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Devotion
to St. Joseph
"...
on the day that Mary turned fourteen years old, the men, who at that time in
the city of Jerusalem were descendants of the tribe of Judah and the race of
David, gathered together in the temple. The sovereign Lady was also of that lineage. Among the number was Joseph, a native
of Nazareth, and then living in Jerusalem; for he was a one of the descendants
of the royal race of David. He was then thirty-three years of age, of
handsome person and pleasing countenance, but also of comparable modesty and
gravity; above all he was most chaste in thought and conduct, and most
saintly in all his inclinations. From his twelfth year he had made a vow of
chastity. He was related to the Virgin Mary in the third degree and was known
for the utmost purity in his life, holy and irreprehensible in the eyes of
God and men. All
these unmarried men gathered in the temple and prayed conjointly with the
priests, in order to be governed by the Holy Spirit in what they were about
to do. The Most High spoke to the heart of the high priest, inspiring him to
place in the hands of each one of the men a dry stick, with the command that
each ask his Majesty with a lively faith, to single out the one whom he had
chosen as the spouse of Mary. And as the sweet odor of her virtue and nobility,
the fame of her beauty, her possessions and her modesty, and her position as
being the first born in her family was known to all of them, each one coveted
the happiness of meeting her as his spouse. Among them all only the humble
and most upright Joseph thought himself unworthy of such a great blessing and
remembering anew the vow of chastity which he had made and resolving anew its
perpetual observance, he resigned himself to God's will, leaving it all to
his disposal and being filled at the same time with a veneration and esteem
greater than that of any of the others for the most noble maiden Mary. While
they were thus engaged in prayer the staff which Joseph held was seen to
blossom and at the same time a dove of purest white and resplendent with
admirable light, was seen to descend and rest upon the head of the saint,
while in the interior of his heart God spoke: "Joseph, my servant, Mary
shall be thy Spouse; accept Her with attentive reverence for She is
acceptable in my eyes, just and most pure in soul and body, and thou shall do
all that She shall say to Thee." At this manifestation and token from
heaven the priests declared saint Joseph as the spouse selected by God himself
for the maiden Mary. Calling Her forth for the espousal, the Chosen one
issued forth like the sun, more resplendent than the moon, and She entered
into the presence of all with a countenance more beautiful than that of an
angel, incomparable in the charm of her beauty, nobility and grace; and the
priests espoused Her to the most chaste and holy of men, saint Joseph.... Text
taken from "The Mystical City of God", Volume I The Conception,
Chapter XXII, pp 576-577, Venerable Maria of Ágreda, Printed by the Blue Army
of Our Lady of Fatima. ISBN: 0-911988-27-0. (Imprimatur Edwin V. Byrne, DD,
Archbishop of Santa Faith, New Mexico). - New
Testament References Now
this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child
through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such
was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child
has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to
fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin
shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the
angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had
no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus. -- Mathew
1:18-25 When
they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and
stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to
destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and
departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the
Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I
called my son." -- Mathew
2:13-15 Pope Pius IX "Glorious
St. Joseph, model of all who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to
work in the spirit of penance in expiation of my many sins; to work
conscientiously by placing love of duty above my inclinations; to gratefully
and joyously deem it an honor to employ and to develop by labor the gifts I
have received from God, to work methodically, peacefully, and in moderation
and patience, without ever shrinking from it through weariness or difficulty
to work; above all, with purity of intention and unselfishness, having
unceasingly before my eyes death and the account I have to render of time
lost, talents unused, good not done, and vain complacency in success, so
baneful to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all to imitate thee,
O patriarch St. Joseph! This shall be my motto for life and eternity." - Pope Pius
IX Click on the Links Below for More Information on
the Life and Works of St. Joseph:
James Kiefer's Christian
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