It is not hard to see why St. Joseph would be called upon to intercede for husbands and fathers. Because of his unique relationship to Jesus and Mary, he is among heaven’s most powerful protectors and intercessors.

St. Joseph was the head of the Holy Family, not because he was the most holy (he was least in that respect next to Jesus and Mary); he was the head of the Holy Family because he was the father of the family. If we understand that the “first family” was created as a reflection of the Triune God, of Three in One, we can see that this first family was a prototype of all families.

Families would become the smallest and most basic unit of society, and the plan for the human family was a true reflection of God Himself.

St. Paul said in Ephesians 3:14-15:

I bow my knees to the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named.

We know that fathers and husbands are as crucial in the lives of families today as they have ever been, and yet they are also under attack in more ways than ever before. Today the devil is on the prowl because he knows that to strike at families is to strike at the heart of humanity.

This is why we must pray for our husbands and fathers! The Feast of St. Joseph (March 19), which falls during Lent, is the perfect opportunity to renew our prayers for these men in our lives in a very special and specific way and to ask St. Joseph for his powerful intercession.

As head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph is also the patron and guardian of every Christian family. The family is the primary place of formation, instruction in prayer, and the teaching of virtues, ethics, and moral values. And yet it often can be difficult for husbands and fathers to be the head of their own families when faced with such a strong adversary as our modern culture—which seems to stand against the family at every turn.