According to legend, if you leave the statue in the yard, the new owners of the house will not be able to stay there for a long time. Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News & Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations. Richard Haddad is the managing editor of HomeLight.com. In one version of how people came to start burying his effigy, St. Teresa of Avila, a nun in the 1500s was having trouble finding land for a new convent and started praying to St. Joseph and burying blessed medals of him, and encouraged other nuns to follow suit. Isn't our beloved Catechism, hundreds of Vatican documents and Papal encyclicals, and Sacred Scripture enough? Over time, these medals were replaced with St. Joseph statues. St. Joseph is your spiritual father, not a trinket. Better Business Bureau. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? A professional, seasoned agent can lend their expertise on the whole process from what maintenance or remodeling items to prioritize to staging, pricing, showing and more. Thats not the way of the God in whom we place our trust. Care for us, O God. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! Once your home is sold, you are to remove the statue, otherwise the it will sell over and over again. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T. However, faith could play a role too, especially with the right intentions. This article received 17 testimonials and 96% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. When we are not grounded in the teachings of our one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, we are vulnerable and might rightly be called to task for our behavior. Interestingly, because the Church in her wisdom understands her own roots and teachings, and has great confidence in her people, neither agrees nor disagrees with such practices. The history behind the tradition to bury a statue of Saint Joseph is hundreds of years old (A.D. 1515-1582). Place the statue inside the hole upside-down and facing your house. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. I automatically threw the old chain letters directly into the wastebasket, and I go for the delete key every time I receive an e-mail version. Think there might be a connection here? Buy a St. Joseph Statue They are available at many online Catholic stores. Starla Hester lives in Tuscumbia, Alabama with her husband and farm animals. It begins with the call of God, the Pope said. At that time the tradition was that you threatened the saints by burying them and with that saying to the saints "I will keep you with your head down in the dirt until you sell my house for me". All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Whether you heard about St. Joseph from a family member, realtor, or happened upon it when perusing the internet, you're probably wondering where such an odd tradition originated, and what its usefulness . Give us enough to eat, and decent work to earn our bread. Jacob Bourne is a journalist based in Californias Bay Area. But the most important part is to have faith all the time, in yourself, in your Sale and in Saint Joseph. The history of St Joseph, one of the most popular and common saints, is not known to many people. Afterall, finding a buyer who loves your home enough to pay top dollar within a relatively short period of time does seem to involve the element of chance. 1 week later there was a old couple looking at the house, they said they was very pleased with it, but wanted some time to think it over. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization But let's get back, specifically, to burying that St. Joseph statue. The chain letter appealed to greed and fear at the same time. We could be immersed in our faith, and by our sheer numbers be immersing the world at large, and yet we aren't. One story of how the tradition started claimed it was started by a nun named St. Teresa of Avila in the 1500's. The article helped. Saint Joseph is one of the worlds most popular Saints over the world. Some say that the legend originated with nuns in the Middle Ages who buried medals of the saint in hopes he'd help them expand their land. So, with spring here and many people putting their homes up for sale, all I ask is thisShould someone approach you about burying a statue of St. Joseph please don't tell them it will bring you luck! If you bought a kit it may have come with a prayer card you can recite. Although the proper course of action is to retrieve the statue from the ground once the house is sold, the exact timing of this is up to interpretation. Learn more Burying a statue of St. Joseph is a traditional and popular practice people often resort to when trying to sell a house. Turns out, it was a statue of St. Joseph (with, presumably, a young Jesus, since the Joseph we're talking about here was that Joseph you know, Mary's husband? St. Joseph is a biblical figure recognized in many Christian sects as the husband of Mary and corporeal father of Jesus Christ. Ask, Knock, and Seek Catholic Online, A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II Saint Joseph was Jesus earthly father, and raised Gods only son together with his wife, Virgin Mary. The history behind the tradition to bury a statue of Saint Joseph is hundreds of years old (A.D. 1515 1582). Thanks. So today I take umbrage with Catholics who bury statues and tell their curious Christian brethren that it is for "good luck.". We did find a website that advocates burying a St. Joseph statue to help sell a house (www.stjosephstatue.com), and it provided the following explanation on the custom's history: "The solemn tradition of burying St. Joseph in the earth began hundreds of years ago in Europe. I thank you for the good and bad, the understanding of forgiveness, and your holy power, without which we would have nothing. There is no Catholic doctrine stating that burying a statue of St. Joseph will help you sell your house. This wont be a guarantee of what your home will sell for, but it is a helpful starting point. In one mixed review from an online retailer, a man got frustrated waiting on St. Josephs intervention, dug up the statue and threw it in the trash. