Miguel Augusto
The “Year of St Joseph” ended this month on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), but we keep our eyes fixed on the foster father of Jesus, Guardian of the Holy Family, given the approach of Christmas. We reflect on his increased mystical presence in the Church. It is remarkable that, in the private revelations about St Joseph, both in the apparitions of Our Lady, as to the mystic and devout saints, Heaven is calling for greater devotion by Catholics to the foster father of Jesus and chaste husband of the Mother of God.
The apparitions of Our Lady throughout history have been frequent and have been intensifying for a few centuries. The Church has approved a few private revelations of the Blessed Mother, many of them known by the faithful: Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fátima.
As far as the revelations of St Joseph are concerned, just as he passes discreetly in the Holy Scriptures, so too have his apparitions and private revelations been discreet.
Writer Joseph Pronechen, who did a few articles on St Joseph published on National Catholic Register, recalls that saints like St Teresa of Ávila, St Gertrude to St Faustina were blessed by appearances and intercession of St Joseph, and points out that inhabitants in locales from Flanders, Belgium, to Knock, Ireland, and Fatima (Portugal), were also blessed by a mystical presence of the foster father of Jesus.
Regarding St Teresa of Ávila, in the 16th century, Pronechen tells us about an apparition of St Joseph recorded by the saint in her autobiography and mentions that she said he appeared to her when she was having trouble establishing a particular convent. She wrote, “Once, when I was in a difficulty and could not think what to do, or how I was going to pay some workmen, St Joseph, my true father and lord, appeared to me and gave me to understand that money would not be lacking and I must make all the necessary arrangements. I did so, though I had not a farthing, and the Lord, in ways which amazed people when they heard of them, provided the money.”
St Teresa also wrote, “Those who give themselves to prayer should in a special manner have always a devotion to St Joseph; for I know not how any man can think of the Queen of the angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Infant Jesus, without giving thanks to St Joseph for the services he rendered them then. He who cannot find anyone to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious Saint for his master, and he will not wander out of the way.” St Teresa, speaking about a vision of Our Lady and St Joseph, recounts: “Our Lady seemed at once to take me by both hands. She said that I pleased her very much by being devoted to the glorious St Joseph.”
The writer Joseph Pronechen also points out a vision of St Gertrude the Great in which Our Lady revealed to her the glory of St Joseph. He mentioned that it occurred on the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Gertrude recorded: “I saw Heaven opened and St Joseph sitting upon a magnificent throne. I felt myself wonderfully affected when, each time his name was mentioned, all the Saints made a profound inclination toward him, showing by the serenity and sweetness of their looks that they rejoiced with him on account of his exalted dignity.”
A more contemporary saint, Sister Faustina, also received visits from the foster father of Jesus. She highlighted the role of St Joseph, in drawing souls to the merciful Heart of God: “St Joseph urged me to have a constant devotion to him. He himself told me to recite three prayers [the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be] and the Memorare once every day. He looked at me with great kindness and made me know how much he is supporting this work [of mercy]. He has promised me this special help and protection. I recite the requested prayers every day and feel his special protection.” (Diary 1203).
Knock – the silent Apparition
A fascinating apparition in which St Joseph appeared with Our Lady and the St John Evangelist occurred in Knock, Ireland. On the official website of the Sanctuary, we have some historical data about the apparition. Knock Shrine records the event and gives us details of the apparition: “On the evening of the 21st of August 1879, a heavenly Apparition occurred at the gable wall of the Parish Church when Our Lady appeared, in the company of St Joseph and St John the Evangelist. Unique to the Knock Apparition was the presence of the Eucharistic Lamb in front of a Cross, standing upon an altar and surrounded by angels. The Apparition lasted for about two hours and fifteen official witnesses gave their testimonies to a Commission of Enquiry in October of that year.” The testimonies can be read on the official website of Knock Shrine: www.knockshrine.ie.
In 1879, Dominick Byrne Sr spoke of what he saw: “I live at Knock, I remember the night of the 21st of August, my cousin Dominick Byrne, came to see us at about eight o’clock p.m., and called me to see the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints at the south gable of the chapel. I went with him. When I reached the south side of the chapel we saw the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, having her hands uplifted, and her eyes turned up towards heaven, as if in prayer, and she was dressed in a white cloak. To her right I saw St Joseph, and on her left St John, just as the other persons had told me before I came.
“I saw an altar there, and figures representing saints and angels were traced or carved on the lower part of it. The night was dark and raining, and yet these images, in the dark night, appeared with bright lights as plain as under the noonday sun.…
“The whiskers on St Joseph were an iron grey. The Blessed Virgin had on a white cloak.
“The reason I had for calling the third figure St John is because some saw his statue or his likeness at Lecanvey parish chapel.”
One lady, Mary Byrne, gave us a curious fact about St. Joseph’s posture: “In the figure of St Joseph the head was slightly bent, and inclined towards the Blessed Virgin, as if paying her respect. It represented the saint as somewhat aged, with grey whiskers and greyish hair.”
