The Annunciation
When Mary was asked to be the Mother of God, she must have thought of you, dear St. Joseph. I think she probably admired God’s great providence in giving her such a husband — one in whom she could have complete confidence. She must have felt so grateful for the understanding and protection which she knew you would give her. Teach me to be faithful and steady in virtue, dear St. Joseph, so that others may depend on me to assist them in doing God’s Holy Will.
The Visitation
Did you notice a change in your bride, St. Joseph, as you accompanied her on her errand of charity? Was she quieter than usual or perhaps more energetic? When you sang the psalms together on the way, did you hear a difference in her voice? I imagine that on this journey, as you walked with the Virgin most amiable, your own love of God and neighbor would have been increased by means of her modest and yet brilliant example. Please help me, St. Joseph to be easily edified by my neighbor and to praise God when I see His goodness in those around me.
The Nativity
As you sought a place to stay in Bethlehem, St. Joseph, I have to admit — I don’t know how you kept your peace in the face of such a trial. . . .Well, maybe I do know — by the grace of God. If I had been you, I’m afraid there would have been an unpleasant scene at the innkeeper’s door, as I told him “no room” wasn’t an option. Luckily for Our Lady, for Baby Jesus, and for all the world, I wasn’t you. How docile you must have been to perceive the guidance of the Holy Ghost in this matter! Good St. Joseph, please heal me of my control-freak-ism, which so often deafens me to the whisperings of grace and prevents me from possessing the joys God arranges for me to have.
The Presentation in the Temple
When you brought Baby Jesus to the Temple, St. Joseph, you brought God into His Own sacred house — the very place dedicated to His honor and worship. It must have been surreal, if not a surprise, to have so many people present for the express purpose of praising God as you carried the Divine Child, unrecognized, through the crowd. What an unexpected joy then to be approached by Simeon and then Anna, who knew their Lord when they saw Him. What a consolation to your missionary heart! Give me your eagerness, oh, St. Joseph, to see Jesus known and loved by all men, so that I will work the harder for the salvation of souls!
The Finding in the Temple
There are so many aspects of this mystery to reflect upon, dear St. Joseph, but I am especially interested in the joy you experienced when you first discovered the lost Child. For myself, it is difficult to think of joy after such a terrible sorrow — the former somewhat overshadowing the latter. But I don’t imagine you would have felt that way. I suppose if a man was able to breathe again after suffocating, his joy at inhaling air would be all he’d think about. And similarly, blindness would only be horrible for as long as it lasted. When you found your Jesus, it must have felt like having your sight restored after blindness. Teach me, St. Joseph, to love His Sacred Heart above all things. Help me to appreciate how empty every good is when it is loved apart from Him.
