The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father
Donald H. Calloway, MIC
Marian Press
ISBN 9781596144316
eISBN 9781596145221
ASIN B083BFGDYS
I absolutely loved Father Calloway’s Champions of the Rosary, and when I first heard he was working on a book about Saint Joseph I was terribly excited. In fact, I could not wait and ended up reading a few other books about Saint Joseph while I awaited the publication of this volume. But like champions this is likely the most complete book on Saint Joseph to date. And you could also see this book as three volumes in a single book. Each of the three sections could stand as a book alone, and they are:
Part I 33 Day preparation
Part II The Wonders of our Spiritual father
Part III prayers to St. Joseph
The book also has a chart so you can figure out easily when to begin so that you can complete the consecration on specific feast days. Father Calloway states in the introduction:
“Most likely, the majority of people who acquire Consecration to St. Joseph are going to go straight into the 33-day preparation. However, there might be some people who get the book but are not quite ready for consecration to St. Joseph. Some people might feel that they want to get to know St. Joseph better before committing to a month-long preparation for consecration to a saint they don’t know much about. Those folks can skip Part I (the 33-day preparation) and simply read Part II as its own book. You should know, though, that if you choose to read Part II without doing the 33-day preparation, you will need to re-read the assigned sections from Part II if you decide to do the 33-day preparation. (The designated daily reading from Part II follows a different order when you do it with the 33-day preparation in Part I.)”
So even if you do not see yourself doing the 33 Day consecration at this point, picking up the book for this middle section is more than worth it. I can also state that the book is worth the price for just the third section, a wonderful collection of prayers to Saint Joseph. And after that Prayer book section we have two appendices. The first is instructions and guidance for doing the 33 day consecration. The second is information on churches and shrines dedicated to Saint Joseph around the world. The list if some of the more well known for it would take another volume maybe several volumes to list all the shrines, churches, and places dedicated to Saint Joseph around the world.
As I have aged, and try to grow to be a better husband and better father I find that I have turned to Saint Joseph often. Father Calloway states:
“First, we need the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph to help us protect marriage and the family. Marriage and the family have always been under attack, but in modern times, the threats have reached extraordinary heights.”
And further on he declares:
“Now is the time to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! God is telling his Church that, in order to defend marriage and the family, elevate morals, recover lost ground, and win souls for Jesus Christ, we need to bring St. Joseph onto the battlefield. He is the Terror of Demons!”
When explaining the why Father Calloway says:
“What exactly is consecration to St. Joseph? In other words, what does it mean for a person to be consecrated to St. Joseph? Well, it basically means that you acknowledge that he is your spiritual father, and you want to be like him. To show it, you entrust yourself entirely to his paternal care so that he can lovingly help you acquire his virtues and become holy. Total consecration to St. Joseph means you make a formal act of filial entrustment to your spiritual father so that he can take care of your spiritual well-being and lead you to God.”
We are also told:
“Mary is your spiritual mother, and St. Joseph is your spiritual father. The spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph is extremely important for your spiritual growth. Total consecration to Mary is not diminished by total consecration to St. Joseph. Mary wants you to consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! Everything you have given to Jesus and Mary can also be given to St. Joseph. Be at peace. The Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph are one.”
The books is an excellent read and much needed today. It is a book all Catholics would benefit from read. I have read through it once and have plans to start it again to complete the consecration on the Feast of Saint Joseph. At the end of the book are several pieces of art that were commissioned by Father Calloway specifically for this volume. There are some absolutely beautiful works of art. When I started reading this volume I immediately bought the eBook so I could give the physical copy I had to the deacon at my church. I encourage you to get this book for yourself, and to get it for the priests and deacons in your life. And if you have not read his Champions of the Rosary pick it up at the same time.
It is an exceptional volume. I highly recommend it.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Donald H. Calloway:
No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy
Extreme Mercy II
Under the Mantle: Marians Thoughts from a 21st Century Priest
Purest of All Lilies: The Virgin Mary in the Spirituality of St. Faustina
Mary of Nazareth: The Life of Our Lady in Pictures
Champions of the Rosary
How to Pray the Rosary
Consecration to St. Joseph
...
Edited by:
The Virgin Mary and Theology of the Body
The Immaculate Conception in the Life of the Church
Rosary Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Holy Rosary
Marian Gems: Daily Wisdom on Our Lady
Contributed to:
Beautiful Mercy
Note some books are published as Donald H. Calloway and some as Donald Calloway.
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
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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