WHAT IS AMICI DI GIUSEPPE?

Amici di Giuseppe, “Friends of St. Joseph,” is a fellowship of men committed to growing in holiness in their lives as husbands and fathers according to the life of St. Joseph in the Holy Family at Nazareth.

Men enroll in Amici di Giuseppe through this website after participating in That Man is You! or The Choice Wine programs.
They gather together on the First Wednesday or Friday of every month for Mass and/or the Rosary and fellowship with other Amici di Giuseppe men.
They participate with other men in the That Man is You! program to continue their growth in the spiritual life.

There is a special tradition in the Church to honor St. Joseph on Wednesday’s.

Click below to read about the connection to the Holy Family.

The Holy Family at Nazareth is truly the place where heaven and earth touched. It was a “paradise on earth” (Monsignor Jean Jacques Olier). In it lived Jesus Christ – the Word of God Incarnate – and the two greatest saints who ever lived – Joseph and Mary. In the Holy Family we see that marriage and family life do not detract from the spiritual life, but are “a path … to the heights of mystical union” (Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia, #316).

The 7 Steps of Paradisus Dei helps Amici di Giuseppe men live the Spirit of Nazareth so that they can climb the ladder to mystical union with God while living their lives as husbands and fathers:

Honor your Wedding Vows

In Judaism the spousal bed was called to be holy and undefiled.  The Jewish husband and wife were called to offer their spousal union to God.

Amici di Giuseppe men avoid anything that would defile their spousal relationship either actually or virtually (i.e. inappropriate media).

Use Money for Other People

In Judaism the dinner table was essential.  The Kosher laws ensured that the family would eat together and the “Separation of the Challah” required the Jewish family to share their food with those in need.

Amici di Giuseppe men seek to eat dinner together with their families at least 5 nights per week and use their material resources to strengthen families – beginning with their own.

Give God Some of Your Time

The Mosaic Law required Jews to dedicate to God a portion of every unit of time (day, week, month, year and lifetime).  Most essential were daily prayer and the weekly Sabbath rest.

Amici di Giuseppe men dedicate time to prayer every day and attend Mass with their families every Sunday.

Set Your Mind on the Things Above

Into the devout Jewish life that Mary and Joseph lived, God sent an angel to help them understand his particular plan for their life.  This plan was built upon the foundation of Judaism, but opened to the Christian mystery.

Amici di Giuseppe men dedicate themselves to contemplating the Christian mystery as it applies to their life personally.  They have a particular dedication to Scripture and the Rosary – where Mary helps them to understand the mystery of Christ’s life.

Find God in Yourself

The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would find God dwelling within herself: “The power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

Amici di Giuseppe men seek to find God’s abiding presence dwelling within them.  In turn, they seek to manifest God’s abiding presence within their homes.

Find God in Others

The angel told Joseph that he would find God dwelling within Mary: “Do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit … his name shall be Emmanuel (which means God with us)” (Matthew 1:21-23).

Amici di Giuseppe men seek to find God dwelling within their spouse and children, which leads them to provide joyful service to Christ dwelling in their family members: “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).

Practice Superabundant Mercy

The Holy Family was born of St. Joseph’s mercy.  It was born the moment Joseph chose to bring Mary into his home although the Mosaic Law stipulated that Mary should be stoned to death for carrying a child that was not Joseph’s while they were betrothed (Cf. Deuteronomy 2:23).

Amici di Giuseppe men offer themselves in loving sacrifice to obtain mercy for their family members – especially those most in need.

To be eligible to join Amici di Giuseppe, a man must complete one of the following Paradisus Dei programs focusing on the 7 Steps:

Amici di Giuseppe men make the following foundational commitments:

      • Recite Paradisus Dei’s Apostles of the New Springtime prayer every day.
      • Develop a true interior life by including silence in their daily prayer life and praying 5 decades of the Rosary every day.
      • Develop greater purity by avoiding all inappropriate media.
      • Develop greater charity by using their material resources for the benefit of the family – beginning with their own, but extending to other families (including supporting of Paradisus Dei).
      • Wear the Miraculous Medal, which carries with it the promise of “great graces” and includes symbols of Jesus and Mary. This reminds us where St. Joseph lived his life – together with Jesus and Mary.
      • Gather with other Amici di Giuseppe members on the First Wednesday or First Friday of each month.

Why Practice These Commitments?

The foundational commitments help men to overcome the three great challenges in the spiritual life (the flesh, the world and the devil) so that they have the freedom to truly live the life of St. Joseph in their family by:

Remaining an abiding presence in their home…as a reflection of God’s abiding presence within them.

Providing joyful service to their family members…who manifest Christ’s hidden face to them.

Offering loving sacrifice to obtain superabundant mercy for every member of the family, especially those most in need.

Sacramentals with particular meaning are known to be aids to prayer and help to the spiritual life. As such, a Rosary has been designed exclusively for Amici di Giuseppe members. It is the only external sign of an Amici di Giuseppe man because he must be discovered in prayer. The wooden beads remind us of St. Joseph’s work as a carpenter. The Crucifix is modeled on the Crosier of Pope St. John Paul II as a sign of our devotion to him and his teachings. The Miraculous Medal is the center piece – manifesting a special devotion to Our Lady according to the heart of St. Joseph and a spiritual tie to Lourdes, France.

Levels of Amici di Giuseppe

FRIENDS OF JOSEPH

Friends of St. Joseph are men united in a common purpose – growing in holiness in their lives as husbands and fathers, according to the life of St. Joseph in the Holy Family at Nazareth. Men agree to the commitments (See Commitments) in their pursuit of holiness. These men support one another during First Wednesday or First Friday gatherings.

 

 

 

To enroll in Friends of St. Joseph, please click the link below, complete the form and submit.

MISSIONARY TO THE FAMILY

This level entails specific formation and training to accompany families on their pathway to holiness, within a parish community. Men are encouraged to be Friends of St. Joseph members prior to entering discernment to become a Missionary to the Family.

The program begins with college-level intellectual formation by four University of Notre Dame professors. Coursework is online, takes approximately 2 hours per week to complete and includes tests.

Spiritual formation takes place across three, separate, weekend retreats led by Paradisus Dei.

Practical training for working within the Catholic parish and hierarchical structure will be offered, including working with laity in small group processes.

Paradisus Dei equips missionaries with great materials to evangelize individuals and families.