I would like to continue our reflections on the Seven Sorrows of St. Joseph with the following admonishment of St. Alphonsus Ligorui: “Go, then to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you; Go to Joseph, and obey him as Jesus and Mary obeyed him; Go to Joseph, and speak to him as they spoke to him; Go to Joseph, and consult him as they consulted him; Go to Joseph, and honor him as they honored him; Go to Joseph, and be grateful to him as they were grateful to him; Go to Joseph, and love him, as they love him still.” - St. Alphonsus Liguori
“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: Let us continue to look at St. Joseph as we examine St. Joseph’s Seven Sorrows.
“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. Let us continue our look at the person God chose to be the protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary by continuing our look at the Seven Sorrows of St. Joseph.
“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. Let us continue our look at the man the Father chose to be the adoptive Father of Jesus by continuing our look at the 7 Sorrows of St. Joseph.
On March 19th, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph the Husband of Mary and on May 1st the Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. Saint John Paul II saw in St. Joseph the powerful intercessor our modern world needed when he declared: “Saint Joseph was a just man, a tireless worker, the upright guardian of those entrusted to his care. May he always guard, protect and enlighten families.” To guide our reflections about Saint Joseph this month, I will be turning to the spiritual tradition of meditating on the Seven Sorrows of St. Joseph. (I will reflect on the Seven Joys of St. Joseph sometime in the future.)