As a real estate agent, it is always a strong sign when your sellers declare that they are going to bury a statue of St Joseph. It is a declaration of strong intent, and a tradition that has been strong for hundreds of years. As a popular and successful ceremony, it has transcended the Catholic and spiritual parameters and is used by people of all customs and traditions. This article is a look at the background and the different procedures recommended in burying St Joseph for a quick home sale.
Tradition & History
The tradition of the St Joseph statue ritual for house sales leads us back to history hundreds of years ago. A.D. 1515-1582. Nuns living in a European cloister needed to add to their land, and they buried medals of St Joseph in the ground after prayers for their goals. Their prayers were answered and the land was acquired. They had the desired land for their gardens and livestock. The tradition continues, but not with the use of medals, but instead using a statue of St Joseph. Today people purchase a small statue of St Joseph, available online, Catholic stores, and even real estate offices and boards. The average height of the statue is about 4 inches. There are often complete “St Joseph home sales kits” complete with instructions, statue and prayer cards.
Procedure
Protect the statue: Wrap the statue in protective cloth, small towel/washcloth, completely surrounding the statue on all sides. You can also place the wrapped statue in a plastic bag for additional protection. A friend mentioned that in her background, St Joseph was placed in a glass jar upside down and that was placed in the ground thus offering the same protective quality. Some customs go directly to a plastic bag or jar without doing a first wrap. Overall, keeping the saint clean and safe is a sign of needed respect.
Dig a Hole: Dig a hole in the yard of the home for sale, that is deep enough to fit the entire statue. Place the wrapped statue inside and fill the hole with dirt. You can mark or note where the statue is buried for the “after sale” component. You can dig as deep as one foot to encourage St Joseph to work hard to get the house sale done quickly.
Bury St Joseph: Traditions do vary as to where to bury St Joseph, but the majority rule is to place the statue in the front of the house, best near the road or the For Sale sign. The statue is placed inside the hole, upside-down, and facing your house. This is the majority rule, but there are several other traditions that recommend placing the statue facing the road to symbolize the act of leaving the house, or placing the statue right side up, on it’s back, pointing towards the house. Some place St Joseph on his side with his praying hands facing the home. Also, again to add to the confusion, some do place the statue about 3 feet away from the back of the house or in a backyard flower garden. So as you see, customs do vary, but if this is your first time with this experience, you may want to try working with the main concensus and watch for quick results.
If you live in an apartment or condo, you can bury the statute in a large flower pot that is on your deck, patio or window sill. Follow the same tradition as above.
Some people feel it is disrespectful to bury St Joseph at all, and they can work with the statue in their home, perhaps having it in sight of the For Sale sign or listing paperwork.
Prayers and Faith
After burying St Joseph, follow the traditional prayers once a day for nine days. And never get discourage, keep the faith strong.
After the Sale
When the home is sold, dig up the St Joseph statue and give it a respectful place in the new home.
Traditional St Joseph Prayer
As shared through custom – recite this prayer once a day for nine days after you have buried a St Joseph statue on your property:
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen Come to my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of all good gifts, I come before you to honor you in your saints and ask their help in my many needsYou promised those who ask, would receive, those who seek, would find, those who knock, would have doors opened to them Hear the prayers of your church, grant my requests, and pardon my sins. Amen St. Joseph, just and true, with a father’s care you raised the child Jesus, and with a husband’s love, you shared your life with Mary, his mother I entrust myself to your care and place in your hands this request of mine In quiet Nazareth, long ago, the Holy Spirit spoke to your heart and you followed God’s will with wonderful faith In the quiet of my days, and in the hard choices I must make, help me follow the Spirit’s guidance and believe when I cannot see
Repeat one of these prayers along with the one above:
Day 1: Oh God, guide of those who listen and helper of those who hear your voice, speak to me, as you did to St. Joseph, and help me accomplish the things you give me to do .
Day 2: O God, you love your people and bless the ordinary lives we quietly live. As you blessed St. Joseph, bless what I do, however hidden and simple it may be, and let all I do be done with love.
Day 3: O God, ever faithful, you remember us always and in time reveal your blessings. Help me trust in you, as St. Joseph faithfully trusted, and never let me lose faith in the wonderful gifts you promise me.
Day 4: God of families, bless the family that’s mine. Keep us safe from harm, and never let evil come between us. Let peace remain in our hearts.
Day 5: O God, who loves children, be kind to our children today. Give them eyes of faith for seeing far, a loving heart for welcoming life, and a place always at your side.
Day 6: God of our heavenly home, bless our home on earth. Let the spirit of Mary and Joseph rest at our table, shape our words and actions, and bring blessing to our children.
Day 7: God, our Father, give your fatherly spirit to those who are fathers now. Like Joseph, give them hearts of devoted love for their wives and children and strength for forgiveness and patience.
Day 8: Give shelter, O God, to those who need it, and bring together families divided. Give us enough to eat, and decent work to earn our bread. Care for us, O God.
Day 9: Bless all families, O Lord especially those in need. Remembering the life of your Son, we pray for the poor, for those who lack a good home, for those in exile. Grant them a protector like Joseph, O God.
Renae Jensen