A Novena to St. Joseph (Meditations)

I

ST. JOSEPH IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES

1st Prelude.—Behold St. Joseph on his throne of glory in heaven.

2nd Prelude.—Ask for grace to understand in some degree the importance of the place that St. Joseph holds in the designs of Providence.

1st Point.—“Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you.—Gen. xli. 55.

2nd Point.—Joseph, her husband, being a just man.”—Matt. i. 19.

3rd Point.—“Is not this the carpenter’s Son?”—Matt. xiii. 55.

1ST POINT.—“Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you.—Gen. xli. 55.

Consideration.—We learn from the Book of Genesis that Pharaoh, King of Egypt, made the patriarch Joseph, the son of Jacob, steward over his household, guardian of his treasures, and governor of his people. “Thou shalt be over my house, and at the commandment of thy mouth all the people shall obey: only in the kingly throne will I be above thee” (Gen. xli. 40). And the King said to Joseph: “I am Pharaoh; without thy commandment no man shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. . . . And he turned his name, and called him in the Egyptian tongue, The Saviour of the world” (Gen. xli. 44-45). And after seven years of plenty, behold a famine came upon the land, as had been foretold by Joseph. But, provident guardian of the people as he was, to provide against “the seven years of scarcity,” Joseph had laid up an abundant store of corn in every city. “And when they began to be famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for food, and he said to them: Go to Joseph: and do all that he shall say to you.” “And all the provinces came into Egypt to buy food and to seek some relief of their want.”—Gen. xli. 57.

Application.—It is not hard to see in the patriarch Joseph the type and forerunner of his great successor and namesake, St. Joseph. For 1st, St. Joseph was God’s chief steward on earth. He was the foster-father of Jesus Christ. As such he was the head of the Holy Family. Jesus and Mary obeyed him as their superior. Hence Gerson exclaims: “O wonderful elevation! O incomparable miracle! The Mother of God—the Queen of Heaven—calls thee (St. Joseph) her lord, and the Incarnate Son of God calls thee father, and obeys thee.” He was, moreover, a co-operator in the work of Redemption, seeing that he took so large and necessary a part in the life and actions of the Redeemer and His Blessed Mother. 2nd, St. Joseph is also God’s steward in Heaven. St. Bernard says of him: “To some of the saints the power is given to help us in particular circumstances, but St. Joseph can assist us in every need—he can protect all who have recourse to him.” “What power,” adds the same saint, “must God not have given to the foster-father of His Son, as he was so distinguished by his virtues, and led a life of such eminent sanctity.”

Affections and Resolutions.—“Go to Joseph” in all temporal and spiritual necessities. Take him as your patron. Have great confidence in him, for he is God’s steward in Heaven, as he was on earth.

2ND POINT.—“Joseph, her husband, being a JUST MAN.”—Matt. i. 19.

Consideration.—St. Peter Chrysologus tells us that “St. Joseph is called a just man because he possessed every virtue in an eminent degree.” In the course of the following meditations we shall see how true this statement is. Meanwhile we may consider how St. Joseph manifested his justice. 1st, By doing the Will of God in all things. At a word from an angel addressed to him in sleep, without a moment’s hesitation, he embarked on a long and painful journey to Egypt. There he dwelt, not seeking to forestall the time of his return, but waiting patiently and humbly till God should please to further make known to him His Will. He spent the long silent years at Nazareth in the most entire abandonment of himself to the decrees of Providence. 2nd, St. Joseph manifested his justice by being subject to the Will of God in all things. Later on we shall contemplate him in his seven sorrows, and we shall see how, especially in those times of bitter anguish and adversity, he resigned himself in all things to the Will of God. He suffered, too, from poverty, not so much upon his own account, but because he was often forced to see the Divine Child and His Blessed Mother, both of whom he loved so dearly, deprived of even the necessaries of life, suffering, perhaps, for want of food, or from exposure to the inclemency of the elements. Amid these trials and privations, with unalterable patience and submission to the Will of God, he ever uttered in his heart the prayer, “Thy Will be done.”

Application.—Our Blessed Lord is said to have taught St. Catherine of Siena three things regarding conformity to the Will of God. 1st. That nothing whatsoever happens except by God’s Will (operating permissively or actively). 2nd. That God always does what is best according to the laws of His Divine Wisdom. 3rd. That God does what is most useful for us in accordance with His goodness and love in our regard. Our conformity must show itself actively and passively: actively with respect to what depends on our free will, by practising obedience; passively with respect to what depends on God’s Will (operating, as we have said, permissively or actively) by resignation and submission. Do we exercise conformity to God’s Will in these ways?

Affections and Resolutions.—To beg of St. Joseph to obtain for you in all things conformity to the Will of God.

3RD POINT.—“Is not this the carpenter’s Son?”—Matt. xiii. 55.

Consideration.—St. Joseph earned his bread by practising his trade as a carpenter, for Jesus was called “the carpenter’s Son.” Hence we may infer that St. Joseph’s life was—1st, a life of labour; 2nd, a life of labour with God; 3rd, a life of labour for God. Firstly, it was a life of labour. He was very poor, and but poorly paid for his work, seeing that those he worked for were probably almost as poor as himself and could not afford to pay him much. Nevertheless he had to support the Holy Family, and this could only be done by hard and unremitting toil. Secondly, he worked with God, in the sense that he worked in the actual presence of the Man-God, and also in the sense that he seasoned his work with prayer. Laborare est orare, to work (with the proper dispositions) is to pray. Further, he worked with God in the sense that his work was done in the state of grace. Thirdly, he worked for God, that is to say, with purity of intention, to promote the honour and glory of God.

