The Providence of God. Jesus was not to die before the appointed time; therefore God’s Providence watched over Him and saved Him from the snares of His enemies Herod and Archelaus, making use of His holy angels for that purpose. God’s Providence watches over us also, and, without His leave, not a hair of our head can fall. Moreover, His holy angel keeps guard over us.
The Foster-father of our Lord Jesus. The angel said to St. Joseph: “Take the Child and His Mother.” He did not say: “Take My Child”, for St. Joseph was not the father, but only the foster-father of our Lord. The angel, moreover, placed the name of the Child before that of the Mother, He being the only-begotten Son of God.
St. Joseph’s high place in the kingdom of God comes from this, that God chose him to be the guardian and protector of His Son, entrusting him with what was greatest and dearest to Himself, singling him out and especially blessing him for this office. The Church celebrates a Feast in honour of St. Joseph on March 19th, and desires that all the faithful should honour him, ask for his intercession, and imitate his virtues. St. Joseph is the especial patron of the Church. Even as he was the protector of the Child Jesus on earth, so, we believe, is he now the protector of the mystical Body of Jesus, His holy Church. We also especially seek his intercession for a good death, because, having died so blessedly, in the presence and with the assistance of Jesus and Mary, he should be supplicated to obtain for us from Jesus the grace of a happy death.
The virtues of St. Joseph corresponded to his high calling. He gives us a splendid example of a firm and living faith, of great confidence in God, resignation, obedience, humility, chastity and industry.
The faith and obedience of Mary and Joseph. Many thoughts might have occurred to them when commanded to flee into Egypt. “If’, they might have said to themselves, “the Child is the Son of God, why is He so helpless? Why should the Son of the Almighty flee before the wicked king? Why did not the angel say how long we were to remain in the pagan country? How can we undertake such a long and dangerous journey without any preparation?” However, they gave no ear to any such thoughts, but obeyed the divine commands precisely and promptly, and started forth, filled with confidence in God and submission to His holy will. They knew very well that God could have taken care of the Child in some other way, if He had so willed it; but as it was His will that the Child should be saved by flight, they consented willingly, although it was very painful to them to leave their own country, the Promised Land, and to expose the Child to so many privations.
Anger is a capital sin. It led Herod to murder a number of innocent children, and to commit a sin crying to heaven for vengeance. He committed as many sins of this description as there were children!
