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DAY 27:  Saint Joseph loves families, and his paternal heart is very concerned about what is happening to families today. Make St. Joseph a pillar of your family. 

DAY 27:  Pillar of Families, Pray for Us

Those who are devoted to prayer should, in a special manner, cherish devotion to St. Joseph. I know not how anyone can ponder on the sufferings, trials, and tribulations the Queen of Angels endured whilst caring for Jesus in his childhood, without at the same time thanking St. Joseph for the services he rendered the Divine Child and his Blessed Mother. — St. Teresa of Avila

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph love families. Their three hearts are very concerned about what is happening to families today. Families are
falling apart.

Modern man has distanced himself from God and attempted to redefine what it means to be a family. As a result, divorce rates are at an all-time high; the majority of married couples use contraception; abortion is legal; and it is socially acceptable for children to be raised by two dads and/or two moms. The family stands on the edge of a great precipice.

Various programs backed by very powerful resources nowadays seem to aim at the breakdown of the family. At times it appears that concerted efforts are being made to present as “normal” and attractive, and even to glamourize, situations which are in fact “irregular.” Indeed, they contradict “the truth and love” which should inspire and guide relationships between men and women, thus causing tensions and divisions in families, with grave consequences particularly for children. The moral conscience becomes darkened; what is true, good, and beautiful is deformed; and freedom is replaced by what is actually enslavement. — St. John Paul II

Saint John Paul II is absolutely correct. God established the family to be a school of love, something beautiful, delightful, and life-giving, and the devil and his agents want to destroy it. How are we ever going to turn the situation around? How can we return to order? The only way is to elevate the Holy Family as the model and blueprint of the family. When the Holy Family is celebrated in society, we will again know the sanctity of motherhood, the heroism of fatherhood, and the blessing of children.

Saint Joseph wants to be the pillar of your family. A pillar is a foundation. In order for your home to stand on a firm foundation and be unshakable, your family needs St. Joseph. He will teach your family the importance of prayer, mutual respect, purity, honesty, forgiveness, love, and, most importantly, placing God above all things.

Saint Joseph loves the family! Saint Joseph, the pillar of the family, teaches us the importance of motherhood, fatherhood, and children. He is the saint of the childhood and hidden years of Jesus. He teaches modern man that the only true definition of a family is that it consists of a mother, a father, and children. The notion of a “modern family” is a deception from the devil. The redefinition of marriage and the family causes the breakdown of society, culture, morals, and true family values.

In the person of St. Joseph, men can learn what it means to be a husband and a father. They must be self-sacrificing for women, children, and the common good. It is honorable for men to sacrifice themselves for others. Manhood and fatherhood are perfected through love, sacrifice, and faithfulness to those entrusted to their care. The exercise of such manhood is how husbands and fathers become pillars of civilization, and indeed, become holy. A world filled with men like St. Joseph will experience a renewal of social and moral order.

I saw Jesus assisting his parents in every possible way, and also on the street and wherever opportunity offered, cheerfully, eagerly, and obligingly helping everyone. He assisted his foster-father in his trade, and devoted himself to prayer and contemplation. He was a model for all the children of Nazareth. — Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Silent Witness

The Gospel does not record a single word from him [St. Joseph]; his language is silence. — St. Pope Paul VI

We honor St. Joseph as the man who taught Jesus how to speak. Jesus must have spoken in a style similar to his earthly father, using the same colloquialisms and having the same accent as St. Joseph. Yet we do not have a single one of St. Joseph’s words recorded in the New Testament. Actions speak louder than words.

Saint Joseph’s silence and humility are the foundation of his greatness. Of all the men God could have chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus Christ, God selected St. Joseph, the most silent of all men.

Saint Joseph, although the greatest of saints, is the humblest and most hidden of all. — St. Peter Julian Eymard

You would think that to protect this precious treasure [Jesus], the omnipotent God would equip him [St. Joseph] with thunderbolts. Wrong. Joseph sees in his arms a fugitive God and he follows him. He finds consolation only in his submission and in his confidence.  — Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Saint Joseph never wanted to be in the forefront of the drama of salvation. He preferred to remain hidden. His desire is for all the attention to be given to Jesus and Mary. The silence and humility of St. Joseph are one-of-a-kind, revealing his power, greatness, and influence with God.

