- St, Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy service forever: do thou protect me.
III.
What angel or saint" says St. Basil, " ever merited to be called the father of the Son of God? Joseph alone was thus called." Hence we can apply to St. Joseph the words of St. Paul, " being made so much better than the angels as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they" (Heb. i. 4). St. Joseph was more honored by God, in this name of father, than all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and pontiffs; for all these have the name of servants, Joseph alone that of father.
- St. Joseph, pray thou for me to Jesus, Whose foster-father thou art.
IV.
Jesus Himself recommended St. Margaret of Cortona to cherish a particular devotion to St. Joseph, and never to allow a day to pass without rendering him some homage as His fosterfather. Let us not, then, fail to recommend ourselves to St. Joseph daily and several times a day. Let us ask him for graces: he will obtain them all for us, so that they will be useful to our souls.
- St. Joseph, make me faithful in invoking thee daily.
V.
St. Joseph, as father, was made lord of the Holy Family; a family that was little in point of numbers, but great on account of the two great personages who composed it — the Mother of God, and the only-begotten Son of God made man: " He made him master of His house" (Ps. civ. 21). Joseph commanded in that house, and the Son of God obeyed.