Application.—In all this St. Joseph is our model. For, firstly, our lives, like his, must be lives of work. (a) Work was the condition of human existence before the fall, much more so after the fall, when it became a Divinely imposed penance: “Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy brow.” (b) It is the necessary condition of success in life. It is, ordinarily speaking, the diligent workers who succeed best in the world. (c) It is the purchase-money of our future glory. On the work we do for God will largely depend our reward in Heaven. (d) It creates content and peace of mind. Are not our happiest days those in which our hands are full of work? (e) It saves the soul from many spiritual dangers, according to the proverb: “The idle man’s mind is the devil’s workshop.” Secondly, our lives, like St. Joseph’s, must be lives of labour with God, by keeping ourselves in the presence of God, by uniting prayer with our work, and above all by keeping our souls in the state of grace, without which there can be no merit or reward in Heaven. Thirdly, we must work for God, by doing our work with a pure intention.

Affections and Resolutions.—Examine yourself on these three heads, and see if your work has hitherto been profitable for eternity. Ask St. Joseph to obtain for you a great spirit of work.

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 9.

II

ST. JOSEPH’S SUPEREMINENT SANCTITY. (I.)

1st Prel.—Behold St. Joseph, with Jesus and Mary, occupied in his daily avocations in the holy house of Nazareth.

2nd Prel.—Ask grace to understand the sources of St. Joseph’s supereminent sanctity.

St. Joseph is the greatest of the saints of God because:

1st Point.—He was the spouse of Mary.

2nd Point.—He was the companion of Jesus.

1ST. POINT.—St. Joseph was the Spouse of Mary.

Consideration.—St. Joseph was the Spouse of Mary, her true and real husband, a position which proclaims him to be that fortunate man whose lot the Wise Man asserts to be the most enviable. “Happy is the husband of a good wife.” St. Matthew expressly calls St. Joseph the husband of Mary. “Joseph, her husband, being a just man” (Matt. i. 19). A good wife loves her husband tenderly. To him belongs the first place in her thoughts, her greatest desire is for his welfare. Now Mary was the best of spouses, she loved St. Joseph with a love exceeding far her love for anyone except Our Lord Himself. How constantly, then, must she not have prayed for him, how many graces must she not have obtained for him, how much merit must she not have won for him. And we all know something of the power of Mary’s prayer, and that those she loves cannot but make vast strides in holiness of life. 2nd. Yet even stronger still was the power of her example and society. The mere sight of anyone we highly esteem powerfully incites us to imitate his example. What an effect, then, had the dazzling example of our Blessed Lady on St. Joseph! 3rd. Not merely the visible presence of the saints but even the sight of their images exposed for veneration in our churches, urges us to holiness of life. Of all the pictures and statues that the Church erects before our eyes, there are none that so urge us to devotion as the pictures and statues of our Blessed Lady. How many a sinner has been rescued from a life of sin and brought back to God and to repentance while kneeling at the foot of Mary’s altar? How many a cold or tepid heart has summoned up courage to rise to better things while gazing on her image? The pictured holiness of Mary has been strength to the weak, fire to the cold of heart, consolation to the sorrowful, power of resistance to the tempted.

Application.—What, then, must have been the effect of Mary’s constant bodily presence on the soul of Joseph! He dwelt with her, talked with her familiarly, ate at the same table with her, above all he prayed with her. What flames of divine love must have consumed his heart, as he saw before him, not her sculptured image, but her living presence. What faith, and hope, and purity, and profound humility must not her constant presence have inspired him with!

Affections and Resolutions.—O glorious saint! obtain that I, too, like you, may grow in sanctity and every virtue from the contemplation of my Mother Mary.

2ND POINT.—He was the Companion of Jesus.

Consideration.—But greater far than Mary’s influence on Joseph was that exercised on him by One, of whose holiness even Mary’s was but the faintest shadow. If St. Joseph derived wonderful sanctity from his converse with the Virgin, how much more so from his perpetual and close connection with Our Blessed Lord Himself. St. Thomas has beautifully shown that the nearer anything approaches its source, the more fully it partakes of the properties of that source; thus the light that is nearest to the sun is the most dazzling; the heat that is nearest to the fire is most ardent; the water that is nearest to the fountain is the purest. Now, no one, save the Virgin Mother, ever approached more nearly to Jesus Christ, the source and fountain of all sanctity, than did St. Joseph, and consequently no one save our Blessed Lady can have shared more fully in the sanctity of God Himself. What floods of grace were poured into his soul owing to his being constantly in the company of Jesus Christ! He bore the Infant Saviour in his arms into Egypt; for years they worked together in the little workshop at Nazareth, they prayed and talked and took their meals together, they were in each other’s company almost incessantly for well-nigh thirty years. What a marvellously sanctifying effect upon St. Joseph had this close union with the Saviour! No tongue of man can tell the wonders that this constant presence of Jesus wrought within the soul of Joseph.

Application.—For us, too, if we endeavour to cultivate it, the practice of the presence of God will be a source of sanctity and peace. Spiritual writers are agreed that to walk habitually in the presence of God is a most powerful means of sanctification. “Walk before me and be perfect,” said God to Abraham of old. “Seek our Lord and be confirmed; seek His face continually,” is the admonition of the Psalmist. As the sponge in the midst of the sea is entirely surrounded by the water, and penetrated by it to its very centre, so, too, are we completely plunged in and surrounded by the infinite ocean of God’s greatness, so that, speaking of God, St. Paul assures us that “In Him we live, move, and have our being.” How, then, are we to practise this exercise of the presence of God? 1st, By making an Act of Faith: “My God, I believe Thou art here present within me.” 2nd, By uniting to this, short acts of love towards God as present within you: “My God, who art really present within me, I love Thee with my whole heart and soul.” 3rd, And lastly, by sometimes offering up to God within us the action we are occupied in. “My God, I offer this action to Thee. I do it all for love of Thee.”

Affections and Resolutions.—St. Joseph, Patron of interior life, teach me how to walk in the presence of God, by sometimes turning to Him in my daily occupations, in acts of faith and love and generous oblation of myself, and of my work to Him whose eye is ever fixed upon me.