In the 17th century, Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet of France extolled the wonders of the silence and humility of St. Joseph. He wrote:

Jesus was revealed to the apostles that they might announce him throughout the world; He was revealed to St. Joseph who was to remain silent and keep him hidden. The apostles are lights to make the world see Jesus. Joseph is a veil to cover him; and under that mysterious veil are hidden from us the virginity of Mary and the greatness of the Savior of souls. He who makes the apostles glorious with the glory of preaching, glorifies Joseph by the humility of silence.

Bishop Bossuet thought so highly of St. Joseph that he consid-ered him to be the greatest human being in Christianity after Jesus and Mary. Although St. Joseph’s holiness is hidden and unknown to many, Bishop Bossuet reminds us that the holiest object of Christian-ity is that which is hidden and veiled. He states:

The most illustrious thing the Church has is that which she hides most.

Bishop Bossuet is referring to the hidden Most Blessed Sacra-ment, reserved in every tabernacle around the world. It is interesting, however, that as exposition of the Blessed Sacrament has increased, so too has St. Joseph been brought to the forefront of the Church’s attention and devotion. The unveiling of St. Joseph reveals one of the greatest treasures of Christianity. Previous generations would have been delighted with the development of the Church’s understanding of Joseph’s role and devotion to Joseph in modern times because, even though their understanding and devotion to Joseph was in a rudimentary stage, they still loved him and would have welcomed more light had it been available to them at the time.

There have been “unveilings” of the greatness of St. Joseph in the past. In the 14th century, many saints and scholars brought to the Church’s life and theology a greater awareness of the wonders of St. Joseph through their own devotion and personal testimony. In the 17th century, St. Joseph himself made an appearance in Europe that would become world famous and bring about an even greater appreciation of the importance of St. Joseph.

On June 7, 1660, in Cotignac, France, St. Joseph appeared to a shepherd, spoke to him, and worked miracles and wonders of healing. As the story goes, in the middle of a scorching hot day, a shepherd named Gaspard Ricard sought refuge in the shade under the trees on Mount Bessillon near the southeastern French town of Cotignac. Extremely thirsty, Gaspard did not know what to do to quench his thirst. Suddenly, a man of dignified appearance appeared to him, pointed to a rock, and said to him: “I am Joseph. Lift this rock and you shall drink.” The rock was extremely large, and Gaspard told the man that he would not be able to lift it by himself. Undeterred, the man repeated his order for Gaspard to move the rock. Gaspard reluctantly approached the rock and, to his astonishment, was able to move it. Immediately, clear water began to gush out from the spot where the rock had been. Gaspard consumed the water with great enthusiasm and rose to thank the man, but the man had vanished.

Not knowing where the man had gone, Gaspard ran to the village to tell the people what had taken place, fully expecting to be ridiculed and mocked. His story was so intriguing that many people from the village followed him and saw the spring flowing with clear water. They also took note that the large rock had been moved; they could even see where the rock had once been located. For better access to the water, men from the village tried to move the rock a little further. It took eight grown men to move it! It was then that it dawned upon Gaspard that he had been visited by the great St. Joseph!

As word got out about what had taken place, people began to come to the spring from all over France, and many miracles occurred because of the faith of the people. They prayed to God for healing, and God worked wonders through St. Joseph and the miraculous spring. The king of France, King Louis XIV, heard about what was happening in the village and was deeply impressed. He was so moved that he consecrated all of France to St. Joseph on March 19, 1661. He also declared the Feast of St. Joseph a national holiday throughout all of France. The site quickly became so popular that the local people built a shrine to St. Joseph around the miraculous spring. For over a hundred years, it was a place of great pilgrimage, but at the time of the French Revolution, the shrine was abandoned and fell into ruins. It was restored in 1978 and is now operated by the Mater Dei Institute.

On occasion, God has also taught the Church about the greatness of St. Joseph through the writings of saints and mystics, such as St. Bridget of Sweden, Venerable Mary of Ágreda, and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. On one occasion, the Virgin Mary instructed St. Bridget about the greatness of St. Joseph, especially emphasizing the wonder of his silence. Our Lady said to St. Bridget:

Saint Joseph was so reserved and careful in his speech that not one word ever issued from his mouth that was not good and holy, nor did he ever indulge in unnecessary or less than charitable conversation. He was most patient and diligent in bearing fatigue; he practiced extreme poverty; he was most meek in bearing injuries; he was strong and constant against enemies; he was the faithful witness of the wonders of heaven.

In modern times, God has continued to unveil the greatness of St. Joseph through the writings of two of the most well-known and beloved saints of the Church: St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Faustina Kowalska. Their respective autobiographies are among the most pop-ular writings of modern saints.

