Reflecting on Saint Joseph - Ninth Day

"Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands. His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." (Psalm 111:1,7)

Fidelity to Grace

"The just man shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow" (Psalm 91:13). A wealth of meaning can be found in this brief statement which the liturgy applies to Saint Joseph.

Among all trees, the palm is designated as royal. Saint Joseph was a prince of the House of David, the spouse of the Queen of heaven, the virgin father of Christ the King.

The palm rises to a height generally exceeding that of all other trees. The exalted heights of Saint Joseph's dignity can be approached by none other, excepting only the Immaculate Mother of God.

In proportion to its height, the palm tree has sunk its roots deep into the earth; thus it stands firm in spite of any buffeting by the winds. The steadfastness of Saint Joseph's virtue has won for him the title of "Joseph most just."

The psalmist, writing in an age less scientifically accurate than our own, held the opinion commonly accepted in his day that the palm produced its fruit without pollination. Saint Joseph's dignity rests upon his position as virgin father of Jesus.

The tall, columnar trunk of the palm is devoid of branches but is crowned with large, graceful leaves. Saint Joseph's steady, unspectacular growth in virtue raised him to a lofty degree of sanctity which God has crowned with honor and glory to the delight of all who gaze upon it.

Finally, the palm is an extremely important and valuable plant from the economic point of view. Throughout history it has served man's need for nourishment and protection and its gracefulness has contributed to the arts. In the inspiring Litany of Saint Joseph he is invoked as "guardian," "protector," and "ornament of domestic life." As Patron of the Universal Church he is charged with an over-all responsibility for the care and welfare of each member of Christ's Mystical Body.

But it is not only the palm tree that adequately symbolizes Saint Joseph. "Like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow" (Psalm 91:13). Three characteristics of the cedars of Lebanon apply to Saint Joseph. The wood of this tree has ever been highly prized for its fragrance as well as for its durability.

The virtues of Saint Joseph have never ceased to send forth an "odor of sweetness"; and time has been powerless to diminish the glory of this chosen saint, this "wood-worker" who provided an inviolable shelter for Mary, the Ark of the Covenant, as well as a shrine for the Incarnate Son of God.

The most distinctive feature of the Lebanon cedar, however, is the size of its trunk, from which extend wide-spreading branches. A fitting symbol, this, of the all-embracing protectiveness of Saint Joseph! In his devotion to Christ - a devotion which today he as generously directs toward Christ's extension in time, His Church, as he once lovingly bestowed it upon the Boy of Nazareth - Saint Joseph stands ready to provide his care and protection to all who have recourse to him.

Prayer

Dear Saint Joseph, Prince of the House of David, spouse of the Immaculate Mother of God and virgin father of Jesus Christ, help me, as I struggle in this valley of tears, to rise above the pettiness, the miseries, the wickedness of this world. Shelter me beneath your fatherly protection, preserve my soul from sin, and by the example of your holiness lead me to the kingdom of heaven.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty Father, from whom all graces come: I praise and bless and thank Thee for Saint Joseph's fidelity to grace. Grant that, through his loving intercession, I, too, may be faithful to grace. O my powerful patron Saint Joseph, obtain for me the favor I now ask.

Fidelity to the Interior Life

Artists find it difficult to depict Saint Joseph. He is, in a most special manner, "all things to all men." In symbol, the lily signifies that he is the virgin father of the Son of God; the T-square identifies him as Saint Joseph the Worker, upon whom Pope Pius XII bestowed fresh honors. Saint Joseph remains the despair of artists, however, since his glory does not depend on achievements which can be denoted by exterior signs. No episcopal or regal robes, no insignia distinguished him; he carried no crusader's cross nor did he meet a martyr's death. What set Saint Joseph apart, what elevated him to heights of sanctity that we cannot conceive, was his love of God, his absolute trust. In hours of silent contemplation there had been revealed to him his special relationship with each of the three Divine Persons: from among all men he had been selected to be the shadow of the Eternal Father; by his marriage with Mary he became the legal father of the Son of God; it was by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit that the Word became incarnate in his beloved spouse. These were truths too sacred to find expression in words. Saint Joseph stored them deep in the recesses of his soul and there pondered them in silent prayer. He came to know that within him there dwelt the Triune God, upon whom all the powers of his soul were concentrated in holy adoration. Beside him, at the carpenter's bench, toiled the youthful Christ, whom he observed advancing from day to day in wisdom, age, and grace. When he returned home from work at the end of the day, he was welcomed by Mary, the joy of Israel, the glory of her people.

