I read recently that the number one Catholic item being sold these past few years (with the exception of rosaries) is the St. Joseph “sell-your-house” kit. If you haven’t yet heard of this practice, here’s how it works, according to the packaging: a homeowner looking to unload some real estate buries a little statue of St. Joseph, often upside down, in his or her yard near the “For Sale” sign. After then praying for St. Joseph’s intercession, the statue is dug-up and placed in a spot of honor once the house is sold.
Superstitious? Tacky? Some might say so.
Never known to fail? I have heard that, too.
Regardless of where one stands with this practice, it actually has some roots dating back to the 1500s. When St. Teresa of Avila was looking to purchase land for a new Carmelite convent in Spain, she and her nuns buried medals of St. Joseph on that specific spot they wanted and prayed for his intercession. Within days, the land – which the owners had originally refused to sell – was theirs. Likewise, German carpenters would often bury a statue of St. Joseph in the homes they were building during the 1800s, asking for blessing upon their work and protection for the families who would be moving-in.
All of this to say: St. Joseph is a powerful intercessor for more than just home-selling and often overlooked when we turn to the saints for guidance in our lives. As we celebrate his feast this Wednesday (March 19), turn to him in prayer. Ask him to intercede for you in your needs and worries. He who was the holiest of husbands and fathers will never steer us wrong on our faith journey … whether we bury his statue upside down or not.