Saint Thérèse describes her love for St. Joseph in The Story of a Soul. She tells her readers that she had a tremendous devotion to St. Joseph from her childhood. She recounts the story of how, when she was a little girl, she was miraculously healed through the intercession of St. Joseph. Later, as a Carmelite nun, St. Thérèse wrote about how she prayed to St. Joseph every day, crediting him with granting her countless favors.

In the Divine Mercy apparitions given to St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Joseph frequently appeared to St. Faustina and reassured her of his protection over her important mission of making God’s mercy known and trusted. Similar to St. Thérèse, Faustina, too, prayed to St. Joseph every day and wrote about her experiences in her Diary. Without a doubt, the saints and mystics of the Church have done much to reveal the greatness of St. Joseph. However, above them all, it is the Virgin Mary herself who seems to be doing the most to make her husband known and loved.

Think about it: Centuries ago, Mary was the first person to “unveil” the greatness of St. Joseph by telling St. Matthew and St. Luke about aspects of the life of St. Joseph of which they otherwise would have had no knowledge. Saint Matthew and St. Luke never knew St. Joseph personally; they never met him or talked to him. The most likely explanation for how St. Joseph ended up in the New Testament at all is that Mary told St. Matthew and St. Luke about St. Joseph. The wife of St. Joseph is the source of information about St. Joseph in the New Testament. Mary wanted her husband to be included in the New Testament. Saint Joseph didn’t speak much, but his wife spoke for him.

Today, Mary is at it again. Through her various apparitions, Mary is making her husband known by bringing him with her and teaching the Church about his importance. The Holy Trinity is the one behind it, of course, but there can be no doubt that Mary greatly delights in it and wants it as well. It seems Mary is once again asking Jesus to provide more wine for the wedding!

In our time, Our Lady has helped us comprehend and love her dear and chaste husband, St. Joseph. She has told us of the mys-tery surrounding him and of his greatness. She has let us know something of her love for St. Joseph, that most lovable saint who for years held the Word made flesh in his arms. — Blessed Gabriele Allegra

Let’s take a look at several of the apparitions referred to by Blessed Gabriele Allegra, as well as a few that have taken place since his death.

On August 21, 1879, the Virgin Mary appeared to 15 people in Knock, Ireland. The apparition is popularly known as the apparition of Our Lady of Knock, but St. Joseph and St. John the Apostle were also present. No words or messages were given by Our Lady or the other heavenly visitors. The apparition occurred in the pouring rain and lasted for many hours. According to the sworn testimony of those who witnessed the apparition, St. Joseph wore white, was barefoot, and had his hands folded in prayer with his head slightly bent toward Mary as if honoring her great dignity as the Mother of God. It’s a mysterious and intriguing apparition, but one that is fully approved by the Church.

In 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared in Fatima, Portugal. On October 13, 1917, during the last of the six Marian apparitions given to the three young visionaries, St. Joseph made an appearance as well. Similar to Knock, the skies were pouring rain on October 13 when St. Joseph made his appearance. It was also on that day that the famed Miracle of the Sun took place. More than 70,000 people witnessed the sun gyrate and spin as though it were going to crash into the earth. It was shortly before the Miracle of the Sun took place that St. Joseph appeared, holding the Christ Child, and together they blessed the world. All three visionaries of Fatima testified that St. Joseph and the Christ Child simultaneously blessed the world.

The significance of Jesus appearing as a child and blessing the world with St. Joseph cannot be underestimated. The message of Fatima has great significance for our times. Sister Lucia, the longest-lived visionary of the Fatima apparitions, stated that the final battle between good and evil would be over marriage and the family. Heaven taught us on October 13, 1917, that Jesus works miracles, gives peace, and blesses the world through St. Joseph. What St. Joseph’s presence at Fatima also signifies is that a crucial component of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — a promise Our Lady made during the July 13 apparition to the three visionary children — is for the world to receive the simultaneous blessing of St. Joseph. When the Church recognizes the blessing of St. Joseph’s fatherhood, Jesus will reign in hearts, and Mary’s Immaculate Heart will triumph.

In 1968, there were a series of apparitions of Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph in Zeitoun, a suburb of Cairo, Egypt. The town of Zeitoun is believed to have been one of the places the Holy Family visited during their sojourn in Egypt centuries earlier. Incredibly, thousands of Zeitoun’s inhabitants — including Christians, Muslims, Jews, and government officials — witnessed the apparitions of the Holy Family. As at Knock, there were no words spoken and no messages given. The apparitions took place above and around a Coptic church, and were approved by the local Coptic ecclesial authorities.