The vocation of Saint Joseph brought him special graces, as does the vocation of each soul whom God calls to a life of closest intimacy with Himself. Often, as he sang the psalms of David, Saint Joseph exclaimed with fervor: "Happy the man You choose, and bring to dwell in Your courts. May we be filled with the good things of Your house, the holy things of Your Temple." (Psalm 64:5) His unerring sense of values led Saint Joseph to prefer what God had destined him for: a life of virginity, of poverty and holy obedience. In the course of such a life, constantly increasing his fidelity to the interior life, he kept his hope fixed unchangeably on the Lord. For his loving trust, his unswerving fidelity, God lavished grace upon him, and from the great patriarch's heart, bursting with gratitude, there welled up those words of his royal ancestor - words which Holy Mother Church has appropriately adopted for the Divine Office of the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker: "O Lord, in Your strength the king is glad; in Your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart's desire; You refused not the wish of his lips. For You welcomed him with goodly blessings, You placed on his head a crown of pure gold. He asked life of You: You gave him length of days forever and ever. Great is his glory in Your victory; majesty and splendor You conferred upon him. For You made him a blessing forever; You gladdened him with the joy of Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the kindness of the Most High he stands unshaken." (Psalm 20:2-8)

Prayer

Dear Saint Joseph, in your fatherly hands I place my life. Help me to fulfill, as you did, the vocation in life to which God has called me. Intercede for me that, like you, I may keep my hope fixed unchangeably on the Lord and in loving trust give glory to His name in time and in eternity.

Devotion to Our Lady

The degree of Saint Josephs blessedness is best studied in his relationship to his immaculate spouse. Three incidents may be selected which highlight Joseph's great love for the commandments of God. The remarkable feature of each incident is the proof it gives that, incomparable as was his love for Mary, his love for God was even greater.

First, there was Saint Joseph's decision when it appeared that Mary, his betrothed, had conceived a child and the angel had not yet come to him with the reassuring message: "Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20). With a firmness that won for him the evangelist's praise for being a "just man," and yet with a tenderness and sensitivity that touched the very heart of God and stirred His immediate intervention, Joseph decided upon the mildest course of action the law would allow under the circumstances. "Not wishing to expose her to reproach [he] was minded to put her away privately." (Matthew 1:19) He had the right to bring the case before the village court, but he would not even consider doing so, since it would almost certainly expose Mary to a shameful judgment and punishment. Yet as a law-abiding man he would not remain in the false position of taking Mary as his wife under the circumstances. Here was an instance of that heroic virtue which places duty to God above all human considerations.

Secondly, consider Joseph's reaction to the edict of Augustus, according to which he was obliged to go to Bethlehem to register. The time for the birth of Mary's Child was fast approaching. Solicitude for his beloved spouse made Joseph reluctant to see Mary undergo the hardships and inconvenience which such a journey would occasion. Nevertheless, the edict had been issued by the lawfully constituted authority of the State. God's law obliged him to obey, for Joseph knew well the principle which Saint Paul was later to express so forcefully: "Let everyone be subject to the higher authorities, for there exists no authority except from God, and those who exist have been appointed by God. Therefore he who resists the authority resists the ordinance of God; and they that resist bring on themselves condemnation." (Romans 13:1-2) Consequently, his human feelings had to be disregarded. Joseph had learned to put first things first. With a gentleness and understanding that more than compensated for all the hardships of the unexpected journey, Joseph made the necessary preparations and complied with the Roman emperor's command.

