“Who would venture to compare any Saint with St. Joseph? In what amazing union with God, in what flames of heroic love, in what Mary-like depths of self-abasement, did not that shadow of the Eternal Father dwell, ever honoring by the shadow that he cast that stupendous majesty and awful adorable Person whose representative he was!” -Fr Frederick William Faber
“The children of the world are ignorant regarding the privileges and rights which the Most High has conferred on my holy spouse, and the power of his intercession with the Divine Majesty and with me. But I assure you, my daughter, that in Heaven he is most intimate with the Lord, and has great power to avert the punishment of Divine justice from sinners. In all trials seek his intercession, because the Heavenly Father will grant whatever my spouse asks.” - Our Lady to Ven. Mary of Agreda
“To other Saints Our Lord seems to have given power to succor us in some special necessity—but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, He has given the power to help us in all. Our Lord would have us understand that as He was subject to St. Joseph on earth—for St. Joseph, bearing the title of father and being His guardian, could command Him—so now in Heaven Our Lord grants all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they, too, know the same thing by experience.” - St.Teresa of Avila
“Go, then to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you; Go to Joseph, and obey him as Jesus and Mary obeyed him; Go to Joseph, and speak to him as they spoke to him; Go to Joseph, and consult him as they consulted him; Go to Joseph, and honour him as they honoured him; Go to Joseph, and be grateful to him as they were grateful to him; Go to Joseph, and love him, as they love him still.” - St. Alphonsus Liguori
For just over a year, we’ve added this prayer to the end of our daily family Rosary. This quick daily devotion has given our family such strong affection and attachment to Saint Joseph. We’ve seen so many tangible, sweet blessings through our prayers to our beloved Terror of Demons, Joseph Most Valiant, Pillar of Families, Joseph Most Obedient.
To thee, O Blessed Joseph, we have recourse in our tribulations, and while imploring the aid of thy most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also. By that love which united thee to the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, and by the fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Infant Jesus, we humbly beseech thee graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased with His Blood and to help us in our necessities, by thy powerful intercession. Protect, O most provident Guardian of the Holy Family, the chosen children of Jesus Christ; ward off from us, O most loving Father, all taint of error and corruption; graciously assist us from Heaven, O most power protector, in our struggle with the powers of darkness; and as thou didst once rescue the Child Jesus from imminent peril to His life, so now defend the Holy Church of God from the snares of her enemies and from all adversity. Shield each one of us with thy unceasing patronage that, imitating thy example and sported by thy aid, we may be enabled to live a good life, die a holy death, and secure everlasting happiness in Heaven. Amen.
In our times as Catholics, between the world outside and the challenges inside the Church, the temptation for discouragement is so high. There is no higher Saint than Joseph (Our Lady exempted!), to call near and to ask to guide us. He is Our Lady’s best friend, Our Lord’s foster father. Meditation on the Presentation, the Flight into Egypt, and the Three Days Loss from the vantage point of observing this greatest of saints so easily leads us to interior freedom and peace. Whatever your need, your intention, your circumstances - go to Joseph. The fruits of leaning heavily on him in our family are so abundant, I want to see the world aflame with affection for him! As St. Teresa of Avila attests, I know you will grow to love him with the sweetest gratitude, too. +JMJ+
My first blog post for Little Light Family was a simple printable, just a drawing I converted into a printable so that my children could put an Immaculate Heart of Mary together. When Saint Joseph answered, quite gratuitously, an intention for our family, we celebrated with a little surprise family lunch party…I quickly altered parts of the Immaculate Heart printable so my children could make Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph artwork for their daddy! Below are the images, ready for direct download. Be sure to print both pages as full 8.5 x 11 images (on my printer I select “print full image”) to get the proportions to match up correctly! Children can color or watercolor the heart, the fire, the lilies, and the stem, then cut out the components and assemble them on a piece of cardstock! The images can also be shrunk to print at 50% and added to a 5x7 homemade card - what better “Father’s Day” card could there be? Saint Joseph, pray for us!