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual Reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 1.

III

ST. JOSEPH’S SUPEREMINENT SANCTITY. (II.)

Preludes as in the previous meditation.

Again, St. Joseph is the greatest of the saints of God, because:—

1st Point.—He was the Guardian and Superior of the Holy Family.

2nd Point.—He laboured in the immediate service of the Holy Family.

3rd Point.—He was the Consort of the Queen of Heaven.

1ST POINT.—St. Joseph was the Guardian and Superior of the Holy Family.

Consideration.—1. St. Joseph was the divinely appointed guardian of Mary. One of the chief reasons why he was wedded to our Blessed Lady was that he might be the faithful guardian of her virginity. How exquisite must have been the holiness and piety of him who was thus from all eternity marked out to watch over and protect the Immaculate Virgin herself. 2nd. Yet there still remains a higher dignity conferred upon St. Joseph. He was to be the guardian and superior of Him who rules the world. For well nigh thirty years the Word Incarnate, at Whose Name each knee shall bend, in heaven, on earth, and in hell, was Himself subject to the loving sway of His great foster-father, St. Joseph. How great, think you, was the sanctity of one selected from eternity to guide and govern the Man-God; chosen to instruct Him in His tender years, to preserve Him amid the perils of a foreign land, to procure for Him the necessary clothes and food and shelter, to watch over Him with loving, constant care, amid the many sorrows that the fact of His becoming Man exposed Him to.

Application.—We read in the Book of Esther how regal honours were decreed to Mardochai for discovering and revealing a plot against King Assuerus, and thereby saving the king’s life. And if Mardochai was rewarded for his loyalty by receiving royal honours, how much more does St. Joseph merit this reward?

Affections and Resolutions.—I now begin, O glorious Saint, to understand in some degree the greatness and the splendour of thy reign in Heaven. Watch over and protect me from thy throne above.

2ND POINT.—St. Joseph laboured in the immediate service of the Holy Family.

Consideration.—When men have done all that in them lies for God, they can, after all, only call themselves unprofitable servants. This can be asserted even of the greatest saints. Yet, one there was who need not acknowledge before God his uselessness. For he was important, even necessary for the accomplishment of God’s designs on earth. By his labours St. Joseph prevented the Infant Saviour from dying of hunger, from perishing of cold. He succoured the Man-God in all his necessities, so that in a certain sense it may be said that, without his assistance, Christ could not have spent as He did the earlier years of His life on earth. And now I seem to stand in spirit at the Judgment seat and hear the sound of the last great trumpet calling all to judgment. The tribunal is already set. The Judge appears, and after casting a withering glance of wrath upon the wicked, He turns to the elect with looks of loving welcome, and speaks to them the words—“I was hungry and you gave Me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me to drink . . . naked and you covered Me.” And then, full of wonder, the just will answer, saying—“Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and fed Thee, thirsty and gave Thee to drink?” And the King will say to them—“Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren you did it to Me.” But one there is among that mighty throng to whom Christ can say, literally, “I was hungry and you gave Me to eat,” etc. It is His great foster-father, St. Joseph; and the Saint, so far from being astonished, will say to his former foster Son, and present Judge—“Thou hast not forgotten how when Thou wert hungry I sought out food for Thee; how under the glowing sun of Egypt, or out in the burning desert, when Thine infant lips were parched with thirst, I sought for water to assuage it; how often, as we lay to rest beneath the open sky, I placed my garment over Thee, to give Thee warmth and shelter in the chilly dews of night.” In this wise will St. Joseph answer Christ his Judge.

Application.—Let us imitate St. Joseph by being charitable towards the poor and needy, recognizing in them the Person of Our Lord, and remembering that what we do for them He will take as done for Himself.

Affections and Resolutions.—Obtain for me, O Glorious Saint, to understand, more and more, thy supereminent sanctity, and the power and glory thou enjoyest in Heaven.

3RD POINT.—St. Joseph the Consort of the Queen of Heaven.

Consideration.—Yet further still have we to go before we fully understand the greatness and the power of St. Joseph. Mary, as we know, is Queen of Heaven. Now he who has espoused a queen is raised by that very fact to a sublime dignity, and shares in some sort in the greatness and splendour of his spouse.

Application.—If St. Joseph be the consort of the Queen of Heaven, how can he be inferior to the saints over whom he, in some sense, reigns in glory? Must he not be above them all in dignity and power? Hence it is that Suarez, one of the greatest theologians in the Church, does not hesitate to say: “I consider it a pious and probable belief that St. Joseph surpasses all the other saints in sanctity and grace.”

Affections and Resolutions.—Have unbounded confidence in the power of St. Joseph. Turn to him in all your spiritual and temporal necessities, and be assured that you will never have recourse to him in vain.

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 10.

IV

THE SEVEN JOYS AND SORROWS OF ST. JOSEPH

1st Prel.—Behold St. Joseph kneeling with the Blessed Virgin beside the newly-born Saviour at the Crib of Bethlehem.

2nd Prel.—Ask grace to understand and sympathize with the Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph.

1st Point.—St. Joseph’s First Sorrow and First Joy.

2nd Point.—St. Joseph’s Second Sorrow and Second Joy.

3rd Point.—St. Joseph’s Third Sorrow and Third Joy.

1ST POINT.—St. Joseph’s First Sorrow and First Joy.

Consideration.—St. Joseph’s life had from the beginning been overshadowed by much suffering, but it was only after he had espoused the Virgin Mary that a really crushing sorrow overtook him. On her return from her visit to St. Elizabeth he could not help becoming aware that she was with child. How was this to be explained? He was too profoundly convinced of the peerless sanctity of Mary to give even the most passing heed to any suggestion in any way derogatory to her. Yet he was utterly perplexed, profoundly grieved.

