St. Alphonsus' prayer-book/Part 3.2: Visits to St. Joseph
2. Visits to St. Joseph for Every Day of the Month.
St. Alphonsus was not only the apostle of devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Blessed Virgin Mary; he also inculcated an equally lively devotion to the great St. Joseph, whom, in his pious invocations, he never separated from Jesus and Mary. The writings which he has left us concerning" this glorious patriarch bear striking testimony to the respect, confidence, and love which filled his heart for the nursing-father of Jesus. It is more than probable that if St. Alphonsus had lived in our time, which is evidently the epoch of St. Joseph's glorification and the extension of his worship, he would have added daily visits in honor of the Patriarch to those daily visits which he left us in honor of the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This reflection inspired a son of St. Alphonsus with the idea of extracting thirty-one visits to St. Joseph textually from the holy Doctor's works, imitating, as nearly as possible, the manner in which the saint proceeded with regard to the Visits to the Blessed Virgin.
Read the visit of the day, and terminate with the following prayer:
MY holy Patriarch, I rejoice at thy happiness and greatness in being made worthy to have power to command, with the authority of a father, Him Whom heaven and earth obey, and to make Him obey thee. My holy Patron, since a God has served thee, I too wish to enroll myself in thy service; I choose thee, after Mary, for my principal advocate and protector. I promise to honor thee every day by some special devotion, and each day I will place myself under thy protection. Through the sweet company of Jesus and Mary, which thou didst enjoy during life, protect me during my whole life, that I may never be separated from God by losing His grace. And through the assistance which Jesus and Mary gave thee at death, protect me at the hour of my death, that, dying in the company of thee, of Jesus and Mary, I may one day go to thank thee in paradise, and in thy company praise and love thy God to all eternity. Amen.
- St. Joseph, Patron of the universal Church, protect us; protect our Holy Father the Pope, and our Mother, Holy Church.
I.
GOD, in the great love He bears us, and in His great desire to see us saved, amongst the many means of salvation with which He has provided us, has given us in particular that of devotion towards the saints. He wills that they, as His friends, should intercede for us, and by their merits and prayers obtain graces for us which we do not of ourselves deserve. But who is not aware that, after the divine Mother, St. Joseph is, of all the saints, the one who is the dearest to God; and that he has in consequence great power with Him, and can therefore obtain graces for his devout clients? Let us then frequently say:
- St. Joseph, give me the greatest confidence in thy powerful intercession.
II.
WE should indeed honor St. Joseph, since the Son of God Himself was graciously pleased to honor Him, by calling him his father. "Christ," says Origen, "gave to Joseph the honor due to a parent." He is also thus spoken of in the Gospel: " And His father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning Him" (Luke ii. 33). The divine mother also spoke of him under this name. "Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing" (Luke ii. 48). If, then, the King of kings was pleased to raise Joseph to so high a dignity, it is right, and a duty on our part, to endeavor to honor him as much as we can.
- 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.
- St. Joseph, by the obedience which Jesus rendered thee, make me always obedient to the will of God.
VI.
Josue excited the admiration of the whole world when he commanded the sun to stop in its course, that he might have time to conquer his enemies; and the sun obeyed. But what comparison can there be between Josue, whom the sun, an inanimate creature obeyed, and Joseph, who was obeyed by Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
- St. Joseph, so great, and at the same time so humble, obtain me true humility.
VII.
ST. Bernard, speaking of St. Joseph, says: " He was a prudent and faithful servant, whom Our Lord made the solace of His Mother, the nourisher of His humanity, and, in fine, the most faithful co-operator in the great council on earth."
- St. Joseph, save us; our salvation is in thy hands.
VIII.
According to St. John Damascene, " God gave St. Joseph the love, the care, and the authority of a father over Jesus: He gave him the affection of a father, that he might guard Him with great love; the solicitude of a father, that he might watch over Him with care; and the authority of a father, that he might feel sure that he would be obeyed in all that he arranged as to the person of this Son."
- St. Joseph, be thou always a father to us, and may we ever be thy faithful children.
IX.
My holy Patriarch, through the pain which thou didst feel in seeing the divine Word born in a stable, so poor, without fire, without clothes, and in hearing the cries caused by the cold which afflicted Him. I pray thee to obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins, by which I have drawn tears from Jesus; and through the consolation which thou didst receive at the. first sight of the Infant Jesus born in the crib, so beautiful and lovely that thy heart began from that moment to burn with such great love for so loving and amiable an infant, obtain for me also the grace to love Him with an ardent love on this earth, that I may one day go to enjoy Him in heaven.
- St. Joseph, penetrate our hearts with contrition, and render them more sensible of the loveliness of Jesus.
X.
My holy protector, through the prompt obedience which thou hast always shown to the Divine Will, obtain for me from thy Jesus the grace of perfect obedience to the divine commands. Obtain for me the grace that, in the journey which my soul is making to eternity, in the midst of so many enemies. I may never, till the last moment of my life, lose the society of Jesus and Mary. If I am accompanied by them, all the toils of this life, and even death itself, shall be sweet and agreeable to me.
- St. Joseph. I wish to be all thine, that by thee I may remain all Jesus and Mary's.
