The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-15
go TO JOSEPH"


His Charity was put to the proof by
Mary.
His Faith was put to the proof by
Christ.
His Obedience was put to the proof
by God the Father.
His Patience was put to the proof by
Providence.
st. Joseph's Power:
What could God refuse to a saint
whom He has chosen in preference to
all the princes of heaven and earth,
whom He has associated with His
divine paternity, whom He has consti-
tuted the visible providence of His
Son, and who so worthily fulfilled that
mission? 1t is the plous belief of the
Church, that God, in order to recon-
pense the saints who have excelled in
certain grace or virtue, grants them
in heaven a special power to obtain
for their clients the same grace or
the same virtue.
ST. Joseph's Goodness:
Il do not remember" says ST.
Theresa, lever to have asked any,
thing from God through the interces-
sion of st. Joseph that have not
obtained; and l do not know any
one," she adds, ''who has assiduously
invoked him without making notable
progress in virtue" Several other
saints attest the same thing by their
own experience, as well as by the eX-
perience of others, and thence infer
that the devotion to ST. Joseph is one
of the surest marks of predestination.
The Love of Jesus and Mary, the
First Grace attached to the Devotion
to st. Joseph.
The Gift of Purity and Innocence,
the Second Grace attached to the
Devotion to st. Joseph.
The Interior Life, the Third Grace
attached to the Devotion to st. JOS
eph.
The Gift of a Holy Death, the
Fourth Grace attached to the Devo-
ton to st. Joseph.
St. Joseph's Humility.
Learn of Ne for l am meek and
humble of heart. Matt. XII. 20.
Who can resist these sweet and
pleading words of our Blessed Saw
Jour? How they ought to penetrate
and soften our hearts, And why?
Because they present to us such
touching picture of our Divine Mas
ter. Again we see His hunger His
thirst, His WEAKNESS. We see Him
spat upon, prosecuted, and subjected
to the most cruel torrents; we fol-
low Him to Calvary, where we find
Him the meekest and gentlest of men
the very Lamb of God led to the
slaughter, and opening not His mouth.
In this spirit of meekness and humil-
ity st. Joseph shared, next to the
Blessed Virgin, above all the saints of
God. Of royal descent, his life was
spent as an humble carpenter, his
only possessions his poor tools. Faith
fully he discharged the duties of his
Office and in their grace he grew in
humility day by day. Commanding
the Lord of heaven, he sank into the
depths of his own nothingness, ascrib-
ing all to the glory of God. With the
riches of heaven in his possession,
with the treasures of God committed
to his care, and standing as the Mas
ter in Gods own house on earth, he
was yet the lowliest, and the hum
blest of men.
st. Joseph's Love For Us.
A new commandment 1 give unto
you: that you love one another as I
have loved you. John xiii. "a.
Why does our blessed Saviour say,
81 give you new commandment? ?"
Because when He came upon earth
the virtue of charity was little known
among men, even among His chosen
people the Jews, so that He laid it
down as a solemn precept. Not that
there were not some instances of
natural benevolence and compassion
of heart among the pagans as well as
among the Israelites; but our Blessed
Saviour wished to raise higher
standard than that of mere natural
affection. He wanted to spiritualize
our love. He wanted it to spring from
His own love-yes, even to form a
part of it. eff any man say he loves
God and loves not his neighbor, the
truth is not in him." "By this shall
all men know that you are My dis
ciples, if you have love one for an
other" And was not the Blessed
Masters last prayer to His Heaven
ly Father yearning cry that His dis
ciples might be one in charity as He
and the Father are one in divine
nature? Now if the bond of perfec-
ton be charity" it follows that the
further we advance in sanctity before
God the more truly and generously do
we love our neighbor. This has ever
been the mark of Gods devoted serv-
ants, of those who have most glori-
ously labored for souls. While st.
Joseph was not called to the most
active works of zeal, yet among all
the saints of God he closely follows
our Blessed Lady in love for men.
Az, - Go l.