I thought I would write a little on Saint Jospeh , to thank him for amny graces and encourage more devotion ot him. I struggled for many years with devotion to him. I think this was aprtly due to the fact the the saint is oftne portrayed as an old man. Since my father was a very strcit man and unbending in many ways with hwom I had issues I stuggled with gettiing close to him for amny, many years. But two things caused me to pray a lot that I might ahve a Deovction to St Joe. The first was that I had since childhood this huge devotion to Our Lady. It had always seemed to me that anyone who draws close to the mantle of Mary woudl always, quite neccessrily draw close to Joseph. That not to draw close to Jospeh was not to have aproper devotion to Mary and this of course vexed me. 1. “He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’ ” -- St. Bernardine of Siena 2. “Those who give themselves to prayer should in a special manner have always a devotion to St. Joseph; for I know not how any man can think of the Queen of the angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Infant Jesus, without giving thanks to St. Joseph for the services he rendered them then." -- St. Teresa of Avila 3. “The Lord has arrayed Joseph, like with a sun, in all which the saints possess together in regard to light and splendor.” -- St. Gregory of Nazianzus 4. “Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.” -- St. Thomas Aquinas 5. “We should, indeed, honor St. Joseph, since the Son of God Himself was graciously pleased to honor him by calling him father. The Holy Scriptures speak of him as the father of Jesus. ‘His father and mother were marveling at the things spoken -- concerning Him’ (Luke 2:33). Mary also used this name: ‘in sorrow thy father and I have been seeking thee’ (Luke 2:48). If, then, the King of Kings was pleased to raise Joseph to so high a dignity, it is right and obligatory on our part to endeavor to honor him as much as we can.” -- St. Alphonsus Liguori 6. “St. Joseph was chosen among all men, to be the protector and guardian of the Virgin Mother of God; the defender and foster-father of the Infant-God, and the only co-operator upon earth, the one confidant of the secret of God in the work of the redemption of mankind.” -- St. Bernard of Clairvaux http://www.ibtimes.com/st-josephs-day-quotes-2015-6-things-saints-said-about-san-giuseppe-1851856
St Joseph is waiting for our prayers. I have a strong feeling he wants to be our guardian and protector and help us pray. This year, he has become mine and I am very, very thankful. All my family have prayer cards in their work/ school bags. I heard that the Pope has a statue of a sleeping St Joseph, and he places prayers underneath, so I retrieved my nativity set statue, placed it on a table at home and have encouraged my children to write out their own prayers. I know he is listening.
There used to be a prayer went the rounds to St Joe with a whole set of promises attached; it was very popular during the war here as it promised no physical harm would come to anyone who had it on their person. My mother made us all carry it till my brother got very, very badly beaten by the British Parachute Regiment, then she gave up on it. The Exorcists call St Joe, 'Terror of Demons'. I take it from this that he must have been directly attacked by the devil while he was alive ,as it is saints who fought the devil who are exhorted in the Litany of Exorcism, but of course there is no account of this in scripture.
I think St. Joseph is too often forgotten by us Catholics He was so humble he stayed in the background. He is powerful though and we should ask often for his intercession. After all God chose him to take care of his Son. He must be wonderful
I try to say this every day. Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labour, obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my many sins; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honour to employ and develop, by means of labour, the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, prudence and patience, never surrendering to weariness or difficulties; to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account which I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all for Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch Joseph. Such shall be my motto in life and death. Amen.
I think it might be this one padraig. Oh St Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God; I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh St Joseph do assist me by your power intercession and obtain for me all spiritual and temporal blessing through your son our lord Jesus Christ,so that having engaged here below your powerful intercession I may offer my homage and thanksgiving to the most loving of fathers. Oh St Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine cheek for me and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St Joseph Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen
I say this every day before work. I still got punched in the face anyway a few weeks ago by a patient. I just assumed it would have been much worse if I had not said the prayer. The promises are actually as follows: Whoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle.
I think maybe so, it was so long ago. They used to have a little medal of St Joe on the prayer card. In Ireland I think Joseph may be the most popular boys name after Patrick. Patrick Joseph used to be very ,very popular.
