14th Annual Virtual St. Joseph's Altar

For centuries there has been a wonderful tradition of honoring San Giuseppe with an altar. The altar originated in Sicily. In the Middle Ages a terrible famine struck Sicily as a result of a drought. The people of Sicily pleaded to San Giuseppe, their patron saint, for relief. San Giuseppe answered their prayers, the needed rains came & the famine ended. In gratitude, they prepared a table with foods they had harvested.  After paying homage to St. Joseph, they distributed the food to the less fortunate.

The altar is made in 3 tiers to honor the 3 Persons in the Holy Trinity.  On the top tier a statue of San ,Giuseppe is placed. It is surrounded by greenery, flowers & fruit. The altar is ladden with a variety of foods, the only exception is no meat as San Giuseppe's feast falls during Lent. What is there includes limes, candles, wine & fava beans. There are also specially prepared cakes, breads, & cookies baked in symbolic Christian shapes  such as monstrances, chalices, crosses, doves, lambs, fish, bibles, hearts, wreaths & palms. Additionally  many of the symbols of San Giuseppe, lilies, staffs, sandals, ladders, saws, hammers & nails, are also placed on the altar. Bread crumbs are also found there as a symbol of the sawdust in San Giuseppe's workshop.

Additionally, petitions are written on pieces of paper & placed in baskets on the Altar. Photos of deceased relatives & friends are also often found there as San Giuseppe is the patron of a happy death.

Some years ago I 1st discovered this site with a virtual St. Joseph Altar. Each year since then I have returned to it to add my offerings & petitions. The 2012 altar is scheduled to open today, 1 month before the feast of San Giuseppe.  Please stop by & check it out. & don't forget to make an offering to honor the Foster Father of Jesus & ask his powerful intecession for any needs you may have as well as for your deceased relatives & friends.

_______________

NOTE: The opening date is based on what I have seen on the website. I am going on the assumption that, as has been in the past, it will open on this day since I have written this before my time off for surgery.