Page 177 - Reflections on St. Joseph

Concluding Prayer:
Holy Father, who joined together by a virginal bond the glorious Mother of your Son and the
just man, Saint Joseph, that they might be faithful cooperators in the mystery of the Word
Incarnate, we beseech you, that by meditating upon the mysteries of the Incarnation and
hidden life of your only begotten Son, we may live in more intimate union with Christ and
may walk more joyfully in the way of love, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Why this devotion is a most excellent means for spreading devotion to St. Joseph today

Having described the Holy Spouses Rosary here, I repeat the invitation to obtain the more
complete book describing the biblical background and possible personal applications for each
mystery, and also the handy leaflet for daily use. This is so that you may try praying the
devotion individually, as well as in family or community, over a period of time. Then you
yourself may judge whether or not this is “the best tool for the popular spread of a
Christocentric Josephology.” I will go through the nine criteria for judging this, as I presented
them at the beginning of this paper, and make my case for presenting this thesis.

1) Christocentric:
While St. Joseph is presented in his fullness throughout the ten mysteries of this devotion,
he is never presented separately from his role as a minister of salvation. He is intimately
connected with the mystery of Christ. His life is focused on the Redeemer and he leads us to
focus our lives on Christ. As he shared intimately in the mysteries of the Incarnation and
hidden life of Jesus, he leads us to appreciate God’s love poured out for us in Christ. Although
the Holy Spouses prayer honors Mary and Joseph and seeks their intercession, it is clearly
centered on the name Jesus, from which their roles derive. The ten titles added to Jesus’
Name for each of the ten mysteries also present ten separate aspects of Joseph’s relationship
to the Son of God. What other devotion to St. Joseph could be more Christocentric than the
praying of the Holy Spouses Prayer with Jesus’ Name and various titles at the center, while
meditating upon the various mysteries of the Incarnation and Hidden Life of the Redeemer?

2) Based on Joseph’s most fundamental role of Husband of Mary:
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Sacred Scripture, St. Augustine and other fathers of the Church, and the magisterium agree that
St. Joseph’s first role is that of “husband of Mary,” and that his fatherhood over Jesus and his
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other consequent roles derive from this. Despite heroic efforts by Jean de Charlier de Gerson in
the early fifteenth century to establish a universal celebration of the Betrothal of Mary and
Joseph, and despite the acceptance of the feast in many proper liturgical calendars, the Holy
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Spouses still do not have a universal liturgical feast. Part of the reason for this, is that our popular
devotions have given too much emphasis to Mary and Joseph as isolated individuals, and precious
little to them as a married couple. This has also weakened the spread of devotion to St. Joseph and
has left Marian devotion incomplete. The Holy Spouses Rosary does not separate what God has
joined, but honors the Holy Spouses together and seeks their intercession together. Joseph is in
no way diminished by this, but rather is recognized in his most fundamental God-given identity.
We gaze at the mysteries of Christ Incarnate together with him and Mary. The Holy Spouses
Litany recognizes roles, virtues, and patronages that Mary and Joseph share. What other devotion
to St. Joseph even begins to compare with this one for recognizing that Joseph’s role as Spouse of
Mary is fundamental to all others?

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Reflections on st. joseph