Bury a Statue of St. Joseph for the Intention of Selling a House?

[Genesis315]

Why would you even do that? Um, excuse me, but I think that it would be better just to ask St. Joseph’s intercession. Don’t even bother about digging a hole an all that mess.

Why bother moving one’s hand around one’s body in the shape of a cross, with wet fingers even? Why not just say “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”?

Why kneel or genuflect or bow or strike one’s chest? Why wear medals and crucifixes and scapulars?

We’re a people of the Incarnation. We pray with our whole beings and not just with spirit and words, but with matter and actions. As I posted earlier, if it did not offend the Catholic sensibilities of great Saints like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Andre Bessette, it shouldn’t offend ours.

 

[otjm]

Why bother moving one’s hand around one’s body in the shape of a cross, with wet fingers even? Why not just say “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”?

Why kneel or genuflect or bow or strike one’s chest? Why wear medals and crucifixes and scapulars?

We’re a people of the Incarnation. We pray with our whole beings and not just with spirit and words, but with matter and actions. As I posted earlier, if it did not offend the Catholic sensibilities of great Saints like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Andre Bessette, it shouldn’t offend ours.

It is one thing to be people of the Incarnation; it is entirely a different matter to waltz around the question on the table.

As I have said previously; having been a Realtor for 7 years, I saw enough of this, and I asked questions; and the answers I got, to a person, suggested magic, not incarnational prayer.

And the elephant in the room, in spite of the attempts to make it part of a prayer novena, is why bury it instead of putting it in a place of honor?

Those who have picked it up either from the popular press or from idle chitchat and have attempted to “clean it up” still do not answer to the elephant.

Where did this start? No one seems to know. Why is it done? Ask a hundred people why they do it and the vast, overwhelming majority (if not every last one of them) is going to give an answer that smacks of magic and control. And that, perhaps, is why every priest Iahve ever asked has said this should not be done. No hesitancy, no beating around the bush, no qualifiers, no hemming and hawing.

 

[gracepoole]

It is one thing to be people of the Incarnation; it is entirely a different matter to waltz around the question on the table.

As I have said previously; having been a Realtor for 7 years, I saw enough of this, and I asked questions; and the answers I got, to a person, suggested magic, not incarnational prayer.

And the elephant in the room, in spite of the attempts to make it part of a prayer novena, is why bury it instead of putting it in a place of honor?

Those who have picked it up either from the popular press or from idle chitchat and have attempted to “clean it up” still do not answer to the elephant.

Where did this start? No one seems to know. Why is it done? Ask a hundred people why they do it and the vast, overwhelming majority (if not every last one of them) is going to give an answer that smacks of magic and control. And that, perhaps, is why every priest Iahve ever asked has said this should not be done. No hesitancy, no beating around the bush, no qualifiers, no hemming and hawing.

So if the statue isn’t buried upside down, what then? Would you be more inclined to accept the practice?

 

[maryjk]

So if the statue isn’t buried upside down, what then? Would you be more inclined to accept the practice?

otjm didn’t mention anything about upside down.

The point is, why bury it at all?

I run a small Catholic gift store.

And I can agree with otjm. To a man, every priest I have ever spoken to about it is against it. Every priest.

And every explanation I have received from people looking for statues, suggested magic not prayer…

And I go back once again to my question.

Why when defending this action does no one ever mention scandal? People will jump, with both feet, on someone claiming to live someone, but living as “brother and sister.” Or if someone just SEEMS to be flirting with sin,

Yet, when told numerous times that their practice is a practice that actively encourages others to believe in magic? It is “leave me alone,” "nothing to see here,"or “I’m doing it right,”

What makes this practice untouchable?

 

[gracepoole]

otjm didn’t mention anything about upside down.

The point is, why bury it at all?

I run a small Catholic gift store.

And I can agree with otjm. To a man, every priest I have ever spoken to about it is against it. Every priest.

And every explanation I have received from people looking for statues, suggested magic not prayer…

And I go back once again to my question.

**Why when defending this action does no one ever mention scandal? **People will jump, with both feet, on someone claiming to live someone, but living as “brother and sister.” Or if someone just SEEMS to be flirting with sin,

Yet, when told numerous times that their practice is a practice that actively encourages others to believe in magic? It is “leave me alone,” "nothing to see here,"or “I’m doing it right,”

What makes this practice untouchable?

But that’s not true. Folks here who defend their use of this devotion have noted that it can be used improperly. This fact shouldn’t bar those who use it faithfully from doing so.

 

[floresco]

What makes this practice untouchable?

I have a devotion to St. Joseph and have asked for his prayers many times but I am really uncomfortable with this practice. I cannot imagine myself doing it. But I do not feel that I have the authority to tell other people not to do it. I do not know of any Church teaching explicitly saying it is forbidden.

 

[MonkMoses]

otjm didn’t mention anything about upside down.

The point is, why bury it at all?

I run a small Catholic gift store.

And I can agree with otjm. To a man, every priest I have ever spoken to about it is against it. Every priest.

And every explanation I have received from people looking for statues, suggested magic not prayer…

And I go back once again to my question.

