Below are some bulletin articles reflecting on the Year of Saint Joseph:
The Virtues of Saint Joseph
This year dedicated to St. Joseph allows us to consider his virtues as a model husband to the Blessed Virgin Mary as written of by Father Donald H. Calloway in his book Consecration to St. Joseph (Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, 2020). Sacred Scripture calls St. Joseph the “husband of Mary” (Mt. 1:16,19). If God chose St. Joseph to marry Our Lady then he must have been the best of husbands.
St. Joseph “took Mary his wife into his home” (Mt. 1:24). In obedience to the angel, St. Joseph received Mary with great humility as his wife. He provided a home for her and the Incarnate Son of God. He sacrificed willingly and joyfully for his wife and foster Child. He loved Mary and would do anything for her. He accompanied Mary to the census in Bethlehem, made provisions for the birth of the Christ, accompanied his wife to the circumcision, the presentation in the temple and was at her side constantly until they found the 12 year-old Son of God in the temple. Wives flourish when their husbands support them. St. Joseph is an excellent model of constancy in love for his wife.
St. Joseph is also a model of purity and complete command of his appetites. Tradition tells us that he was a virgin before marriage and, certainly, during his marriage with the ever-virgin Mary. St. Joseph is a model for husbands in safeguarding the virtue of their wives. Even though married Christians do not take vows of virginity they nonetheless are responsible to guard their spouse’s dignity in dress, language, courtesy and sexual relations. St. Joseph teaches husbands how to be pure, chaste, modest and sacrificial toward their wives.
We owe God (and our wives) pure love. Ask St. Joseph to help you as a husband to love your wives like he did and to love Jesus and Mary with similar constancy and devotion.
Obedience and Humility of Saint Joseph
We continue our reflections on St. Joseph borrowing from the excellent book, Consecration to St. Joseph (Marian Fathers of the Immaculate, 2020). The fact that he was called a “just man” in the Scriptures signifies his excellent character before God and men (Mt. 1:19).
St. Joseph was filled with a sense of his own unworthiness and, at the same time, a deep reverence for God. He feared offending Our Lord and Our Lady so much that he was more than willing to separate himself from the great mysteries surrounding him (Mt. 1:20). He humbly regarded others as greater than himself. He refrained from suspecting others of wrongdoing choosing rather to withhold his own judgment in favor of God’s.
St. Joseph joined great humility with great obedience. He promptly obeyed the voice of the Lord when the angel directed him to take Mary into his home. The Scriptures say he, “Did as the angel of the Lord commanded” (Mt. 1:24). St. Joseph teaches us to reserve judgment (even for a long time!) in situations which we cannot comprehend. The Lord will reveal His will for us in His time according to His Word. We have to remain faithful in the face of uncertainty knowing the Lord is fulfilling His will in our trials.
May the good St. Joseph be our example and guide in trusting God. If we are just and righteous in God’s sight He will use us to bring greater glory to Jesus and Mary and, thereby, bring salvation to those who seek it.
The Joys and Sorrows of Saint Joseph
The joys and sorrows of St. Joseph form the subject of this week’s article relying greatly on the book Consecration to St. Joseph (Donald J. Calloway, MIC, 2020). Just as Our Lady had many joys and sorrows, St. Joseph participated most closely in the lives of Jesus and Mary in the work of redemption.
Consider how the angel of the Lord appeared to St. Joseph to announce that he would be the guardian of the Redeemer. He was given naming rights for the Christ child. He was the first (after Our Lady) to see God in the flesh in the cave of Bethlehem. It was St. Joseph’s privilege to name Jesus at His circumcision. St. Joseph accompanied Mary into the temple in Jerusalem with a joy that is unimaginable.
St. Joseph also endured many sorrows in his chosen role. He heard the priest Simeon’s prophecy that the Christ would suffer and that his Wife’s heart would be pierced. He protected the Child from the blood-thirsty Herod who sought to destroy Jesus in His infancy as the holy family fled to Egypt. He searched sorrowing for the adolescent Christ when He was lost for three days before finding Him in the temple.
St. Joseph understands the delights and sufferings that accompany a disciple of Jesus Christ. No man was closer to Jesus than St. Joseph. Our Lord is a sign of contradiction; He is the cause of the rise and the fall of many. As Our Lord’s disciples will also experience joys and sorrows. Take great confidence in St. Joseph and pray to him that he may accompany, console, and inspire us on the road that leads to eternal life.
Articles from: stjamesbelvidere.org