2. But succour was at hand. His anguished cry for light and guidance had been heard. For lo! in sleep an angel stood beside him, radiant with the light of heaven above. “Fear not,” the angel whispered in the silence of the night, “to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her womb is of the Holy Ghost.” O! who can tell the intense joy and consolation that flooded the hitherto afflicted soul of Joseph as he listened to the angel’s message? All his bitter sorrow was now turned into peace and gladness unimaginable. He was to be the foster-father of the Messiah, the long-expected of the nations; he was to be the spouse and guardian of the Mother of God.

Application.—How many useful lessons for our guidance in this mystery of St. Joseph’s life! 1st. In sorrow and perplexity to have recourse to God alone. 2nd. Never to lose trust and confidence in God. 3rd. Not to be precipitate in taking action, but to turn to God in loving trustful prayer for light and guidance from above. If we act so in all the perplexities of life, our sorrow, like St. Joseph’s, will be turned into joy. Or if it be not good for us to have the cross removed, yet God will give us strength and help to bear it, and even sweeten all our suffering with the secret unction of His grace.

Affections and Resolutions.—When affliction fills the soul, and we are groping in the darkness of uncertainty and sorrow, to cry aloud to God in the secret of our hearts for light and grace and guidance. “Incline unto mine aid, O God; O Lord make haste to help me.”

2ND POINT.—St. Joseph’s Second Sorrow and Second Joy.

Consideration.—The mandate from Imperial Rome had come. There was to be a general enrolment of the Jews. Mary in her delicate condition and St. Joseph must leave, and that at once, their little mountain home in Nazareth, and enter on a long and weary journey of some eighty miles to Bethlehem. Tired and footsore, after many days of travel, they reached the little town. Joseph’s first endeavour was to find a place of shelter for the Virgin Mother. From inn to inn, from house to house he turned in vain. Everywhere there was the same cold, heartless answer: “No room, no room.” The night was coming on. He must get shelter somewhere. They could not spend the hours of darkness out in the cold deserted streets. At length they found a cave that served as a stable for a neighbouring homestead. Was this to be the palace of the Infant King of Heaven? The loving heart of Joseph bled with sorrow at the thought of all the Virgin Mother and her Child would have to suffer in this wretched lodging.

2. And as the night wore on, and while the town of Bethlehem was steeped in sleep, the songs of angels filled the little cave, and heavenly glory shone around it, and the Word made Flesh came down to dwell amongst us in the form of a beauteous Infant God. And Joseph’s soul was wrapt in ecstasy of joy, as kneeling by the crib he gazed in rapturous contemplation on the newly-born Babe. A moment of such joy was cheaply purchased at the cost of days of toil and sorrow.

Application.—We too, with Joseph and the Virgin Mother, will take our place beside the Crib of Bethlehem in lowly adoration, and in loving contemplation of the newly-born Babe. We shall ask these two companions of the Infant Saviour to fill our souls with sentiments like theirs.

Affections and Resolutions.—Kneeling that first Christmas night with Mary and St. Joseph at the Infant Saviour’s side, pour forth the fervent affections of your heart in acts of love, oblation, and petition.

3RD POINT.—St. Joseph’s Third Sorrow and Third Joy.

Consideration.—Eight days after the birth of a Jewish boy, took place the ceremony of circumcision. It was the first shedding of the Saviour’s Blood, His first keen sting of pain. Hard by, His Mother stood, and listened to His infant cries, and bitter sorrow surged within her heart and that of her dear spouse as they thought of all the suffering that yet awaited Him. It was for our sins the Divine Infant and His Mother and St. Joseph suffered. Should not we, too, be willing to suffer in atonement for our own sins?

2. Yet this sorrow was accompanied by consolation. An angel had informed St. Joseph that the Child should be called Jesus. It was St. Joseph’s wondrous privilege to confer the Sacred Name. How great must not have been the sanctity of him who thus was chosen to name the Godhead with the Name of Jesus, Saviour. What sweetness filled his soul as, for the first time, he breathed that sweetest of all names.

Application.—It is sweetness in the heart and honey on the lips of those who often use it with devotion.

Affections and Resolutions.—Often to invoke the Sacred Name. “My Jesus, mercy; may I ever love Thee more and more.”

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 16.

V

THE SEVEN JOYS AND SORROWS OF ST. JOSEPH. (Continued.)

1st Prel.—Behold St. Joseph carrying the Child Jesus up to the Temple, or hurrying with Him in his arms into Egypt.

2nd Prel.—Grace to understand and sympathize with the joys and sorrows of St. Joseph.

1st Point.—St. Joseph’s Fourth Sorrow and Fourth Joy.

2nd Point.—St. Joseph’s Fifth Sorrow and Fifth Joy.

3rd Point.—St. Joseph’s Sixth Sorrow.

1ST POINT.—St. Joseph’s Fourth Sorrow and Fourth Joy.

Consideration.—What a gathering there was, that famous February morning, within the solemn precincts of the second Temple, rendered this day holier than ever was its predecessor, by the visit of the Man-God. The Messiah and His Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, Holy Simeon and Anne the prophetess, they all were there. And when the rite was done, a voice was heard that broke with awful meaning on the soul of Joseph. Strange were the words it uttered, “Behold this Child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted”; and to the trembling mother standing by it also spoke, “And thine own soul a sword shall pierce.” The heart of Joseph sank within him as he heard the words of dreadful import opening such a vista of unutterable sorrow in the future lives of those he loved the best on earth.

2. Yet neither was this sorrow unalloyed. For with it came the thought of all the countless souls that this same Child would win for God and heaven above. The suffering and the sorrows of the Man-God and of His Blessed Mother were the price of the redemption of the human race. And joy and heavenly sweetness at the thought of heaven peopled for eternity with souls redeemed, struggled with his sorrow in the breast of Joseph.

