Tag Archives: St. Joseph
Saint Joseph, a Man of Poverty and Obedience
People venerated St. Joseph a long time ago. His most distinctive characteristics were gradually invoked, and thus the Litany to St. Joseph was formed. In it, there are two significant ejaculations: Joseph, obedient and Lover of poverty. These virtues of Joseph also touched Blessed Alphonse Marie, who chose St. Joseph for a principal patron of the Congregation.
Poverty and Work
“You shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; happy shall you be and favored” (Ps 128:2). “The poor shall eat their fill” (Ps 22:27). Work means any activity by man, whether manual or intellectual, whatever its nature or circumstances; it means any human activity that can and must be recognized as work, in the midst of all the many activities of which man is capable and to which he is predisposed by his very nature, by virtue of humanity itself. Man is made to be in the visible universe an image and likeness of God himself, and he is placed in it in order to subdue the earth. From the beginning therefore he is called to work. Work is one that distinguishes man from the rest of creatures. Only man is capable of work, and only man works, at the same time by work occupying his existence on earth (cf. John Paul II.: Laborem exercens).
Saint Joseph, “Foster-Father” and a Patron of the Motherhouse and the Congregation
A family is the basic cell of the community. The head of the Holy Family was St. Joseph, whom we also call foster-father of Jesus. Despite the difficulties they met, that there was no room for them in the inn in Bethlehem, that they have to fly to Egypt, etc. he always took care to find a shelter for Jesus and Mary. As a foster-father, he took good care of the child Jesus and raised Him in wisdom. Continue reading