XI.
O great Saint, through the merits of the pains which thou didst suffer at having lost Jesus in the Temple, obtain for me tears to weep continually for the injuries I have done Him. And through the joy which thou didst afterwards feel in finding Him in the temple, obtain for me the grace that I may also find Him again in my heart, by His grace, and that I may never more lose Him.
- St. Joseph, increase our faith, and render it more lively, especially in the presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament.
XII.
When God, says St. Thomas, destines any one for a particular charge, He gives him the graces which fit him for it. God having, then, chosen St. Joseph to fill the charge of a father over the person of the Incarnate Word, we must certainly believe that He conferred upon him all the wisdom of sanctity which became such an office. Gerson says that amongst other privileges Joseph had three which were special to him: i. That he was sanctified in his mother's womb, as were Jeremias and St. John the Baptist; 2. That he was at the same time confirmed in grace; 3. That he was always exempt from the inclinations of concupiscence — a privilege with which St. Joseph, by the merit of his purity, favors his devout clients, delivering them from carnal appetites.
- St. Joseph, shining light of chastity, preserve the angelic virtue in me.
XIII.
IN the Gospel St. Joseph is called JUST. What is meant by a just man? St. Peter Chrysologus says that " it means a perfect man, one who possesses all virtues." Joseph was already holy before his marriage; but how much must his sanctity have increased after his union with the divine Mother? The example of his holy spouse sufficed to sanctify him. But since Mary, as St. Bernardine of Siena says, is the dispenser of all the graces which God grants to men, in what profusion must we not believe that she showered them down upon her spouse, whom she loved so much, and by whom she was so tenderly loved!
- St. Joseph, increase my devotion to Mary.
XIV.
The two disciples going to Emmaus were inflamed with divine love by the few moments which they spent in company with Our Saviour, and by His words. What flames of holy love must we not suppose to have been enkindled in the heart of St. Joseph, who for thirty years conversed with Jesus Christ, and listened to His words of eternal life; who observed the perfect example which He gave of humility and patience, and saw the promptitude with which He obeyed and helped him in his labors, and in all that was needed for the household!
- St. Joseph, inflame us with the love of Jesus.
XV.
THE apostle writes that in the next life Jesus Christ " will render to every man according to his works" (Rom. ii. 6). What great glory must we not suppose that He bestowed upon St. Joseph, who served and loved Him so much whilst He lived on earth! Our Lord has promised a reward to him who gives a cup of cold water to the poor in His name; what, then, .must be the reward of St. Joseph, who can say to Jesus Christ: " I not only provided Thee with food, with a dwelling, and with clothes; but I saved Thee from death, delivering Thee from the hands of Herod"!
- St Joseph, do thou animate our zeal for growing in virtue by the hope of eternal rewards.
XVI.
WE ought to believe that the life of Joseph, spent in the presence of Jesus and Mary, was a continual prayer, abounding in acts of faith and confidence, of love, of resignation, of oblation. Since, then, the reward of the saints corresponds to their merits in this life, consider how great must be the glory of St. Joseph in heaven. St. Augustine compares the other saints, to the stars, but St. Joseph to the sun. Father Suarez says that it is very reasonable to suppose that St. Joseph, after Mary, surpasses all the other saints in merits and glory. From this the Venerable Bernardine de Bustis infers that when St. Joseph asks any grace for those that are devoted to him, his prayers have in a certain manner the force of a command with Jesus and Mary.
- St. Joseph, obtain for us a great spirit of prayer.
XVII.
To prove the power which St. Joseph possesses in paradise, St. Bernardine of Siena expresses himself thus: " We cannot doubt that Christ not only does not refuse to St. Joseph in heaven that familiarity and reverence which, as a son towards his father, He accorded him when He lived on earth, but rather that it is now perfected." Remark the words " familiarity and reverence "; that Lord, Who on earth revered St. Joseph as His father, will certainly deny him nothing that he asks in heaven. Let us then say to him in confidence:
- St. Joseph, powerful protector of our souls, keep
us from all sin.
XVIII.
Although on earth St. Joseph had not the authority, by nature, of a father over the humanity of Jesus Christ, he nevertheless had it, at least in a certain manner, as the spouse of Mary, who, as the real Mother of the Saviour, had authority over Him : he to whom the tree belongs has also a right to its fruits. This caused Jesus, when on earth, to respect and obey St. Joseph as His superior. This also causes Jesus, now in heaven, to consider the prayers of St. Joseph in the light of commands. For " when a father prays his son," says Gerson, " his prayer has the force of a command."
- St. Joseph, be our help in temptation and our
strength in adversity.
XIX.
O great Saint, since a God has served thee, I too wish to enroll myself in thy service. I wish henceforth to serve thee, to honor and love thee as my master. Take me under thy pro- tection, and dispose of me as thou pleasest. My holy St. Joseph, pray to Jesus for me. Having obeyed all thy commands on earth, He will certainly never refuse anything thou askest of Him. Tell Him to pardon me the offences that I have offered Him. Tell Him to detach me from creatures and from my- self; ask Him to inflame me with His holy love; and then let Him treat me as He pleases.