Application.—In our own case, too, how often does the prospect of trials awaiting us in days to come awaken feelings of undue anxiety and fear? How often do we feel discouraged and disheartened at the opposition, the difficulties, the sufferings, that we meet with. The thought that these things are the raw material of our future glory, the price we have to pay for heaven, will console and strengthen us. In our work for God, success is often purchased at the cost of many little disappointments and failures, and of opposition, too, even on the part of well-meaning persons.

Affections and Resolutions.—Not to give way to discouragements on such occasions. Be patient, trust in God, and persevere. Labour crossed and thwarted is often the most fruitful.

2ND POINT.—St. Joseph’s Fifth Sorrow and Fifth Joy.

Consideration.—One night a vision came to Joseph in his sleep. An angel bade him rise and take the Child and His Mother and fly into Egypt. Joseph wakened up his spouse, and with the Child they hurried forth into the darkness. On and on they went across the sandy wastes that seemed to stretch interminably towards Egypt. The weary night winds sigh around them, and the sunrise comes, and still they are toiling on. Sunrise and glowing noon, and sunset and starry midnight, and still the weary travellers journey on, carrying their precious Burden to a far off foreign land. For there are those behind them that would have robbed them of their treasure, had they not hurried out into the desert. And St. Joseph’s heart is full of apprehension lest even still they might be overtaken by their enemies.

2. Strange rumours reached them on the very night of their arrival in the land of Egypt. The wonder was on every lip. On all sides, it was related, the idols had just fallen prostrate in the pagan temples, struck down by an invisible hand. And Joseph clasped the little Infant to his breast in wondering love and admiration. For now indeed, for the first time, the omnipotence of the Divinity was clearly manifested in his precious Charge.

Application.—Like St. Joseph, let us be submissive to the Will of God, even should painful and unexpected incidents befall us. It is in such times of sudden adversity that most of all we need to turn to God in prayer and acts of resignation, and then to abandon ourselves blindly and in loving trustfulness to the guidance of His Providence. Beg of the Divine Infant, through the merits of St. Joseph, to overthrow in your heart the idols of self-love, pride, and other disorderly affections, and to enable you to conquer your predominant passion.

Affections and Resolutions.—“In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded for ever.”

3RD POINT.—St. Joseph’s Sixth Sorrow.

Consideration.—How long St. Joseph tarried in the land of banishment, we do not know with any certainty. He must have had much to suffer, and have found it hard, a stranger as he was, unfriended and unknown, to secure the means of subsistence for the Holy Family. He must have longed for the day of return to his native land. At last the summons came. Again an angel stood beside him in the night and told him that Herod was now dead, and that he might return to the land of Israel. And so, a second time, he made the weary journey across the sandy deserts that lay between him and his home. But, when, wearied out and footsore, he arrived in his own country, we may well picture his dismay and disappointment to discover that Archelaus, the son of Herod, was now upon the throne, and that, thus apparently, the danger to the life of the Divine Child was in no wise lessened.

Application.—Yet all this happened while the hand of Providence was guiding the footsteps of St. Joseph. He abandoned himself to the Divine guidance, blindly, trustfully, and lovingly, a true model of obedience.

Affections and Resolutions.—O glorious saint! obtain for me through life, in joy and sorrow and doubt, in storm and sunshine, ever to give myself without reserve into the hands of God. How happy am I if I am under the direction of obedience. At any rate I will always ask of God in all things to direct my steps.

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 18.

VI

THE SEVEN JOYS AND SORROWS OF ST. JOSEPH. (Continued.)

1st Prel.—Picture to yourself the holy home of Nazareth; see St. Joseph working in the workshop, at his trade, with Jesus Christ.

2nd Prel.—Grace to understand and sympathize in the joys and sorrows of St. Joseph.

1st Point.—St. Joseph’s Sixth Joy.

2nd Point.—St. Joseph’s Seventh Sorrow.

3rd Point.—St. Joseph’s Seventh Joy.

1ST POINT.—St. Joseph’s Sixth Joy.

Consideration.—At length his wanderings are over. Now at last he can in peace and quiet settle down with Jesus and Mary in the old place at Nazareth. Henceforth his days, with one exception, will be days of silent prayer and work, of holy contemplation, of sweetest union with Jesus and Mary, the dearest objects of his love. He is to become our model and instructor in the quiet, uneventful routine of his daily life. The Holy Home is to become the pattern of Christian homes and of religious communities in all succeeding ages.

Application.—The Holy Home of Nazareth, over which St. Joseph presided as superior, was 1st, a home of discipline and order. There was loving and exact submission to authority, punctual observance of the duties of the day, all that constitutes a regular and well regulated home or community. 2nd, It was a home of contentment. Everyone was happy and contented. There was no grumbling or dissatisfaction on the part of Jesus and Mary at the arrangements of St. Joseph. Peace and contentment, the offspring of personal holiness of life, of prayer, and of obedience, reigned in the hearts of the happy inmates of this blessed home. 3rd, It was a home of progress in perfection. No pen could picture, no words describe, the rapid and marvellous advances in the love of God, in prayer, in every species of perfection, made during these silent years at Nazareth by the members of the Holy Family. The Infant Saviour as He grew from childhood into manhood, advanced in the outward manifestations of the wisdom and grace that were essentially within Him. And Mary and St. Joseph advanced with wondrous and ever-increasing strides, in the sublime holiness and grace that were the natural outcome of their intimate and constant union with the Man-God. 4th, It was a home of Charity. A most perfect union existed between the members of the Holy Family, undisturbed by even the slightest word, or act, or look, that could in the least detract from the most refined and thoughtful exercise of charity.

Affections and Resolutions.—I will consider how I stand in these regards, and, with St. Joseph’s help, will strive to make my home, whether in religion or in the world, a little less unlike the home of Nazareth.

2ND POINT.—St. Joseph’s Seventh Sorrow.