My second reason for wanting to have a devotion to St Guiseppe is that the lady from whose writings , St Teresa of Avila , I learnt the ways of prayer, had such a huge, huge devotion to the saint and named her Carmels after him. ....and indeed I beleive St Joseph is Patron Saint of Contemplative Prayer. http://www.integratedcatholiclife.o...c-quote-from-st-teresa-of-avila-on-st-joseph/ St. Teresa of Avila's Plea “Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint [St. Joseph], for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was truly devoted to him and honored him by particular services who did not advance greatly in virtue: for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him. It is now very many years since I began asking him for something on his feast, and I have always received it. If the petition was in any way amiss, he rectified it for my greater good . . . " I ask for the love of God that he who does not believe me will make the trial for himself—then he will find out by experience the great good that results from commending oneself to this glorious Patriarch and in being devoted to him.” From her Autobiography, VI, 11-12 Words of Our Lady to Venerable Mary of Agreda “The children of the world are ignorant regarding the privileges and rights which the Most High has conferred on my holy spouse, and the power of his intercession with the Divine Majesty and with me. But I assure you, my daughter, that in Heaven he is most intimate with the Lord, and has great power to avert the punishment of Divine Justice from sinners. In all trials seek his intercession, because the Heavenly Father will grant whatever my spouse asks.” “On the Day of Judgment, the condemned will weep bitterly for not having realized how powerful and efficacious a means of salvation they might have had in the intercession of St. Joseph, and for not having done their utmost to gain the friendship of the Eternal Judge.” St. Alphonsus Liguori on St. Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death “Since we all must die, we should cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph, that he may obtain for us a happy death. All Christians regard him as the advocate of the dying who had honored him during their life, and they do so for three reasons: “First, because Jesus Christ loved him not only as a friend, but as a father, and on this account his mediation is far more efficacious than that of any other Saint. “Second, because St. Joseph has obtained special power against the evil spirits, who tempt us with redoubled vigor at the hour of death. “Third, the assistance given St. Joseph at his death by Jesus and Mary obtained for him the right to secure a holy and peaceful death for his servants. Hence, if they invoke him at the hour of death he will not only help them, but he will also obtain for them the assistance of Jesus and Mary.”
St Joseph is the most Holy of Saints in the Heavenly court! next to Our Most Blessed Mother! I love his quite confidence! I love the purity of his sorrows! I love his contained Joy! I need his gentle certitude! Before I am presented to Jesus and Mary, I need St Joseph to hold me in his pocket until he can carve me into something that will bring a smile to these Most Sacred and Pure Hearts! St Joseph, Pray for the Church and pray for us. St Joseph, Pray for the MoG forum. Amen.
I think Devotion to a particular saint is a real gift. We tend to regard our devotion as coming through choice, but I think only our grace aided response comes from the original calling of grace. We get a tap on the shouder ,so to speak with heaven calling us first and then heaven aiding us to walk throgh grace the wonderful journey of the imitaion of the virtues of the saint. But no matter how hard I wanted it, for mnny, many years my heart would just not catch fire with Devotion to Saint Jospeh no matter how I prayed. You have maybe experienced this in your Spiritual Life how you can spend your whole life of praying for something, even something clearly good but it never seems to come to pass? This may seem perplexing but God has His own good reasons for giving and for taking and we must accept this with patience , love and hope. I can only say that after these long years of waiting , that it was worth waiting for and that Deovtion to the Saint is Free GIft from the Beloved and I apreciate it all the more after the long years of exile.
Your prayers meant even more then. Praying something we know is pleasing to Our Lord is worth more when we don't "feel" like doing it. He lets a dryness come over us so that we can prove we will do His will because we know it is what He wants, not just because it feels good to us at the time. I know you know this Padraig but it just seemed like a good time to point it out again.