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Besides being seen as a Real Estate agent, he is also known for being a good father and the Saint of Workers - St. Joseph The Worker. It seems that the tradition of burying a plastic St. Joseph to speed up the sale of property became popular in the United States during the mid-1980's; at that time, many real estate agents were buying these little plastic statues by the case! 1. Although she has indured the struggle of infertiliy she finds peace through being a CCD teacher at Our Lady of the Shoals Catholic Church where she is a member. However, unlike other Christian faiths, we are not limited to those who are with us now, in the flesh and blood, but we also rely on those who have gone before us, the whole of the "Communion of Saints." Sign up if you would like to receive occasional treats from us. All rights reserved. Catholic Online Prayer Candles - light your prayer candle. Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus Christ, took on the responsibility of raising Jesus as God instructed. "We have had our house on the market for 49 days and it hasn't sold yet, but was told about this and going to, "After living in our house 5 years, we found a statue of St. Joseph buried in our yard when replacing some bushes, "Thank you for the story and the detail about what to do, how to do it, and the prayer to St. Joseph. We recommend this great article about how and why you should bury a Saint Joseph statue How to Bury St Joseph. It is alarming the rate in which new-age books and teachings are making their way into our pews. Bury him right-side up but lying on his back, facing or pointing toward the house. Some people reportedly say threatening prayers demanding that the saint get their home sold, but ordinary humble prayers are more standard practice (and less foolish). Sadly, even well-intentioned Catholics end up practicing their faith in a manner that is not grounded in the teachings of the Church and then add to this dilemma; thus we have a Catholic who buries a statue of St. Joseph and tell a curious neighbor, "It is for good luck.". One story of how the tradition started claimed it was started by a nun named St. Teresa of Avila in the 1500s. Not necessarily. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. Once your home is sold, you are to remove the statue, otherwise the it will sell over and over again. Day Eight: Give shelter, O God, to those who need it, and bring together families divided. You also can say a prayer of thanks and take the statue with you to your new home, if youre so inclined. Catholic Online, Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education Thank you, and thanks Read more. Give them eyes of faith for seeing far, a loving heart for welcoming life, and a place always at your side. Day Seven: God, our Father, give your fatherly spirit to those who are fathers now. So once again, I thank you with all my heart and soul. The flower pot can have something growing in it, but this is not a strict necessity. The results of the practice are, however, varied. Even though we all come short of the glory of God, I thank you for the sacrifice of your only son Jesus Christ for all our sins. Shortly after, the local dump where the statue ended up, got sold! It doesnt seem to matter how you pray, as long as you pray for St. Josephs help, and most of the St. Joseph home sale kits include a prayer card to help those of us who arent practicing Catholics. Actually, were talking about something here that goes a step beyond superstition and is much more dangerous. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Buying a small mere inches in height statue is advisable, because the last thing you want is to be digging a giant hole in your yard when youre trying to sell it. Mix that with our Sacred Traditions and we have many Catholics practicing a morphed version of Catholicism. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Luck denotes a random, hit-or-miss element, which can be either good or bad. In addition, it is also believed that the statue will help to sell your house more quickly. Apparently my friend's Catholic neighbor was putting his house up for sale and along with pounding in a "For Sale" sign in the front lawn, buried a statue. Mary Regina Morrell, World Food Program Director on Lent Keep us safe from harm, and never let evil come between us. Simply sitting the statue on your mantel or desk will suffice. Believe. I want you to help me now as you helped your foster-child Jesus, and as you have helped many others in the matter of housing. The earliest accounts of this practice actually reference the statue being buried in order to get someone to sell the property to the one doing the burying. This is superstitious nonsense. So, instead of leaving things up to the lottery of life, some sellers invoke the help of a higher power. If you want to sell your property, you should put an image of St. Joseph in a prominent place in your home and pray a novena in his honor so to obtain a good sale. Was it St. Josephs influence? We read the prayers together in the family and it felt great. Catholics need only to look to the Catechism (truly an easy-to-read book absolutely filled with every single thing you need to know about our faith) to understand that the communion of saints is that body of Christ that includes the living and the dead; thus, our ability to ask for intercession knows no earthly bounds. It sold in an all-cash deal in under a week, she said. Can St. Joseph sell a house? Skip burying statue, priests say Of course not, especially not upside down. But wheres the harm? After your house is soldtake him with you to your new home and put him in a place of honor. Even though you are burying his statue, St. Joseph is still a saint, so you should demonstrate a certain degree of respect for his likeness.
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