Consideration.—Just one great sorrow broke in upon the calm and sweetness of St. Joseph’s life at Nazareth. It was the loss of the Divine Child. Jesus was now twelve years of age, and for the first time He accompanied His parents in their annual visit to the Temple. Coming home they missed Him. With agonizing fears they hurried back to the city. Haggard and wayworn, with looks that bordered on distraction, for three whole days, that passed like centuries, they wandered searching for Him through the squares and streets and public places of Jerusalem. They scanned the faces in the crowded thoroughfares, they made their way into the most unlikely places. He was nowhere to be found. Shall they never see their Child again? The thought was agony itself. The hearts of Joseph and his Blessed Spouse were wrung with grief.

Application.—It is thus that God is pleased at times to try even His dearest and most faithful friends. He seems to withdraw His presence from them. They are cold and slothful, without fervour or devotion. All is hard and painful. They resemble the Apostles overtaken in the night upon the sea of Galilee, storm-tossed, vainly trying to make headway against the winds and waves, threatened every instant with destruction.

Affections and Resolutions.—In times of spiritual desolation to imitate Mary and Joseph in diligently seeking Jesus. Or, with the Apostles in the storm, to cry to Jesus, “Lord save us, we are perishing.”

3RD POINT.—St. Joseph’s Seventh Joy.

Consideration.—At last their efforts were rewarded. After a fruitless search of three long, terrible days, St. Joseph and Our Blessed Lady found the Child Jesus in the Temple disputing with the doctors of the law. What rapture of unspeakable delight, to clasp once more their Treasure to their hearts. The night is past, the light is come into their lives again. His presence changes all their sorrow into joy.

Application.—Thus it is that God hastens to console His faithful servants, who, putting all their trust in Him, seek Him in their days of sorrow with an earnest loving heart. He gives them back far more than He deprived them of. He rewards their patience and humility a thousandfold.

Affections and Resolutions.—Beg of St. Joseph to enable you to seek your happiness and joy in Christ alone, to look for Him and to find Him in prayer and holiness of heart.

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 29.

VII

ON THE PATRONAGE OF ST. JOSEPH

1st Prel.—Behold St. Joseph looking down most lovingly upon you from his glorious throne in heaven, and interceding for you with Jesus and Mary.

2nd Prel.—Ask grace to understand how justly St. Joseph merits the title of Patron in your regard, and grace to have henceforth the greatest confidence in his protection.

Let us consider three things:

1st Point.—What it is to act as Patron.

2nd Point.—How St. Joseph discharges the office of Patron.

3rd Point.—What is the best means of securing the patronage of St. Joseph.

1ST POINT.—What it is to act as a Patron.

Consideration.—Three things are required for the exercise of patronage, both on the part of the patron and on that of the client.

I. On the part of the Patron it is necessary:—1st. That he be aware of the necessities, dangers, and needs of his client. It is obvious that he cannot apply a remedy to what he is ignorant of. 2nd. That he should have in his power the means of affording help. 3rd. That he should be willing to use these means. In other words, the patron must know the wants of his client, he must be able to help him, and he must be willing to help him. From this we may understand how fitting St. Joseph is to be our patron. For 1st, he knows our wants: his own life was one prolonged course of tribulations. 2nd, He is able to help us, for his power in heaven as the foster-father of the King and the Spouse of the Queen of Heaven is unlimited. 3rd, He is willing to help us, for he is all goodness and love for us, and longs to make the Precious Blood of the Redeemer fruitful in the souls of men.

II. On the part of the Client three things also are required:—1st, That he should make known his needs and dangers to his patron: “Seek and you shall find.” 2nd, That he should have confidence in his patron. 3rd, That he should be grateful to him for the benefits he has received from him.

Application.—Are these my sentiments with regard to my patron, St. Joseph? Do I have recourse to him in my various needs? Have I unbounded confidence in his goodness, which perhaps I have experienced on more than one occasion? Am I careful to thank him for all the helps and graces he procures for me?

Affections and Resolutions.—My glorious patron, St. Joseph, obtain for me a daily increase of confidence in your goodness, and in your power and willingness to help me.

2ND POINT.—How St. Joseph discharges the office of Patron.

Consideration.—1st. St. Joseph acted when on earth as guardian and patron of the Holy Family. He saved the Divine Infant from the pursuit of Herod; he provided for the necessities of Jesus and Mary; he watched over them with the tenderest love; he exercised in their regard the utmost zeal, constancy, and prudence. 2nd. He has been solemnly proclaimed the universal Patron of the Church, for which he procures innumerable graces, which he saves from innumerable dangers, and which, in a word, he protects with singular zeal and watchfulness. 3rd. He acts as special patron to those who are peculiarly devout to him, and who often ask his intercession.

Application.—How many motives to urge me to take St. Joseph as my special patron. If I do so, and if I often pray to him, I shall infallibly feel the wonderful power of his intercession with God. I shall make great progress in virtue, I shall get extraordinary help in every difficulty, spiritual and temporal, the secret unction of God’s grace will sweeten every labour, draw me closer to God and to His Blessed Mother, and carry me triumphant over every obstacle till I reach the goal of everlasting bliss.

Affections and Resolutions.—Great Saint! watch over me and guard me in this life, be with me at the trying hour of my death to comfort and assist me, and accompany my soul before the tribunal of Jesus Christ, there to plead in my behalf, and to secure for me a speedy entrance into the everlasting joys of heaven.

3RD POINT.—What is the best means of securing St. Joseph’s Patronage?

Consideration.—To secure the patronage and protection of St. Joseph, I must do three things: 1st. I must honour him. To this end I must (a) celebrate his feasts, i.e., the 19th March and the feast of his patronage; (b) spend the month of March devoutly in his honour; (c) do something special for him every Wednesday; (d) say some daily prayer to him; (e) sometimes meditate on his life and virtues, or on his seven joys and sorrows; (f) occasionally read books about him; (g) endeavour to promote devotion to him.

2nd. I must invoke him: (a) frequently; (b) confidently; (c) in all my spiritual and temporal necessities.