September 8, 2016, 1st part of a message given Edson in Elmhurst, NY: To: Edson Glauber (Brazilian seer) Today Jesus appeared with Our Lady and St Joseph. The three of them were dressed in white. Looking at me, Jesus said to me: My peace be with you all! My little ones, I – the Peace of your souls and the Light of your lives – come from heaven with my Immaculate Mother and with my Virginal Father Joseph to bless you and to grant you my love. Open your hearts so that you might receive my peace. Love, so that you might belong to the kingdom of heaven. The lack of love in men’s hearts is taking many towards the path of darkness that leads to hell. Turn back now! Jesus lifted his gaze and as if holding the whole world said: Repent, O humanity. I am calling you. Return, return to the way of prayer, conversion and penance. Welcome my message so that you may have life, and I will come to save you. ... http://spiritdaily.org/blog/commentary/a-seer-in-new-york + + + I do not know if the Church teaches this or she is silent but look what Our Lord called St. Joseph, the one word above. Reminded of a 2009 writing about how very extra special St. Joseph is! Taken from private revelation, excerpts from "Revelations of St. Joseph" given to Mother Maria Cecilia Baij. http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/2009/05/life-of-st-joseph-as-manifested-to-mo-cecilia-baij/
The Desert Fathers used to test candidates for the monastic life by refusing them entry . Then after a few days of refusing the door to the poor guys they finally let them in. I thought that this practise had stopped centuries ago till I came to an incident in Saint Padre Pio's life where he and other candidates were kept out of a Friary for a day or two and angrily rejected by the brothers. A few of the candidates actually gave up apparently. This was not so very long ago...just prior actually tot eh FIrst World War. I guess in terms of dating we would call this, 'Playing hard to get'. I suppose w e could say God and the saints plays hard ot get on occasion. But anyway I kept on knocking on that door.
Actually I think there was a case of apparitions of St Joseph given aprproval by a Bishop just a month or two ago, I must see if I can find them.
Ahhhh here we are here: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/major-apparitions-of-st.-joseph-are-approved Anton Raphael Mengs (1728–1779), “The Dream of St. Joseph” Many know about approved apparitions of our Blessed Mother. But only a handful realize that there were apparitions in Itapiranga, Brazil from 1994-1998 in which St. Joseph appeared along with Mary and Jesus. In January 2010, after much study, prayer, reflection, observation and seeing the growth in the faith life of thousands, the local ordinary, Bishop Carillo Gritti declared a Decree of Worship favoring the Itapiranga appearances and in an earlier document called it of “supernatural origin.” In another document he stated that considering the manifestations of the Virgin from 2005-10, who has called upon devotion to the three Sacred Hearts: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, a first step has been taken to build a new sanctuary with the certainty that it will be a place for pilgrimages, and the conversions that only God by the intercession of Mary can operate has been thus far for him and enlightened souls, reason enough to see in these visions and messages the finger of God (translated form the Portuguese). With that Church approval, St. Joseph took another step in which he continues to receive the prominence he deserves as the one man from all eternity God chose to head the Holy Family. In 1962, his name was added to the first Eucharist prayer in the Mass, and in 2013, on his May 1 feast, Pope Francis had St. Joseph inserted into all other Eucharistic Prayers. First, a little background. In 1994, while a student in Manaus, Brazil, 22-year-old Edson Glauber received an apparition of the Blessed Mother with Jesus and St. Joseph. The apparitions continued when he returned to his hometown of Itapiranga which is about 650 miles southwest of Sao Paulo and about 880 miles from Rio de Janeiro. Another 770-plus miles southwest happens to be the site of other approved apparitions in San Nicolas, Argentina. Edson’s mother Maria do Carmo would also receive some apparitions. Bishop Gritti, who died this past June, met with them several times. He celebrated Mass publicly at the site of the apparitions and helped to build the sanctuary there. Mary appeared under the title of “Queen of the Rosary and of Peace.” Much like Fatima, her messages stressed the need for conversion, praying the Rosary, Mass, Confession and Holy Communion and penance to save the world mired in unbelief and sin. She and Jesus urged devotion to St. Joseph’s Most Chaste Heart.