The flight into Egypt likewise emphasizes Joseph's unfaltering adherence to God's law, which imposed upon him the obligation to heed God's will, once it became known to him, regardless of the cost. In this case, an angel brought God's message to Saint Joseph, bidding him take his family and hasten, for safety's sake, into Egypt. "So he arose," the Gospel tells us, "and took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt" (Matthew 2:14). Saint Matthew's bare statement of the fact leaves it to the reader's imagination to reconstruct the hazards of the journey through the desert, the heart-gripping anxiety of the parents for the Child's safety, the loneliness, insecurity, and weariness that attended their flight.

Such is the example of perfect obedience to God's commandments which Saint Joseph's life provides.

Prayer

Dear Saint Joseph, I believe that obedience to God's commandments is more important than any self-selected act of devotion or self-imposed mortification. Increase my faith that I may show to those who are placed over me an obedience that is prompt, unquestioning, and complete. May I always recognize in the voice of authority the voice of God Himself and come to know the peace which accompanies humble submission.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty Father, from whom all graces come: I praise and bless and thank Thee for Saint Joseph's devotion to Our Lady. Grant that, through his loving intercession, I, too, may be truly devoted to Our Lady. O my powerful patron Saint Joseph, obtain for me the favor I now ask.

Devotion to the Divine Child

Fear of the Lord is one of the precious gifts of the Holy Ghost. It is the gift which emphasizes particularly the filial relationship between the redeemed on earth and their Father in heaven. Now, inseparable from the thought of the grace of redemption is the grateful memory of the Eternal Son of God, the Redeemer, the "one Mediator between God and men, Himself man, Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). And closely linked to the thought of Christ the Redeemer should be the thought of His beloved foster father, Saint Joseph.

In the natural as well as in the supernatural order, the position of Saint Joseph was unique. The patriarchs of the Old Law conformed their lives to the pattern given on Mount Sinai, and in faith and hope looked forward to the coming of the Messias. In their prayers they often repeated the psalm of David: "Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands. His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." (Psalm 111:1,7) In the New Law the saints constantly strive to conform their lives to the pattern Christ gave on the Mount of the Beatitudes, and in faith and hope and love they look back upon the thirty-three years of Christ's life on earth to study their Model, and look forward to the second coming of Christ in glory.

Saint Joseph needed to look neither forward nor backward. To his fatherly care and protection was entrusted Emmanuel - God-with-us. In die words of the same psalm, "He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright; He is gracious and merciful and just" (Psalm 111:4). In company with Mary, Saint Joseph heard Simeon, on the day of the presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, proclaim Him as the "light of revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32). Saint Joseph, however, among all saints whose vocation it is to reflect in themselves to a greater or lesser degree Christ, the Light of the World, and thus bear witness to His Godhead, was selected by Almighty God for a unique role. It was the precise vocation of Saint Joseph to conceal the Light of the World from men, to foster the hidden life of Jesus, to cloak with the veil of common humanity the divinity of his foster Son until the time ordained by His heavenly Father should come, when the mission of the Messias would be made manifest to the world.

Because of his sublime vocation, his exalted dignity as the divinely appointed spouse of Mary and the virgin father of Jesus, Saint Joseph's primacy among the saints has been recognized by theologians, and Christ's Vicars have proclaimed him Patron of the Universal Church. With the same fidelity with which he fulfilled his earthly vocation, Saint Joseph can be depended upon to carry out his heavenly vocation. Confidently his clients repeat the psalmist's words: "Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever" (Psalm 111:9).

Prayer

Dear Saint Joseph, accept me as your devoted client. Like you, I wish to be content to fulfill whatever vocation Providence has ordained for me. Let me never seek to attract attention to myself; rather, let me rejoice when others are praised but my good deeds are left unnoticed. With God's grace, dear Saint, I shall strive to honor you by imitating all your virtues, but especially your humility and conformity to God's will.

Concluding Prayer

Almighty Father, from whom all graces come: I praise and bless and thank Thee for Saint Joseph's devotion to the Divine Child. Grant that, through his loving intercession, I, too, may be truly devoted to Jesus. O my powerful patron Saint Joseph, obtain for me the favor I now ask.

- taken from Reflecting on Saint Joseph: A Nine-Day Devotion, by Sister Emily Joseph Daly, C.S.J.