This is my blog’s 300th post!

To celebrate this special occasion, I want to share a prayer and a miracle that happened through it.

Icon

During the Year of St. Joseph, I developed a devotion to this great Saint.

I did the preparation and Consecration to St. Joseph on May 1, 2021 and have entrusted my blog to him and Our Lady.

In 2022, an icon of St. Joseph was commissioned and created for me for a special purpose.

Icons are holy images that originated in the East.

The “rules” about icon painting, display, and veneration arose in the Christian East. Iconographers have “canons” to guide them in painting—or “writing,” as many prefer to put it—covering everything from proper materials (egg tempera on board is preferred) to arrangements of figures and scenes. Because icons are primarily works and objects of devotion, iconography never developed in the way Western painting did. But like the famous icon of the Theotokos we now know as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Eastern sacred art is increasingly appreciated in the West.

(Greg Cook)

It was written by a poustinik.

Poustinia is Russian for “desert” or for a place of solitary prayer; a poustinik is one who lives in the poustinia.

(Fr. David May)

The St. Joseph icon took months to create and was done so with great attention and prayer.

It’s a priceless and irreplaceable gift for many reasons…

The Eastern Church has placed the icon equal to the scriptures and emphasizes that the person represented in the icon is literally present spiritually in the icon. Thus when you pray with an icon you are drawn into the sacred presence. This icon then of St. Joseph means St. Joseph has come to dwell with you.

(MK)

In October 2022, the icon was mailed to me via expedited shipping from Canada.

However, it didn’t arrive on the guaranteed date.

When the tracking was checked, it appeared to be stuck in Chicago.

A trace was opened, but the package was nowhere to be found!

Apparently there was a lot of theft happening there, and it didn’t look promising.

Once we realized the seriousness of the situation, we began a novena to St. Joseph by praying the Memorare to St. Joseph.

Miracle

We started the novena on November 3rd.

On the last day of the novena, November 11th, the package started moving!

I received the icon on November 14th in perfect condition.

I promised St. Joseph that I would dedicate my 300th post to him and tell this story in thanksgiving for the miracle.

The prayer is below. I encourage you to pray it for any and all of your needs.

Note: I published this post on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have a devotion to Our Lady under this title and recently entrusted a big and personal intention to her and St. Joseph. (This is my last post for 2023)

Memorare to St. Joseph

Remember, O most chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession were left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power I fly unto you and beg your protection. Despise not O Guardian of the Redeemer my humble supplication, but in your bounty, hear and answer me. Amen.