Perhaps the most significant insights in modern times highlight-ing St. Joseph’s importance were the inner religious experiences of Sr. Mildred Mary Neuzil (also known as Sr. Mary Ephrem) in the United States in the 1950s. These inner religious experiences are known as the alleged apparitions of “Our Lady of America.” Although a commission of United States bishops who investigated the matter decided that the visions and revelations of Sr. Mary Ephrem cannot be said to be of supernatural origin in the sense of objective occurrences (non constat de supernaturalitate), nevertheless, these inner religious expe-riences beautifully express the heart of the truth about St. Joseph that is coming to be appreciated more and more by the Church as a whole.

In 1956 and 1958, St. Joseph himself allegedly spoke to Sr. Mary Ephrem (events described by the bishops’ commission as “subjective inner religious experiences”). Saint Joseph spoke to her of his virginity, purity, obedience, and love for his spouse. He also informed Sr. Mary Ephrem that God desires that the world have a greater appreciation for the sufferings the heart of St. Joseph under-went in union with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Saint Joseph spoke of the importance of devotion to his heart and spiritual fatherhood, as well as how God desires to bless all fatherhood through St. Joseph. The recognition of the wonders of St. Joseph is of such great impor-tance that St. Joseph instructed Sr. Mary Ephrem that God wants St. Joseph to be honored on the First Wednesday of every month, especially by the recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary and the reception of Holy Communion.

The alleged messages given by St. Joseph to Sr. Mary Ephrem on March 18 and March 19, 1958, are of such spiritual importance and magnitude that they need to be presented here in their entirety. Sister Mary Ephrem wrote:

On March 11, 1958, Our Lady said to me: “St. Joseph will come on the eve of his feast. Prepare yourself well. There will be a special message. My holy spouse has an important part to play in bringing peace to the world.”

[March 18, 1958]
St. Joseph came as was promised, and these are the words he spoke at this time: “Kneel down, my daughter, for what you will hear and what you will write will bring countless souls to a new way of life. Through you, small one, the Trinity desires to make known to souls its desire to be adored, honored, and loved within the kingdom, the interior kingdom of their hearts. I bring to souls the purity of my life and the obedience that crowned it. All fatherhood is blessed in me whom the Eternal Father chose as his representative on earth, the Virgin-Father of his own Divine Son. Through me the Heavenly Father has blessed all father-hood, and through me he continues and will continue to do so till the end of time. My spiritual fatherhood extends to all God’s children, and together with my Virgin Spouse I watch over them with great love and solicitude. Fathers must come to me, small one, to learn obedience to authority: to the Church always, as the mouthpiece of God, to the laws of the country in which they live, insofar as these do not go against God and their neighbor. Mine was perfect obedience to the Divine Will, as it was shown and made known to me by the Jewish law and religion. To be careless in this is most displeasing to God and will be severely punished in the next world. Let fathers also imitate my great purity of life and the deep respect I held for my Immaculate Spouse. Let them be an example to their children and fellow men, never willfully doing anything that would cause scandal among God’s people. Fatherhood is from God, and it must take once again its rightful place among men.”

As St. Joseph ceased speaking I saw his most pure heart. It seemed to be lying on a cross which was of brown color. It appeared to me that at the top of the heart, in the midst of the flames pouring out, was a pure white lily. Then I heard these words: “Behold this pure heart so pleasing to him who made it.” St. Joseph then continued: “The cross, my little one, upon which my heart rests is the cross of the Passion, which was ever present before me, causing me intense suffering. I desire souls to come to my heart that they may learn true union with the Divine Will. It is enough, my child; I will come again tomorrow. Then I will make known to you how God wishes me to be honored in union with Jesus and Mary to obtain peace among men and nations. Good night, my little one.”

On the evening of the next day, March 19, 1958, St. Joseph again appeared to me as he had promised and addressed me in these words: “My child, I desire a day to be set aside to honor my fatherhood. The privilege of being chosen by God to be the Virgin-Father of his Son was mine alone, and no honor, excluding that bestowed upon my Holy Spouse, was ever, or will ever, be as sublime or as high as this. The Holy Trinity desires thus to honor me that in my unique fatherhood all fatherhood might be blessed. Dear child, I was king in the little home of Nazareth, for I sheltered within it the Prince of Peace and the Queen of Heaven. To me they looked for protection and sustenance, and I did not fail them. I received from them the deepest love and reverence, for in me they saw him whose place I took over them. So the head of the family must be loved, obeyed, and respected, and in return be a true father and protector to those under his care. In honoring in a special way my fatherhood, you also honor Jesus and Mary. The Divine Trinity has placed into our keeping the peace of the world. The imitation of the Holy Family, my child, of the virtues we practiced in our little home at Nazareth is the way for all souls to that peace which comes from God alone and which none other can give.”