- St. Joseph, watch over thy children.
XX.
My holy Patriarch, now that thou dost exult in heaven on a lofty throne, near thy beloved Jesus, Who was subject to thee on earth, have pity on me. who am exposed to the attacks of so many enemies, to the bad spirits, and passions, that continually strive to rob me of the grace of God. Ah ! through the grace given to thee on earth of enjoying the continual society of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me the grace of living during the remaining days of my life always united with God, by resisting the attacks of hell, and of dying loving Jesus and Mary, that I may be able one day to enjoy with thee their company in the kingdom of bliss.
- St. Joseph, give me the victory over my passions,
and a horror of sin.
XXI.
ST. Bernard, speaking of St. Joseph's power of dispensing graces to his devout servants, makes use of the following remarkable words : " To some of the saints power is granted to succor in particular necessities; but to St. Joseph power is granted to succor in all necessities, and to defend all those who, with devotion, have recourse to him." Let us then often say to him :
- St. Joseph, help us when we are in need.
XXII.
ST. Teresa says: "The narration of the many graces which God bestowed on me, and of the dangers, corporal as well as spiritual, from which He has delivered me, through St. Joseph, would excite wonder. The Lord appears to have given power to the other saints to assist us in a single necessity ; but experience shows us that this saint gives aid in all necessities. The Lord gives us to understand that, as He wished to be subject to St. Joseph on earth, so in heaven He does whatever the saint asks."
- St. Joseph, obtain for me the grace of persever-
ance in praying well.
XXIII.
ST. Teresa says also : " I would wish to persuade all the world to be devoted to this saint, be- cause I have long experience of the great favors which he obtains from God. I have not known any soul particularly devoted to this saint that did not always advance in virtue. I ask, for God's sake, that they who do not believe me will at least make a trial of this devotion."
- St. Joseph, Patron of the interior life, do thou
lead me to that perfection which God requireth of me !
XXIV.
Let us imagine that we hear Our Lord, when He sees us afflicted in the midst of our mis- eries, address us all in the words in which Pharao addressed his people at the time of the famine in Egypt: "Go to Joseph" (Gen. 41, 55) if you desire consolation.
- St. Joseph, consoler of afflicted souls, we will go
to thee in all our trials.
XXV.
ST. Teresa said also : " I cannot understand how it is possible to think of the Queen of Angels without returning thanks to St. Joseph for all the services he rendered on earth to the Mother and the Son." Let us, then, have re- course to St. Teresa that she may obtain for us devo- tion to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph.
- St. Joseph, by thy love for thy favored servant
St. Teresa, make us ever to grow in devotion to thee.
XXVI.
My great protector, St. Joseph, do not disdain to take under thy protection the most ungrate- ful sinner alive. I beg this of thee for the love of thy dearest Jesus, for the love of Mary, thy spouse, and for the love of Teresa, whom thou lovest so much, and who labored so much on earth to add to thy glory. Enable me to die, like thee, in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
- St. Joseph, be with me in my last agony !
XXVII.
By Our Lord's grace, there is not at present a Christian in the world who is not devout to St. Joseph ; but, amongst them all, those re- ceive the most abundant graces who recommend themselves to him the most frequently and with the greatest confidence.
- St. Joseph, may I always thus invoke thee !
XXVIII.
When Jesus Christ lived in this world in the house of St. Joseph, could a sinner who desired to obtain forgiveness of his sins from Our Lord have found a more efficacious means of obtaining this consolation than through St. Joseph ? If, then, we desire to be pardoned by God, let us have recourse to St. Joseph, who, now that he is in heaven, is more loved by Jesus Christ than he was loved by Him on earth.
- St. Joseph, ever ask of Jesus the pardon of my
sins.
XXIX.
Let us ask of St. Joseph love towards Jesus Christ; this is the particular grace which St. Joseph obtains for those who are devout to him — tender love towards the Incarnate Word ; and the saint merited this by the tender love which he himself bore Him on earth.
- St. Joseph, make me to love Jesus as He would
have me love Him. XXX.
My holy Patriarch, through the tears which thou didst shed in contemplating the future Passion of thy Jesus, obtain for me a con- tinual and compassionate remembrance of the sor- rows of my Redeemer; and through that holy flame of love which, in thy colloquies and reflections with Mary, was kindled in thy heart, obtain a spark of that love for my soul, which, by its sins, has con- tributed so much to the sufferings of Jesus.
- St. Joseph, may the cross of Jesus be ever in my
mind and in my heart.
XXXI.
We should especially be devout to St. Joseph, in order that the saint may obtain us a good Bgg death. He, on account of having saved the Infant Jesus from the snares of Herod, has the special privilege of delivering dying persons from the snares of the devil. Moreover, on account of the services which he rendered for so many years to Jesus and Mary, having by his labors provided them a dwelling and food, he has the privilege of obtaining the special assistance of Jesus and Mary for his devout clients at death. It is, also, well known by every one that he is the patron of a good death, because he had the happiness of dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Let us, then, often say to him :
- St. Joseph, obtain for me that, like thee, I may
die in the arms of Jesus and Mary.