I don't know how I feel about non-Catholics or Catholics for that matter burying statues of St. Joseph. Wouldn't it be better to pray to him and ask for his help and intercession?
Article: When it Takes a Miracle to Sell Your House
What's your opinion?
10 comments:
I have to admit, I'm not a fan.
Glad to hear it Mimi.
I work in Real Estate, I don't know if you knew that, and I have to admit, I cringe when I hear of people doing it. And there's something wrong about going to the local HALLMARK to get them. Shudder.
Although, I do believe in asking St. Joseph to intercede for house selling requests, but only if you are of a faith such as yours or mine where saint intercessions are regularly entreated.
(I hope I don't come across wrong)
I don't think I knew that. That's wonderful! I agree with you Mimi. Otherwise, it just seems like superstition or luck.
I have sold two houses and both times I buried St. Joseph and prayed to him.
As my mother, in her Irish wisdom, would say - "I'm not superstitious, but I'm not taking any chances!"
Of course, I think the prayer works the best, but if burying a statue helps, go for it.
My parents had difficulty selling their home, but couldn't bring themselves to bury St. Joseph. Instead, they made a charitable donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph and asked for prayers. Their house sold eventually.
My thoughts on this practice, especially if being done by a non-Catholic: if it works, will you convert? You ask God (through the saints) for a miracle...if you get it, will you believe (and repent and change your life)? Or is this like taking Advil: something you do when you have a headache, but the rest of the time it sits without a thought in your cupboard?
I may be too late on this discussion.
Long ago, I was a realtor. I heard other agents talking about this practice and I was offended. I did a little research and found that people had mixed feelings about it. Still, some realtors I knew swore by it.
Many years later, my parents needed to move from Florida, where they'd retired, to a location closer to their children who needed to assist with their care. They put their house on the market where it sat for over one year. As their health was declining rapidly and they couldn't move until the house was sold, out of desperation, I went to my local Catholic goods store and purchased an inexpensive plastic St. Joseph statue and sent it with the "instructions" to my parents. Whew! My dad nearly had a stroke. My mother, on the other hand, ever the pragmatist took St. Joseph out to the backyard, wrapped him in some velvet fabric as a sort of offering of care and concern, placed the statue in a ziplock bag and buried him upside down. She prayed to St. Joseph daily. The following Sunday they got a full price offer on their house.
Before moving, my mother dug up the statue and St. Joseph now sits in a place of honor in my father's bedroom.
I think it's very important that if people choose to ask for the intercession of St. Joseph in this manner, it needs to be done with all due respect, and not out of superstitious belief.
Ellen, I like that quote!
Michelle: If it would help someone consider converting than it is a good thing for non-Catholics to do as long as it isn't superstitious.
FC: I'm so glad you shared your story with us. Mahalo!
Ah, heck, I wish I had seen this post of yours earlier.
TRUE STORY:
Quite some years back I was at a talk given at St. Briget's in San Diego's Pacific Beach neighborhood. It was by Fr. Mitch Pacwa. At a breaktime, people were asking Fr. various questions. Somehow this topic of burying St. Joseph statues came up.
Fr. Pacwa related how one time he was visiting his mother and a neighbor woman had come by for a cup of coffee. The neighbor woman had had trouble selling her house. And I forget if Father's mother, or some other woman suggested to this woman that she bury a statue of St. Joseph in the yard. Fr. Mitch protested that this was superstitions, and both women told him something along the lines that "he might be a Jesuit, but he didn't know everything, so shut up, sonny." Or words to that effect. The woman buried the statue. The NEXT DAY (after MONTHS of the house being on the market) the house was sold. Father Mitch thought it was kind of funny after all. He took a pragmatic "Whaddareyagonnado?" attitude. I'm not saying that he advocates this or anything...just that in this case even he was bemused.
I never got the bit why burying him UPSIDE DOWN was supposed to be part of it!
Good ol' Fr. Mitch! Thanks for sharing that story Karen!
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