It is March again and I look forward to so many things during this month. First the novena for St. Joseph, for which the Avellana family has a long tradition of observance will soon start. Our family, keeping to tradition, prays the novena to St. Joseph, the spouse of Mary . Mama Corsine facilitates the activities, like inviting other devotees to attend to the novena in her house. It starts from March 11 and ends on March 19. Everyday of the novena we prepare some food or snacks for the participants. A dinner will be held on the last day of the Novena.
The family clan in Cebu also get together in this occasion at the residence of one prominent member of the clan. This practice started last year with the family members from far and wide coming home to attend the novena. Formerly the devotion was held in each individual family of my father in law's siblings. It was only last year when they decided to view it as a reunion of some sorts, as descendants of the family, came home for this religious family tradition.
Above is the image of St. Joseph in my mother in law's house.
The family tradition of holding novenas to St. Joseph dates back to three generations from my husband, who told me that the late Jose Mendezona, his Spanish great grandfather brought with him to the Islands an image of St. Joseph, which was placed in the old church of Caridad, a barangay of Baybay, Leyte. It was said that this church was burned but the image though blackened, was spared, and was then returned to the family of Jose Mendezona and wife Andrea Cala. The image was placed behind the door and neglected for a time, until the family noticed an occurrence which the couple considered a sign that St. Joseph did not like the treatment that the family was giving the icon. (Stories have it that they discovered water streaming down from the image, which they thought were tears.) So they had the image cleaned and repainted and placed in a prominent area of the house and started the devotion to Saint Joseph.This image was raffled and went to the youngest daughter of the family Carmen, who married Francisco Avellana, my husband's grandfather. It was the late Francisco who requested his only son, hubby's father, and his sisters to carry on with the tradition of observing the feast of St. Joseph by saying the novena prayers. The image was raffled among Francisco's children and is now with daughter Prospera in Cebu.
Saint Joseph is known as the patron saint of fathers, as he was the foster father of Jesus, the patron saint of and protector of the Church and the patron saint of ordinary people as there was nothing "lofty or regal' about him. He is also the patron saint of workers and most of all he is the patron saint of a happy and holy death. He died with Jesus and Mary in attendance so he was assured of heaven after his stint as father of Jesus here on earth.
For the devotees and those who want to start the devotion, here is aprayer.
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