De sancto Ioseph

On Saint Joseph

The month of March is dedicated to Saint Joseph, earthly father to Jesus Christ and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is on the nineteenth of March that we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and throughout the whole month we reflect on the patronage, protection and intercession of Saint Joseph for the whole Church.

Three aspects are particularly important when reflecting on Saint Joseph – namely his fatherhood, his chastity and his work.

First of all, in considering the fatherhood of Saint Joseph, we must first outline the fact that there is much more to being a father than the biological aspect. Many people with stepfathers and foster fathers around the world could testify to that fact. Fatherhood involves the entire education of a child, and ultimately the sacrifice of self for the good of the family. In this regard Saint Joseph excelled in protecting and caring for the Holy Child and His Holy Mother. Even before Jesus was born, Joseph provided and protected Him and Mary on the journey to Bethlehem. He supported Mary during the Nativity. It was Joseph who was commanded to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to avoid Herod’s wrath (Mt 2:13-15).

He also assumed the proper authority that comes with fatherhood. This assumption was by divine decree since the angel Gabriel told Saint Joseph “to name [the child] Jesus” (Mt 1:22). By this act of naming, he properly assumed the role of father to Jesus for the remainder of his life. Furthermore, Jesus, ever humbling himself, accepted this authority, thus sanctifying filial obedience within the family (Lk 2:51). This obedience in turn reflects Jesus’ obedience to the Father.

The fatherhood of Saint Joseph to Jesus cannot be separated from his marriage to Mary for it is particularly through Mary that Joseph is Jesus’ father. Mary herself refers to Joseph as Jesus’ father. It is also important to emphasise the truth of the marriage. Although Joseph and Mary had no sexual relations with each other, they were truly a unity in heart and mind. Thus Saint Joseph shares in the most intimate way the relationship of Mary with Jesus. This perfect love that Saint Joseph has for Jesus once again has as its origin the divine love of the Father for the Son, through the Holy Spirit. From this love of Jesus and Mary sprang the virtue of chastity. The deep spiritual union of all three members of the Holy Family meant that a physical relationship was not necessary. Joseph and Mary were closer spiritually than they could ever be physically. Furthermore, Joseph is described as a righteous man (Mt 1:19) and so, as a God-fearing man, he knew that Jesus was the fulfilment of the Scriptures, and that Mary accordingly fulfilled the corresponding types. One such example is the fact that Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14), and that Mary is consequently the New Ark of the Covenant, just as the old Ark of the Covenant held the two stone tablets of the word of God. He would also have known that humans were forbidden from touching the Ark under pain of death (cf. 2 Sam 6:7). Thus Joseph, as a righteous and God-fearing man, would have understood his duties and obligations within the Holy Family, such as taking Jesus and Mary to the Temple to be presented and purified, and to Jerusalem each year for the Passover.

Finally, Jesus was known as the son of a carpenter (Mt 13:55; cf. Mk 6:3). In order to provide for the family, Joseph worked as a carpenter. In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II states that “by means of work man participates in the activity of God himself” (26). For no one else can this be truer than Saint Joseph, who, in passing on his skills, taught Jesus carpentry, and so God truly participated in his work. Moreover, his silence in the Gospels draws a greater emphasis to what he did, and that he did it in faith and in righteousness.

Now that we have very briefly considered these aspects of Saint Joseph, it is now important to consider what devotion to Saint Joseph means.

First of all, Saint Joseph is a great model for fatherhood. All fathers can look to Saint Joseph and find in him their best example of a father and someone devoted to the Lord Jesus and to His blessed Mother. Asking him for his intercession should help all those who are becoming fathers, whether biologically or through adoption or other circumstances, and indeed all fathers in general in both their joys and in their sufferings. Priests, too, do well in following Saint Joseph’s example, as they are spiritual, rather than biological, fathers to those entrusted to their care.

Those without a father or a father figure in their life may also turn to Saint Joseph who will be a father to them and guide them.

Secondly, Saint Joseph is a model for bishops, who themselves are guardians of the Church just as Saint Joseph was the guardian of the very earliest church consisting only of the Holy Family. As Joseph took them to Bethlehem where Jesus was born and as he fulfilled his duties in taking Jesus and Mary to the Temple for the presentation and to Jerusalem each year for the Passover, so too do Bishops guide the Church in its obligations.

Thirdly, Saint Joseph is the patron of the dying as he had Jesus and Mary by him as he died. Let us all hope that we feel the presence of Jesus and His Mother in our last hour.

Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who devote their lives to labour, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, setting devotion to duty in preference to my own whims; to work with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honour to employ and to develop by my labour the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents wasted, of good omitted, and of vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death, Amen.

Litany of Saint Joseph

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Renowned offspring of David, pray for us.

Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.

Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.

Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.

Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Joseph most just, pray for us.

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.

Joseph most prudent, pray for us.

Joseph most strong, pray for us.

Joseph most obedient, pray for us.

Joseph most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of patience, pray for us.

Lover of poverty, pray for us.

Model of artisans, pray for us.

Glory of home life, pray for us.

Guardian of virgins, pray for us.

Pillar of families, pray for us.

Solace of the wretched, pray for us.

Hope of the sick, pray for us.

Patron of the dying, pray for us.

Terror of demons, pray for us.

Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. He made him the lord of his household.

R. And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever.

R. Amen.