3rd. I must imitate him, especially in two things: (a) in his spirit of contentment with his lot, which was laborious, humble, poor, and unknown to the world; (b) in his unalterable charity and goodness towards all, in thought and word and deed.

Application.—Let me ask myself, do I honour, invoke, and imitate St. Joseph in the ways suggested. I will beg him to enable me to do so.

Affections and Resolutions in conformity with the three heads of the Consideration given above:

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book II., Chapter 4.

VIII

THE DEATH OF ST. JOSEPH

St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death because he himself died the happiest of happy deaths. We ought often to ask him to procure for us this grace.

1st Prel.—Behold St. Joseph sweetly resting in the arms of Jesus and Mary as he breathes forth his beautiful soul into the hands of his Creator.

2nd Prel.—I will pray, “Glorious St. Joseph! obtain for me the grace of a happy and a holy death like unto thine.”

1st Point.—The death of St. Joseph was most precious.

2nd Point.—The death of St. Joseph was most glorious.

3rd Point.—The death of St. Joseph was most happy.

1ST POINT.—The death of St. Joseph was most precious.

Consideration.—“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints,” says the Psalmist. If this may be said of the death of God’s saints in general, how much more truly may it be said of that of St. Joseph in particular, who, with the single exception of our Blessed Lady, is the greatest and most exalted of the saints of God. Three reasons may be assigned for which St. Joseph’s death was so supremely precious in the sight of God. 1st, Because of the extraordinary degree of sanctity to which he attained while here on earth, and the immense store of sanctifying grace, and consequently of supernatural merit, which he had accumulated during his long life spent in the exalted practice of every virtue. The years that he had spent in the immediate service and in the actual corporal presence of Jesus Christ, added enormously to this precious accumulation of merit and sanctifying grace with which his soul was so sublimely adorned at the moment of his death. 2nd, Because of the exalted office to which he was called in the designs of God, and which he discharged with such purity of intention, such whole-hearted and generous application of his powers, and such unwearied constancy and perseverance. The part which he performed in connection with the work of our Redemption as the foster-father of the Son of God, and the spouse and protector of the Virgin Mother, places him on a level high above the other saints of God. 3rd, Because of the splendour of the reward that awaited him, which was proportioned to the degree of merit and sanctifying grace that he possessed at death, his throne in heaven is high above those of all the other saints, whom he far outshines in glory and celestial gifts.

Application.—Let us, too, after the example of St. Joseph, ever bear in mind that our chief duty in this life is to lay up treasure for the everlasting years. This we shall do by keeping ourselves in the state of grace; by making copious use of the established fountains and sources of actual and sanctifying grace, especially the Sacraments, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; by fidelity and purity of intention; by the fervent and careful discharge of daily duties, and by seeking in all things the Kingdom of God. Thus shall our lives be a perpetual preparation for a happy death.

Affections and Resolutions.—Glorious St. Joseph! help me to imitate, even in a very humble way, the holiness of your life, that my death, too, may be precious in the sight of God.

2ND POINT.—The death of St. Joseph was most glorious.

Consideration.—St. Joseph’s death was rendered glorious: 1st, By the presence of the angels. So intimate and constant during his lifetime were his relations with the holy angels that we may well believe they crowded round to bring him help and consolation in his dying moments. 2nd, By the presence of Jesus and Mary. They had known and loved and lived with him for well nigh thirty years, and now that the time had come for him to leave them, all the love and tenderness of all those years were gathered into one and focussed on the parting scene of his departure from this life. When did ever human being die amid such glorious company, in the loving embraces of the King and Queen of Heaven itself.

Application.—Let our conversation, as the Apostle bids us, be in heaven. Would that by our conversation with the angels, by our familiar devotion to the persons of Jesus and Mary, we might merit their assistance at the hour of our death. If in life we are devout to the Sacred Heart and our Blessed Lady, may we not hope that, as in the case of St. Joseph, they will be at hand to comfort and sustain us in our death. If, on the other hand, we seldom pray to them or think of them in life, what right have we to look for their sustaining presence at the hour of death?

Affections and Resolutions.—O great St. Joseph! by your own most glorious death, I beg of you to obtain for me by your powerful intercession with God the solace of your presence and that of Jesus and Mary to comfort and support me as I “cross the bar.”

3RD POINT.—The death of St. Joseph was most happy.

Consideration.—St. Joseph’s death was happy: 1st, Because of the profound peace of soul in which he died. This peace sprung from the testimony of a good conscience, together with the consciousness of a holy life in the past and a glorious reward awaiting him in the future. 2nd, Because of the remembrance of so many labours, trials, and afflictions borne with unflinching patience for the love of God and the salvation of men’s souls. 3rd, Because of his entire conformity to the Divine Will. He knew that nothing could befall him but by the Will of God, and he rested with absolute serenity and confidence in the loving Hand that guided all his destinies. “Deducis velut ovem Joseph: Thou dost lead Joseph like a sheep.”

Application.—We also shall have a happy death on similar conditions. We must cultivate great purity of conscience; we must be patient in the trials God allows to overtake us in this life, they are the raw material of our future glory; we must, in fine, conform our will to that of God in all the untoward events of life.

Colloquy with St. Joseph, asking him to obtain for you the grace to die well. Beg of him to enable you to keep the thought of death habitually before you, and to make your life a constant preparation for a happy death.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book I., Chapter 13.

IX

SPECIAL GRACES OBTAINED THROUGH ST. JOSEPH’S INTERCESSION.

1st Prel.—Behold St. Joseph on his throne in heaven.

2nd Prel.—Ask for great confidence in St. Joseph’s intercession.

1st Point.—St. Joseph, patron of interior life, and of purity and innocence of heart.

2nd Point.—St. Joseph, patron of love of Jesus and Mary, and of temporal affairs.

3rd Point.—St. Joseph, patron of a happy death.

