St. Joseph, You are Hired

“Ite ad Ioseph! Go to Joseph with extreme confidence, because I do not remember having asked anything from St. Joseph, without having obtained it readily.” (1) — St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Writing has always been my passion, but when it was time to choose a career path, I went with accounting. I had always been good with numbers, and after I took my first accounting class, I knew that becoming an accountant would always assure me a job. After all, everyone needs an accountant, but not everyone needs a writer.

While I worked as an accountant, I wrote as a hobby. For about ten years, I was a columnist for “La Voz Católica.” I also started a blog which I shared only with family and friends. I also had a dream of writing a book, and I did. It took me about fifteen years to finish it, but I persevered and completed it. I hired an editor, and then I sent it out to four different Catholic publishing houses. One never answered me. Two told me they liked it, but they couldn’t publish it because they had just recently published a book on a similar topic. The fourth one seemed very interested, and I was hopeful. It advanced through the different layers, but it all crumbled when they asked me to put together a marketing plan. My plan was simple: share the book with all my family and friends, share it on social media, try to get some bookstores to sponsor a book signing, and advertise it in church bulletins and newspapers. The publisher didn’t think that my plan was strong enough, and thus they dropped me. I considered self-publishing the book, but I prayed about it, and I didn’t feel that was the path that God wanted me to take, thus I decided to concentrate on my blog.

Earlier this year, my friend Elsy sent me a message: “It came to mind your beautiful gift you are sharing with us to share with others on a larger scale.” She sent me the link to Catholic365.com, which was a website I had never heard of before. It took me a month to find the courage to apply. Then one night, I read this message on a Dove chocolate wrapper: “If you don’t do it today, you will regret it tomorrow.” I decided to push my fears aside. I put together the application, said a prayer, and hit the “send” button. I was completely surprised when they accepted me.

I prayed to the Holy Spirit to guide me in writing my first article. My husband proofread it, we made some changes, and sent it out for publication. When it was published, I shared it through all my groups, and I asked for people to share it with others. I needed that first “push” in order to get my article read. All my “angel” friends came through, and my article had about 450 hits. I even received a very encouraging email from the Catholic365 editor, letting me know that my article was “trending.” I didn’t even know what “trending” meant, but I figured it was a good thing, so I decided to send out a message of gratitude to all my groups letting them know that thanks to their support, my article was trending, and it made it to the top of the email that was sent out to their 12,000+ subscribers. 

After I sent out the message, and I posted it on social media with a picture of my “trending” article, I was told that my message didn’t sound very humble. I apologize if I came across as pompous or pretentious. It was definitely not my intention. On the contrary, if it were up to me, I would much rather remain in the background. I would even use a different name because publicity is the last thing I want. But I feel that God is asking me to be courageous, and bring people closer to Him. 

Unfortunately, we live in a world of influencers and social media. If I don’t share my articles, they will not be noticed, and they will not be read. It’s already happening with my second article. It’s hardly gotten any hits, and by the second day, it wasn’t even showing up on the Catholic365 web front page. I want to remain humble, but by the same token, if God’s messages are to be shared, they need to be read. How do I find the balance between marketing my articles and keeping a low profile?

I’m in the middle of renewing my consecration to St. Joseph, and last night, I was reading the journal that I have been keeping. As I was reading my notes, I realized that what I need is an agent to do the marketing for me. I will continue to write, and the agent can handle the publicity. And there is no one better for this job than St. Joseph. In the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father,” the author, Father Donald H. Calloway, mentions that one saint who loved and revered St. Joseph in an extraordinary manner is St. Teresa of Avila. She was so convinced of the power and efficacy of St. Joseph’s intercession that she challenged people to put devotion to St. Joseph to the test. This is what she wrote in her autobiography: “I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to the glorious St. Joseph, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I do not remember that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant… The Lord wishes to teach us that, as he was himself subject on earth to St. Joseph, so in heaven he now does all that Joseph asks.” (2)

I do not wish to put St. Joseph to the test, but I believe that he understands my predicament because he was the most humble of all men, and he always remained in the background. He always allowed the spotlight to be on Jesus and Mama Mary. And that is exactly what I want to do. I want the spotlight to be on God, never on me. I want to remain humble just like St. Joseph, and give all the glory to God. 

Venerable Mary of Agreda, a mystic who had visions about the lives of Mary and Joseph, once heard Our Lady herself speak these words: “That which my spouse asks of the Lord in heaven is granted upon the earth and on his intercession depend many and extraordinary favors for men, if they do not make themselves unworthy of receiving them.” (3)

After reading this, I wrote a letter to St. Joseph to let him know that I was hiring him to be my Marketing Agent and Holy Influencer. He must have accepted the job because to my complete surprise, my second article was trending this morning, and it was included in the email that Catholic365 sends out. I honestly didn’t think that it would make it this time. But St. Joseph came through just like St. Teresa of Avila promised that he would. 

I will continue to share my articles humbly, and I will brace myself for any criticism that comes my way. After all, when we are doing God’s work, we are going to be attacked and we are going to suffer. It’s part of the job description. But I know that with Papa Joseph by my side, he will protect me, and he will help me to grow a thick skin.

Once again, I want to thank you for all your encouragement and support, and if I have offended you in any way, I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to sound pompous or pretentious. I just want to be a humble pencil in the hands of God to spread His message of love to a little corner of His world.

“O Saint Joseph, you are a man greatly favored by the Most High. The angel of the Lord appeared to you in dreams, while you slept, to warn you and guide you as you cared for the Holy Family. You were both silent and strong, a loyal and courageous protector. Dear Saint Joseph, as you rest in the Lord, confident of his absolute power and goodness, look upon me. Please take my need into your heart, dream of it, and present it to your Son. Help me then, good Saint Joseph, to hear the voice of God, to arise, and act with love. I praise and thank God with joy. Saint Joseph, I love you. Amen.” (4)

Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

References:

1. St. Pio of Pietrelcina, as quoted in Jose A. Rodrigues, The Book of Joseph: God’s Chosen Father (Toronto, ON: Ave Maria Centre of Peace, 2017), 126.
2. St. Teresa of Avila, as quoted in Mark Miravalle, Meet Your Spiritual Father: A Brief Introduction to St. Joseph (Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press, 2015), 11-12.
3. Our Lady’s words to Venerable Mary of Agreda, as quoted in The Mystical City of God, vol. 3, The Transfixion, 166-168.
4. Father Donald H. Calloway, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father (Stockbridge, MA: Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., 2020), 262-263.