Another visionary, Patrick Hill, tells us about the presence of the lamb, altar and cross: “We saw the figures – the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph and St John, and an altar with a Lamb on the altar, and a cross behind the lamb.… The figures were full and round as if they had a body and life; they said nothing; but as we approached they seemed to go back a little towards the gable.”
Pope Francis officially recognizes Knock Shrine as an international Eucharistic and Marian Shrine. A special ceremony was held at the Apparition Chapel on March 19th 2021, the Feast of St Joseph.
St Joseph at Fatima
Many people know about the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Fatima (Portugal), and have heard of the “Miracle of the Sun” in Cova da Iria, October 13, 1917, but few know that St Joseph was also present in Sister Lucia’s vision. The Servant of God and Seer of Fatima, Lucia’s own words described the apparition in her Memoirs: “After Our Lady had disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament, we beheld St Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. St Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands.”
The narrative of the apparitions can be read online at the Shrine of Fatima: www.fatima.pt/en.
Encouragement of the Saints
St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), in her autobiography, the holy Carmelite mystic and reformer, regarding her holy father, St Joseph, she gives proof of his powerful intercession: “I took for my patron and lord the glorious St Joseph and recommended myself earnestly to him. I saw clearly that both out of this my present trouble, and out of others of greater importance, relating to my honour and the loss of my soul, this my father and lord delivered me, and rendered me greater services than I knew how to ask for.
“I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favours which God hath given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he hath delivered me, both of body and of soul.
“To other Saints, our Lord seems to have given grace to succour men in some special necessity; but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, to help us in all: and our Lord would have us understand that as He was Himself subject to him upon earth – for St Joseph having the title of father, and being His guardian, could command Him – so now in heaven He performs all his petitions. […]
“Would that I could persuade all men to be devout to this glorious Saint; for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God. I have never known anyone who was really devout to him, and who honoured him by particular services, who did not visibly grow more and more in virtue; for he helps in a special way those souls who commend themselves to him.”
Venerable Margaret of the Most Holy Sacrament (1619-1648), by her own example of love and devotion, she encourages all Christians to venerate St Joseph. In writing to a friend in religious life she reminds us to labour in union with St Joseph in the midst of the tasks of everyday life: “I am delighted to find you installed in your present post. I conjure you to unite yourself to our dear and amiable Child Jesus, who, in St Joseph’s workshop, did not consider Himself the master, but merely as an assistant. Unite your labors to those of that Blessed Child: accustom yourself to look upon the sister whom you have been appointed to assist, in the same light as that in which He considered St Joseph. I am also an assistant to one of our sisters, and I will endeavour to be faithful to the practices which I now recommend to you.”
St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975), a saint of our times, extolled devotion to St Joseph, and encouraged Catholics to find in St Joseph a model in living catholic faith. His are these words, “In human life, Joseph was Jesus’ master in their daily contact, full of refined affection, glad to deny himself to take better care of Jesus. Isn’t that reason enough for us to consider this just man, this holy patriarch, in whom the faith of the old covenant bears fruit, as a master of interior life? Interior life is nothing but continual and direct conversation with Christ, so as to become one with him. And Joseph can tell us many things about Jesus. Therefore, never neglect devotion to him – Ite ad Ioseph: ‘Go to Joseph’ – as Christian tradition puts it in the words of the Old Testament.”
“A master of interior life, a worker deeply involved in his job, God’s servant in continual contact with Jesus: that is Joseph. Ite ad Ioseph. With St Joseph, the Christian learns what it means to belong to God and fully to assume one’s place among men, sanctifying the world. Get to know Joseph and you will find Jesus. Talk to Joseph and you will find Mary, who always sheds peace about her in that attractive workshop in Nazareth.” (Christ is Passing By, no. 56).
According to Fr Donald Calloway, in his book Consecration to St Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, God wanted St Joseph to be more present from the 19th century onwards. Fr Donald recalls that Pope Blessed Pius IX, touched by a Dominican Saint who wrote letters to the Holy Father telling him that the Holy Spirit asked for a greater emphasis on the life and mission of St Joseph in the Church, proclaimed St Joseph “Patron of the Universal Church.” It was by the decree Quemadmodum Deus, published by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1870. This was one year to the day after the First Vatican Council was convened. The date of his feast, 19 March, was also promoted in rank to a double of the first class.
St Joseph, pray for us!
Memorare
The Memorare prayer referred to by St Faustina:
“Remember, O most pure spouse of Mary, and my dearly beloved guardian, St Joseph, that never was it known that anyone who invoked your care and requested your help was left without consolation. Inspired with this confidence, I come to you and with all the ardor of my spirit I commend myself to you. Do not reject my prayer, O Foster Father of the Savior, but graciously receive and answer it. Amen.”
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