1ST POINT.—St. Joseph, patron of interior life and of purity and innocence of heart.

Consideration.—St. Teresa was accustomed to say, “I have never asked anything of St. Joseph in vain, nor have I ever known anyone who was particularly devout to him who did not continually advance in virtue. For the love of God,” she adds, “let anyone who does not believe this make trial of it for himself.” Among the favours that St. Joseph obtains for his clients there are some that stand forth prominently as though being in a very special manner the fruits of devotion practised in his honour. These we shall consider in this meditation: Firstly, then, he is the patron of interior life; for (a) he was ever most closely united to Jesus and Mary, and for many years his life was passed entirely in their company and in most intimate converse with them. This most close and constant union with the holiest beings on earth was the secret of the wonderful vigour and sanctity of his interior life. Moreover, as he was so remarkable himself in this respect, he loves to obtain for his clients the grace of leading an interior life of close and constant union with God and with His Blessed Mother. (b) He was entirely dead to the world and to its pleasures. Wholly occupied with Jesus and Mary, and entirely devoted to their interests, he neither knew nor cared anything about the pleasures or preoccupations of the world without. All his joys and sorrows were the joys and sorrows of his blessed Spouse and the Divine Child.

Again, he is the patron of purity and innocence of heart. He was (a) the spouse of the purest of Virgins, the guardian of virginity itself, and as such he must have been possessed of extraordinary purity of heart. (b) Furthermore, he was the constant companion of Jesus, and this constant companionship necessarily produced in him wonderful innocence of life, an absolute immunity from sin, which of its very nature would be incompatible with the constant living presence of the Godhead.

Application.—There is a close connection between interior life and purity of heart. They are co-relative, the one resulting from the other. If we are true clients of St. Joseph he will get for us these precious graces, especially if we often ask him to obtain them for us.

Affections and Resolutions.—Thank God for the wonderful degree in which he was pleased to bestow these graces on St. Joseph, and ask the Saint to procure for you in some degree a share in these most precious gifts.

2ND POINT.—St. Joseph, patron of love of Jesus and Mary, and of temporal affairs.

Consideration.—No saint was ever so remarkable for love of Jesus and Mary as St. Joseph. Every circumstance of his life contributed to strengthen and increase this love. Hence he is naturally the patron of those who seek to grow in love of Christ and of His Blessed Mother. 2nd. Again, as head of the Holy Family, he was responsible for the management of their temporal affairs. He had to procure for them the means of subsistence, to provide for all their wants. And we can easily imagine that, being very poor, and having to depend upon the labour of his hands for their support, he must at times have found it hard to provide them with even the necessaries of life. He knows, then, what it is to have the worry and responsibility of providing for a family or a community. He knows well what it is to feel the pinch of poverty. Great Saint though he was, it was his destiny to be largely occupied with temporal affairs, and hence his sympathy with those who, whether on their own account or else as heads of families or superiors of religious communities, are obliged to devote a large portion of their time and thoughts to purely temporal concerns. He sympathizes with their troubles and anxieties. He lends a willing ear to their petitions for material help.

Application.—Let all those who find it hard to face the struggle of daily life, all those whose means of subsistence are scanty or precarious, all those who have the burden of providing for the wants of others, turn with unbounded confidence to the great patron of all temporal affairs, St. Joseph, and let them be assured that they will never have recourse to him in vain. It is said that he is slow of hearing, that he tries the patience and the perseverance of his clients. If, indeed, he does delay at times, one thing is certain, namely, that he is very sure to answer in the end, and that in a degree that will more than justify the confidence of those who persevere in seeking his assistance.

Affections and Resolutions.—In all temporal affairs to turn to St. Joseph with persevering and unshaken trust.

3RD POINT.—St. Joseph the patron of a happy death.

Consideration.—St. Joseph died, himself, the happiest of happy deaths. He died reposing in the arms of Jesus and of Mary. Hence he is the patron of a happy death. To die well is the greatest of all graces: it means eternal happiness in heaven. This grace of a happy, holy death is, of all others, the grace for which St. Joseph is most commonly invoked, the grace he is most willing to procure for us.

Application.—To save our souls is the one great business of our lives. The ultimate object of our existence here on earth, and the necessary condition of attaining it is to die a happy death. On death depends eternity. Hence no effort is too great to secure this last great crowning grace of dying well. St. Joseph will procure it for us if we are devout to him. He will enable us to make our lives a fitting preparation for a happy death.

Affections and Resolutions.—To say some short prayer, or practise some devotion every day to St. Joseph for the grace of final perseverance and a happy death.

Colloquy with St. Joseph.

Spiritual reading.—“Imitation of Christ,” Book III., Chapter 5.

PRAYERS FOR THE NOVENA OF ST. JOSEPH

EFFICACIOUS PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

O Glorious St. Joseph! faithful follower of Jesus Christ, to thee do we raise our hearts and hands, to implore thy powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the helps and graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly the grace of a happy death, and the special favour we now implore [mention it].

(Then say the following Versicle and Response seven times in honour of the seven joys and sorrows of St. Joseph).

V. O Glorious St. Joseph! through the love thou bearest to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His Name,

R. Hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.

LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH

Approved by Pope Pius X., March 18th, 1909.

Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

Holy Mary,
Saint Joseph,
Illustrious Son of David,
Splendour of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin,
Foster-Father of the Son of God,
Watchful Defender of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most pure,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most courageous,
Joseph most obedient,
Pray for us.

Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of all who labour,
Glory of family life,
Guardian of virgins,
Mainstay of families,
Solace of the afflicted,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church,
Pray for us.

V. He hath made him master of His house.

R. And ruler of all His possessions.

Let us Pray.

O God, Who in Thine ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thy most holy Mother; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom on earth we venerate as our Protector, Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

300 days Indulgence once a day, applicable to the souls in Purgatory.

(Decree of Pius X., March 18, 1909).