works.
Fourth Devotion ---Choose seven titles
of honor, one for each day of the week, by which to pay homage to this St. Joseph. Some major titles are: Chaste Spouse of Our Lady, Foster Father of the Savior, Model of Virginity and Chastity, Most Favored of Patriarchs,
Head of the Holy Family, Guardian of the Infant Jesus, Patron of the Dying, Patron of the Universal Church, Patron of Workers,
Pillar of Home Life, and Distributor of the Treasures of the Messiah and Patron of the Sick.
Fifth Devotion ---For the Feast of St.
Joseph, March 19, do not be satisfied with one day, but celebrate the entire octave, that is the Feast day and the week following. Pray
a novena in advance of his feastday. Don't forget his feastday as St. Joseph, Patron of Workers, on May 1st as well.
Attend Mass or honor him in your own words; give alms in his name; better still, if you can do all of these, he
will render it to you a hundredfold in Heaven.
Sixth Devotion ---Imitate those who every
Wednesday, in honor of St. Joseph, either attend Mass or cause a Mass to be said, which they attend.
Seventh Devotion ---Try to win others
to the devotion of St. Joseph; speak often of him, more from the heart than from mere lips. A priest was wonderfully consoled
at the hour of his death, when Our Lady appeared to him to tell him that she came to assist him, because of his holy practice
of relating inspiring stories of her spouse in each of his sermons.
Eighth Devotion ---Always have in your
home, or upon your heart, the picture of this great and amiable Saint. There in your little shrine lay all your troubles at
his feet; speak familiarly as if he were present; that is why we use images of the Saints, they help us recall their personality
to us and draw us to them in Heaven. Take St. Joseph as your advocate in every necessity and at the hour of death.
Ninth Devotion ---When you receive Holy
Communion, unite yourself spiritually to Our Lady and St. Joseph, and, with them, keep the Child Jesus company, as they did
when they carried Him to the temple to present Him to His Father. You heart is then the true temple of the Lord.
Tenth Devotion ---Never did anyone venerate
St. Joseph with more devotion and honor than the Blessed Virgin. She considered him as her lord spouse, as the foster father
of Jesus, as the most holy man on earth, as the master who had been given to her by God Himself. In sickness and in health,
she served him with the greatest tenderness. Imitate her as far as you can, and beg her to teach you true devotion to her
holy spouse.
Eleventh Devotion---Make an irrevocable
contract in presence of the all the angels and saints, and under the eyes of the Holy Trinity. Give to Mary and to Joseph
your body, your soul, your heart, your entire self, and then say, with St. Catherine of Siena:
'Now I recommend to you your heart, and your
poor servant. I no longer belong to myself, but to both of you. I ask but one thing of you: keep what belongs to you; never
permit me to take it back from your blessed hands. This is my irrevocable resolution, for all eternity to belong entirely
to Jesus, to Mary, and to Joseph, and I renounce, as far as it is possible for me to do so, all power of ever revoking this
promise.'
Twelfth Devotion ---The gift of yourself
is unquestionably more desirable and agreeable to Mary and Joseph than anything else; yet if God has granted you financial
means, dedicate to them a more or less considerable share of what you possess.
Thirteenth Devotion---There have been wealthy
people who have helped their bishop build churches, chapels and hospitals in honor of St. Joseph. Of course, most people
won't have that opportunity. But, we too can have a honored spot in our homes with a picture or statue of
St. Joseph.
Fourteenth Devotion---Help fund a vocation,
in the hope that he or she may one day become a good Priest or Sister . This devotion is most pleasing to St. Joseph,
for its effects are real, and its results solid and lasting.
Fifteenth Devotion---Unite your heart
with all those hearts who love St. Joseph; unite your voice and your affections with those of all the Saints in Paradise,
of all the just upon earth, of all the holy Souls in Purgatory, and say to God, to Our Lady, and to St. Joseph, that you approve
of all that others do and say in their honor; that were it in your power to do as much as they together do, you would assuredly
do it with all your heart, and with all your strength. Thank all the Saints for the homage they pay to
this great Patriarch, entreat them to redouble their praises, insofar as the laws of Heaven and the decrees of Divine Providence
permit them. As you cannot take part in their canticles, beg at least to be their echo, and tell them you ratify whatever
they do and have done in honor of St. Joseph.
Sixteenth Devotion-- Tell Our Lady that
you approve and ratify all she says and does in honor of her spouse. and that you thank her for all a thousand times. Add
that it is not the want of cordial affection which makes you silent, but rather its excess, because you can find no words
to express it, and your tongue cannot keep pace with your feelings. Say that since St. Joseph by his silence has said as much
as, and more than all others, you desire to imitate him.
(Fr. Binet no doubt loved Jesus through St. Joseph deeply and wanted the devotion to
St. Joseph to spread. His book "The Divine Favors Granted to St. Joseph" is a classic. Our adapting his suggested
devotions is solely meant to encourage you in the same fashion. By providing you with an opportunity and encouragement
to purchase Fr. Binet's book in its original form, we hope we have stayed true to his obvious intention to help others gain
a devotion to St. Joseph. Look for the appropriate link on this page, St. Joseph and Brother Andre Books .)