Page 166 - Reflections on St. Joseph

ST. JOSEPH MARELLO

How did he pray to

ST. JOSEPH ?

Fr. Guido Miglietta, OSJ

L
ooking through the Letters of St. Joseph Marello, along with his Teachings (Spiritual counsels
and homilies collected by Bice Graglia and Sr. Albertina Fasolis) and we have found 12 prayers
to St. Joseph: 5 from among his Letters, 5 from his counsels to Sr. Albertina Fasolis and 2 from
his Communications of Pontifical Acts and his pastoral ministry in Acqui.

The first three prayers to St. Joseph, from among his Letters come from letters to his priest
friends Stefano Delaude and Giuseppe Riccio. All of them were written during his first year as
a priest. Fr. Marello was 24 years old, ordained
only a few months, and the devotion to St.
Joseph was growing within him.

The first prayer with which he turns to St.
Joseph is a common prayer that echoes his
desire for holiness together with inner
turmoil with regards to acquiring holiness.
He writes: “Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Angels and
Saints our holy protectors, we want to go with
you - what is the most secure way?” This is from
Letter 26 to Stefano Delaude, his friend. This
is the very first time that Joseph Marello
mentions St. Joseph and calls upon him. It is
January 11, 1869.

Is this, so to speak, a discovery of St. Joseph by
the priest Marello? Most certainly, and it
comes about gradually, which we can see
based on numerous other elements, not just
his prayers themselves, but also from the
intentions for prayer which are entrusted to
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St. Joseph. At the same time he sets forth in
Reflections on st. joseph