+ Today we celebrate the
Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and
member with her, and with Jesus, of the order of the Holy Hypostatic Union. The
hypostatic union itself is the mystical joining of the divine with a human
nature: the One Person, Word of God, takes on a human nature – remaining fully
God, at the same time as being fully man – after the salvific dialogue of Mary
and the Angel Gabriel.
This order is equivalent to
the sacred triad known as the Holy Trinity of God Father, Son and Holy Spirit
because at the time that Mary became Mother of God, Joseph who would become the
husband of the Virgin, became the very representative of God the Father, and
the Holy Spirit, in becoming foster-father of the Word Incarnate.
Joseph, therefore is to be
considered for all ages to come as the second holiest person who ever lived a
human life, preceded only by his beloved and cherished wife, Mary of Nazareth.
His ranking with her, is higher than all of the angels and saints.
And so, just as God prepared a worthy receptacle and tabernacle for his
Son in the womb of the humble virgin, so he also prepared a worthy guardian of
such a holy family the world will ever conceive of!
In singing the praises of St.
Joseph, husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus we need look no further than
the Litany of Prayer dedicated to him:
Renowned offspring of David, Pray for us!
Light of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster father of the Son of God,
Diligent protector of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most strong,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of artisans,
Glory of home life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the wretched,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church
Light of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster father of the Son of God,
Diligent protector of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most strong,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of artisans,
Glory of home life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the wretched,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church
Holy
Joseph, paragon of purity and obedience, pray for each of us
today, pray for our families (make them holy), pray for our Church (make her
holy), pray for our nation (as it is at this stage in his history in dire
straits), and pray for us at the hour of
our deaths (make us holy) enough to spend eternity with you, and with Mary and
all the angels, and the saints who have gone before us to a place of light,
love and joy.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment