The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-03-25

lender age of the child. nor in the
l ID tlsues and dangers of the Journey: he
ASKS no questions concerning the dura-
ion OF ms exile, nor the time when his
a!I uSgles are to cease; but, rising from
iiis steep, he takes the child and his
Iilother and sets out without guide or
assistance, leaving to God alone the
task of watching over and nTotectine
MS cherished family. At the first sign
OF heavens Will he returns from exile
70 ms native land with Jesus and
Mary: Tor them he endures poverty and
! i,ulnlIlaJlon and remains until death
me faithful and tried guardian and
protector OF his Lord. What an Admir-
dple spirit of obedience! How eloquent
ny uoes IL not teach us to sumbit with
OuI murinur TO the will of heaven!
ne exemplary submission of st.
Joseph 10 the divine will thus rendered
nun nun as we have seen, a model of JUS
uee IN mis- love OF state his perfect
patience, his entire resignation and in
the promptness of his obedience. 1t re-
mains for us only to consider the re-
wards which his justice merited
vi eafth justice rarely meets with
temporal rewards. The impious. in
Iile midst Of pomp and prosperity, fire.
quently are in the enjoyment of gran
deur and riches. Their success seems
TO Surpass their fondest desires: whilst
me Just. on the contrary, have often
iof their portion only contempt and
IEullIerence- Without the light of
IdllI we should perhaps not unfre-
quehtly be tempted to imagine that the
laVors of heaven are the reward of
crime, and Its disfavor the only recon-
peilse of virtue, Joseph, who's eyirtues
eIlled the praise of the holy, spirit
uli Inc inspired writings, did not re-
celVe Tor his reward temporal prosper
ny ana success. Like so many other
just men, he Was poor and prosecuted, I
an object Of scorn to his feIIown1ep.
The distinctions of the world were
unworthy of his merit; but God ex-
tended to him the prize of real great
!leSs' he granted him the understands
ing OIL the divine mysteries: he estab-
llShed him protector of his chosen ones
on earth, and he selected him TO CO.
operate in his adorable lesigns-three
prerogatiYes vouchsafed TO Joseph !
alone, and alone fit to be the recon-
pense of his virtues.
when Almighty God decreed that (
the august mystery of the Incarnation |
should be accomplished, Joseph was |
the one chosen to be not only the con- !
ndailt, but the faithful guardian of the |
divine secret. The son of God when
about to descend on earth to assume |
our human nature, would have a
mother This mother could not be /
ether than the purest of virgins. and |
her divine maternity could not impair
her Incompatible virginity. Until such
time as the son of Mary was recog-
nized as the son of God, his mothers
honor had need of, a protector. Some
man. therefore, was destined to be
called to the high honor of being
Mary's spouse; this privileged mortal
was Joseph, the most chaste and the
most just of men
But he was not only chosen to the
glory of having to protect the mother
Of the incarnate word; he was only
,alled to exercise an adopted paternity
over the very son of God. SO long as
he mysterious cloud was over the
saint of saints Jesus was known by men
rs the son of Joseph and the carpen-
er's son. When Mary after three days
If mysterious separation found the
hid Jesus i'll the temple disputing with
he doctors, she thus addressed him:
Thy father and l have sought thee
And the evangelist adds
hat he was subject to them"
What wonder, then, if this foster
ather Of the son of God was prefig-
lred in the Old Testament, and that
~ one of the most glorious of patri-
rchs? Listen to st. Bernard, who
hus compares the two Josephs: 1.-THE |
irst was sold by his brethren and led !
nto Egypt, thus prefiguring our Sa- :
ior's being sold; the second, to avoid
Ierods envy, led Jesus into Egypt. .,
The first was faithful to his master
nd treated his wife with honor; the
econd, too, was the most chaste guar
ian of his spouse, the Virgin mother
f his Lord. To the first was given !
he understanding and the interpreted
ion of dreams; to the second the
of and participation in the
ivine mysteries. The first laid up |
torres of corn, not for himself, but '
or all the people; the second received
ne living bread that came down from
eaven AMI kept it for himself and for
he whole world
Thus we have seen the glory and Q
over of the just on earth are not the !
ertain measure of their merit and d
oliness; but far different is the case p
hen the links which bind them to c
lrth are severed. AS the gifts which "
ley then receive are the true reward u
their sanctity it follows that they Il
ust be proportionate to their merit.
he more resplendent their life has
zen with virtues the greater the hon.
ge and generation TO which they are f,
ltitled after death, and the holier
ley have been in the sight of God the a
ore perfectly they have accomplished s.
s will. the higher teh. degree of au- Y
rity and power to which they are T,
Used. b
This reflection, then will make it d
sy for US to understand how great c
ust be the power of st. Joseph with f.
cd. and how worthy he is of our is
image Always subject to the divine n
i'll. his life was but one uninterrupted a
recession of virtuous actions; every b,
slant added but fresh luStre to his d.
erits. He is, therefore, before God h
10 most powerful of the saints as he nj
as the most just of the children OF o.
ell. How great must be the power of 81
: intercession with that Son whose IL
We he never ceased TO merit. And ~
is is why the Church halls him as III
r patron and protector, and why de hi
,tion TO him prevails wherever true %,
it'll exists III
Justly. then. we may apply to our ia
Ives the words which of old We're adj a
essed to the needy ones of Egypt 81
. ad Joseph-"Go to Joseph Let 81
go to Joseph with confidence, ask hi
2 of him not temporal faVors. which "
ight be the cause of our ruin, but or
ace to persevere in well doing. Let to
learn from him to be contented with IN
q lot which Providence has granted Sc
: to be submissive to the will of m
aven. to be charitable in our deal DIR
rs with our fellowmen; i'm a word, to
Tx as he did in the path of justice. &c
If supplications viii then be worthy M
Joseph; he will bear them TO the tn
rome of the omnipotent God; the pl
I'd will bestow upon us His benedic- da
ms and If. like Joseph, we are not FL
yarded with earthly consultations, we Oh
" confidently hope for an abundant all
ward in the better life to come or
e Maria ma
on