Then suddenly, as he ceased speaking, I was favored with a unique and marvelous vision of the glorious St. Joseph. He seemed suspended, as it were, a short distance above what had the appearance of a large globe with clouds moving about it. His head was slightly raised, the eyes gazing upward as if in ecstasy. The hands were in a position similar to that of the priest during the celebration of Holy Mass, only they extended upward somewhat more. The color of his hair as also of his rather small and slightly forked beard seemed a very dark brown. His eyes resembled in color the hair and beard. He was clothed in a white robe that reached to his ankles. Over this he wore a sort of cloak which did not come together at the throat, but covering the shoulders and draped gracefully over each arm, reached to the hem of the robe. The cloak at times had, or seemed to have, the appearance of a brown, sometimes a purple, hue, or perhaps a slight blending of the two. The belt about his waist was of a gold color, as were his sandals. His appearance, though quite youthful, gave at the same time the impression of rare maturity combined with great strength. He seemed a bit taller than medium height. The lines of his face appeared strong and purposeful, softened somewhat by a gentle serenity. I also saw his most pure heart at this time. Moreover, I saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovering above his head. Standing sideways, facing each other, were two angels, one on the right, the other on the left. Each carried what appeared to be a small pillow in a satin covering, the pillow on the right bearing a gold crown, the one on the left, a gold scepter. The angels were all white, even their faces and hair. It was a beautiful whiteness that reminded me of the stainlessness of heaven. Then I heard these words: “Thus should he be honored whom the King desires to honor.”

Whoa! If you didn’t get that, read it again. Everything that modern man needs to know about the greatness of St. Joseph is contained in the alleged messages given to Sr. Mary Ephrem: Saint Joseph’s spiritual fatherhood, virginal fatherhood, youthful appear-ance, kingship, crown, heart, and cloak. Saint Joseph speaks of his protection of the family, the importance of fatherhood, and heaven’s desire that a special feast day in honor of St. Joseph’s fatherhood be established. God wants St. Joseph to be known and loved!

My friends, do you realize what this means? The fatherhood of St. Joseph is a game-changer! The significance of a feast day in honor of St. Joseph’s fatherhood would do so much spiritual good for the Church, families, and the world. Saint Joseph is worthy to be crowned by his beloved children!

The inner religious experiences of Sr. Mary Ephrem also sug-gest that St. Joseph has an essential role in bringing peace to the world. Saint Joseph is evidently an integral part of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (hence, his appearance at Fatima on Oct. 13). Our Lady’s Heart will triumph when the restoration of the family, and God’s rightful place in it, takes place. None of this will happen until St. Joseph’s fatherhood is fully recognized by the Church. Now is the time of St. Joseph!

He that is the lesser among you, he is the greater. — Lk 9:48

Let us allow ourselves to be filled with St Joseph’s silence! In a world that is often too noisy, that encourages neither recollection nor listening to God’s voice, we are in such deep need of it. — Pope Benedict XVI

Pray the Litany of St. Joseph:

Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,  have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Noble Offspring of David,  pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us.
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster-Father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Zealous Defender of Christ, pray for us.
Servant of Christ, pray for us.
Minister of Salvation, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Joseph Most Just, pray for us.
Joseph Most Chaste,  pray for us.
Joseph Most Prudent,  pray for us.
Joseph Most Courageous,  pray for us.
Joseph Most Obedient, pray for us.
Joseph Most Faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of Patience, pray for us.
Lover of Poverty, pray for us.
Model of Workmen, pray for us.
Glory of Domestic Life, pray for us.
Guardian of Virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of Families, pray for us.
Support in Difficulties, pray for us.
Comfort of the Afflicted, pray for us.
Hope of the Sick, pray for us.
Patron of Exiles,  pray for us.
Patron of the Afflicted, pray for us.
Patron of the Poor, pray for us.
Patron of the Dying, pray for us.
Terror of Demons,  pray for us.
Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

V. He has made him lord of his household,
R. And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, who, in your loving providence, chose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most Holy Mother, grant us the favor of having him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our protector. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

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