Many people look to others to help them with the home sales process. Most turn to real estate agents, or real estate investors that can provide a cash offer for their home. Many also often turn to friends and family, but there are a few people who have been turning to a source you may not have known was available to you. St Joseph is the Patron Saint of Real Estate. Not everyone knows that there is a prayer you can say to St Joseph that could help you sell your home.
Selling a home is stressful for anyone. Many of us will go most of our lives without having to deal with the process on our own, and when you feel overwhelmed it can be a comfort to know that there’s someone you can look to for help. For many people, the power of prayer can be a great comfort and will offer another avenue to help relieve stress when you’re trying to sell your home. St Joseph is not only the Foster-Father to Jesus himself, but also the Patron Saint of Real Estate.
Now, in Catholicism, you don’t pray to a Saint, you ask a Saint to help pray for you. St Joseph was, according to legend, first asked for assistance in the 16th century by a group of nuns needing help buying land they were after. They buried a Statue of St Joseph near the land they wanted to purchase and asked St Joseph to intercede on their behalf. Shortly thereafter, the nun’s prayers were answered and they attributed their success to the act of burying the statue of St Joseph.
The common practice now is to bury a statue to St Joseph, similar to the ones the nuns buried in the legend, upside down in either the lawn or the garden of the home about 2 to 3 feet away from the For Sale sign. This is usually accompanied with a prayer to St Joseph to ask that he help pray for your home to sell quickly. This is traditionally done with a series of prayers said consecutively over 9 days.
The prayers are as follows:
- O God, guider 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.
- 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 left all I do be done with love.
- O God, ever faithful, you remember us always and in time reveal your blessings. Help me trust in you, as St Joseph faithfully trust, and never let me lose faith in the wonderful gifts you promise me.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.