Today is March 19, 20012, the Feast of the Solemnity of St. Joseph! This is a big day for the Church because this saint - after Our Lady - is considered the greatest saint in Heaven. Scripture does not record even one word he ever uttered. How did he become such a great saint?!
He became a great saint by using these -- his seven favorite tools in his tool box -- which are his seven powerful virtues -- that has caused him to be declared Patron and Protector of the Universal Church:
1) St. Joseph is "Protective" of Mary and Jesus in her womb.
2) Joseph is "Chaste" which gives him the power and freedom to be gentle, loving and protective of Holy Family.
3) St. Joseph is "Faithful" to God and to Mary, his wife.
4) St. Joseph is "Obedient" to God by immediately and unhesitatingly heeding the messages of the angel to take Mary into his home as his wife and to flee to Egypt and to stay there until the angel told him to come home to Nazareth.
5) St. Joseph is "Silent" -- does not have one word recorded in the New Testament because he was a contemplative: he worked and did all silently so as to hear God. All great things happen in silence...the sun comes up silently...the clouds sail by us silently...babies are conceived silently. Saints -- like St. Joseph -- ere made silently.
6) St. Joseph is a "Worker" -- a "texton" construction worker in wood and stone... and does all for God and his family. He a homebody worker."
7) St. Joseph is a just man of faith: Like Abraham, Joseph is a "father of faith" for his family. He shows us -- his family of God -- how to have and act on faith. He is a doer...not a talker...not a man of leisure. He is a manly man of faith who loves God and gives all of his life to God by respecting Mary's vocation to be the Virgin Mother of God. By respecting and helping her to fulfill her vocation, he finds and fulfills he own: he is declared Patron of the Universal Church and of a holy death because when he was dying, he had the joy of Jesus and Mary at his side...and before his eyes. No one could have a happier death.
St. Joseph is great saint because of all of the above seven tools in his tool box.
Let us honor St. Joseph with these prayers:
"Hail Joseph, full of the Family of God, the Lord is with you in your arms. Blest are you among me, and blessed is your foster son, Jesus. Holy Joseph, foster father of Jesus, husband of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
Love and thanks to you, Dear St. Joseph!! Please pray of us and bring us safely home to heaven. Please protect us now..and always! Amen.
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Ancient prayer found written in the year 50 AD:
"O St. Joseph, whose protection is so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my hopes and desires.
Please obtain from me every grace and blessing.
I never weary of contemplating you and Jesus in your arms.
Press Jesus in my name and kiss His fine head for me. And ask Him to return my kiss when I take my last breath. Amen."
[Those who say this prayer -- over even just hear it -- will be protected from death by drowning, fire or poison.]
HAPPY FEAST DAY, ST. JOSEPH!!!
Let us be grateful to God for this our greatest manly Saint who shows us how to be a good family man, a good husband, a good worker, and a good chaste man by his showing us men how to protect women and never to be a preditor of women...but to honor and protect and love all women as we honor and protect and love our own mothers and sisters. Amen.
Peace and Love, Pio
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