Why when defending this action does no one ever mention scandal? People will jump, with both feet, on someone claiming to live someone, but living as “brother and sister.” Or if someone just SEEMS to be flirting with sin,

Yet, when told numerous times that their practice is a practice that actively encourages others to believe in magic? It is “leave me alone,” "nothing to see here,"or “I’m doing it right,”

What makes this practice untouchable?

My Mom actually bought a sell your house kit in the Parish gift shop…it included a statue of St. Joseph to be buried along with the novena to be prayed. The priest had no problem blessing the statue knowing full well it would be buried. If the prayed part is prayed and this practice is done with faith and no “intention” of magic I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[maryjk]

But that’s not true. Folks here who defend their use of this devotion have noted that it can be used improperly. This fact shouldn’t bar those who use it faithfully from doing so.

Which also means that people are living together as brother and sister should be left alone. Because the ones that are doing it faithfully shouldn’t have to defend themselves.

And the people that receive Communion in their hand. They need to be left alone. They are doing it right. They shouldn’t be barred from doing it because some people receive like they are receiving a tic tac.

Right?

 

[gracepoole]

Which also means that people are living together as brother and sister should be left alone. Because the ones that are doing it faithfully shouldn’t have to defend themselves.

? I’m not sure what this analogy is supposed to mean. I could guess and respond, but I’ll wait for you to clarify instead.

And the people that receive Communion in their hand. They need to be left alone. They are doing it right. They shouldn’t be barred from doing it because some people receive like they are receiving a tic tac.

Right?

You do know that receiving in the hand is permissible in the Church…right?

 

[Genesis315]

Of course many things can be abused (scapulars, novenas, even the Mass, etc.), but that doesn’t make them bad in and of themselves. If this is a bad practice in itself, I guess God and St. Joseph should not have catered to such superstition and allowed this to be the result of burying St. Joseph medals on a piece of property–it really sends the wrong message!

 

[maryjk]

? I’m not sure what this analogy is supposed to mean. I could guess and respond, but I’ll wait for you to clarify instead.

The analogy? Simply that when someone does something that could cause others to sin (live together) posters here jump with both feet onto that person. Yet, when someone doesn’t something that could cause sin, and HAS caused others to sin, (Burying St Joseph upside down). Well, that means nothing. Why?

You do know that receiving in the hand is permissible in the Church…right?

Nor is burying a St Joseph against Church teaching. Yet, here we hear, pretty much every day, how receiving in the hand causes others to sin.

So again, something permissible by the Church, yet people jump up and down how it causes people to sin.

And again, why don’t people say the same thing about burying St Joseph?

 

[gracepoole]

The analogy? Simply that when someone does something that could cause others to sin (live together) posters here jump with both feet onto that person. Yet, when someone doesn’t something that could cause sin, and HAS caused others to sin, (Burying St Joseph upside down). Well, that means nothing. Why?
Nor is burying a St Joseph against Church teaching. Yet, here we hear, pretty much every day, how receiving in the hand causes others to sin.

So again, something permissible by the Church, yet people jump up and down how it causes people to sin.

And again, why don’t people say the same thing about burying St Joseph?

I’m completely confused. None of the examples you’ve noted (living as brother and sister, receiving in the hand) are violations of Church teachings. Burying a St. Joseph statue is also not a violation of Church teaching. Seems pretty simple. Or are you claiming to have a better handle on what the Church *should *identify as prohibited?

You seem to be noting that people get riled up about all sorts of things that are permissible according to the Church and you seem dismayed that the same uproar isn’t witnessed regarding burying St. Joseph statues.

 

[maryjk]

I’m completely confused. None of the examples you’ve noted (living as brother and sister, receiving in the hand) are violations of Church teachings. Burying a St. Joseph statue is also not a violation of Church teaching. Seems pretty simple. Or are you claiming to have a better handle on what the Church *should *identify as prohibited?

I have already said they aren’t violations of Church teaching. And no, I am certainly NOT better equipped to decide what is moral or not.

You seem to be noting that people get riled up about all sorts of things that are permissible according to the Church and you seem dismayed that the same uproar isn’t witnessed regarding burying St. Joseph statues.

I just think that it is interesting that people seem to get riled up about what others do. Yet those* same *people don’t want anyone to question what they do.

 

[gracepoole]

I have already said they aren’t violations of Church teaching. And no, I am certainly NOT better equipped to decide what is moral or not.
I just think that it is interesting that people seem to get riled up about what others do. Yet those* same *people don’t want anyone to question what they do.

Since I haven’t gotten torqued up about either of the issues you mentioned, I guess I’m not one of those “same people.” I don’t typically get torqued up about much, further proof that I’m not the hypocrite that’s being suggested. I’ve not gotten upset that people question the practice. I have, however, indicated that I don’t think it’s acceptable to view this particular devotion as “magic.” And I’ve stated that I don’t think it’s wise to throw all practitioners into the same pot.

 

[QuestingKnight]

The Church has no rules about burying a statue of St. Joseph upside-down in the dirt to ‘force’ him to help you because it assumes that Catholics would know better.

It can’t make rules to outlaw every noxious behaviour possible because the rule book would fill a skyscraper.

The attitude “If it’s not actually forbidden I can do it” has seen some daft behaviour within the Church in recent decades.

Our sensus fidei needs to be worked on. Starting with appreciating the Christ and the Heavenly host are real people and have real feelings about how we behave towards them. They just forebear more than the demons of Hell do.