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DAY 6: The Holy Trinity is a family, a holy family. They want you to be a member of their family. To make this happen, they have established a trinitarian replica on earth: Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph.

DAY 6: Holy Trinity, One God, Have Mercy on Us

He [St. Joseph] is head of the Holy Family, father of the trinity on earth which resembles so closely the Holy Trinity on high.— St. Peter Julian Eymard

The Holy Trinity is a family, a Holy Family. They want you to be a member of their family. To make this happen, they have established a trinitarian replica on earth — an earthly trinity. The trinity on earth consists of Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph. In a sense, they are the first church. Membership in this family will prepare you for membership in God’s eternal family in heaven.

Saint Joseph is the father of the trinity on earth. Many saints have compared the earthly trinity (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) to the heavenly Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The comparison has its limitations, of course. Mary and St. Joseph are not divine, and the Holy Spirit is not a mother. Nonetheless, the comparison is important because it teaches us something about God’s Trinitarian family. Saint Francis de Sales offers us a great insight on this subject. He writes:

There is no doubt at all that St. Joseph was endowed with all gifts and graces required by the charge which the Eternal Father willed to commit to him, over all the domestic and temporal concerns of our Lord, and the guidance of his family, which was composed of three persons only, representing to us the mystery of the Most Holy and Adorable Trinity. Not that there is any real comparison in this matter excepting as regards our Lord, who is one of the persons of the Most Blessed Trinity, for the others were but creatures; yet still we may say that it was a trinity on earth representing in some sort the Most Holy Trinity.

Saint Francis de Sales teaches us a very important truth in this statement. He beautifully articulates that the trinity of Nazareth (Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph) represents the heavenly Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and, therefore, consists only of three persons. In other words, Jesus did not have any biological brothers and sisters. This is what the Catholic Church has always taught. But the Church has also always taught that the Trinity in heaven and the trinity on earth want you to be a member of their family through adoption!

Let’s be clear, though: You are never going to become a divine person. You and I are not God, and we never will be. God does, however, want to bring us into the familial life of his Triune Godhead through spiritual adoption. This happens when we are baptized. As members of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, we are made members of God’s family on earth, the Holy Family. Membership in the Holy Family on earth prepares us to enter the Holy Family in heaven.

If you want to be a member of the Trinitarian family in heaven, you need to be a Child of St. Joseph on earth. Saint Joseph, your spiritual father, will help you become a true child of the Heavenly Father. Saint Joseph will teach you how to love, pray, sacrifice, and work. He will teach you how to do the will of God. The pathway to heaven is paved with virtues, and St. Joseph will give you a father’s example of holiness. With his holy assistance, your transition to the Trinity in heaven will be an easy one. Membership in the family of Nazareth — accepting St. Joseph as your father, Mary as your mother, and Jesus as your brother — is the surest, easiest, and quickest way of becoming a member of the Trinitarian family in heaven.

What an honor it was [for St. Joseph] to enter into an alliance with the family of the heavenly Father, to become the third person of the created Trinity. — Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

St. Joseph’s Oratory

I have only my great devotion to St. Joseph. This it is that guides me and gives me full confidence. — St. André Bessette

Saints are heroes. Every hero deserves a place of honor. This is espe-cially true of St. Joseph. He is the greatest saint, the greatest hero. He deserves a basilica in his honor!

The reality is that there are many shrines around the world dedicated to St. Joseph (see page 283 for a brief list). There is one, however, that stands out above all the rest: St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal, Canada. Saint Joseph’s Oratory is a basilica and is widely acclaimed as the preeminent international center of devotion to St. Joseph.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory was founded by St. André Bessette. This incredible saint was born near Montréal in 1845. His birth name was Alfred, and his parents were devout Catholics; he was number eight of 12 children. Years later, when he entered religious life, he took the name André.

Alfred’s father was a lumberjack by trade. Tragically, his father died after a tree fell on him when little Alfred was only 9 years old. Two years later, Alfred’s mother died from tuberculosis, so Alfred became an orphan at age 12. Losing both his father and mother at such an early age, Alfred developed a strong devotion to St. Joseph and entrusted his life entirely to him. Alfred never had good health and never received much of an education either. As a young man, he moved to the United States for work and spent time in Connecticut working in several textile mills.

After a period of time, Alfred entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross and became a lay brother; he never became a priest. Due to his lack of education, Brother André was given the menial task of porter (doorman) of a college run by his religious community in Quebec. He remained in that role for more than 40 years. He was such a humble man that he often referred to himself as “St. Joseph’s little dog.” God had big plans for him though.

Though a humble doorkeeper, Brother André quickly became known all throughout Canada as a very holy and pious man. He spent countless hours praying with the people who came to the door to see him. He offered everyone devotional oil that he collected from the lamp beside a statue of St. Joseph and recommended that they take all their needs to St. Joseph. Countless miracles were worked through Brother André’s intercession, but he always attributed the miracles to the loving intercession of St. Joseph.

Brother André was frequently mocked and ridiculed for his simple love of St. Joseph, piety, and devotion. Sadly, even members of the Church expressed their dislike of him, especially the attention he gave to every sick person who came to see him. Many members of the Church became jealous of Brother André because many people considered him a saint. On average, Brother André received more than 80,000 letters a year from people asking him for prayers. The letters were so numerous that he required four helpers to assist him with all the mail. The wisdom contained in his correspondence was always simple and straightforward: Go to Joseph!

When you invoke St. Joseph, you don’t have to speak much. You know your Father in heaven knows what you need; well, so does his friend St. Joseph. Tell him, “If you were in my place, St. Joseph, what would you do?” — St. André Bessette

In thanksgiving for all the wonders taking place through the intercession of St. Joseph, Brother André desired to establish a shrine in honor of St. Joseph. He was given permission by his religious superiors for the project and, with the help of others, a small chapel dedicated to St. Joseph was erected in 1904. In 1924, construction of a basilica began on the site where he had built his small chapel in 1904. The basilica would be completed in 1967 and come to be known throughout the world as St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest shrine in the world dedicated to St. Joseph.

Unfortunately, St. André did not live to see the completion of the basilica. He died in 1937 at the age of 91. However, for his efforts to spread devotion to St. Joseph, he is known throughout the world as the greatest “Apostle of St. Joseph” of the 20th century. He was so loved and respected that more than 1 million people passed by his open coffin before his funeral Mass took place. He was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1982 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. On the universal liturgical calendar, St. André’s feast day is celebrated on January 6, the day he died. In Canada, his feast is celebrated on January 7 because the Solemnity of the Epiphany is always celebrated on January 6, and solemnities take precedence.

Today, more than 2 million people visit St. Joseph’s Oratory annually. People travel on pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Oratory from all over the world, asking for special graces through the intercession of St. Joseph and St. André Bessette. Whether they pray for health, assis-tance with difficult marriages, the conversion of wayward children, or other matters that weigh on the human heart, all who visit the basilica find peace, hope, and consolation in St. Joseph.

The earthly remains of St. André are reserved in the basilica, and a special reliquary contains his heart. In 1984, St. John Paul II journeyed to St. Joseph’s Oratory as a pilgrim while on a papal visit to Canada. Before the tomb of St. André, the saintly pope poured out his heart to St. André and St. Joseph. Below is a section from St. John Paul II’s beautiful prayer offered on that occasion:

Blessed [Saint] Brother André Bessette, porter of the college, and custodian of the Oratory of St. Joseph, give hope to all those who continue to seek your help. Teach them confidence in the virtue of prayer, and with it, the path of conversion and the Sacraments. Through you, and through St. Joseph, may God continue to pour out his blessings. Amen.

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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