BY BILL HARKINS
Times are hard. But if you look through history, they always are. The devil is more successful in some eras and some locations than others, but he is always out there stirring up trouble. Remember how Joseph had to flee with his family to Egypt to protect Jesus from being murdered by Herod? In America, there is no direct threat like that to our loved ones, but there are still serious problems that we must face. Take this line from the opening paragraph of an Encyclical from the Pope:
“We see faith, the root of all the Christian virtues, lessening in many souls; we see charity growing cold; the young generation daily growing in depravity of morals and views…”
These words sound like they are coming from a man who was walking through the Mall or watching the news on CNN today. They aren’t. They were written by Pope Leo XIII in August of 1889 (http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_le13qp.htm).
Pope Leo saw the world having real problems as the 19th century was wrapping up. Though he could not get news from the twittersphere, he had people all over the planet reporting back to him in Rome. He was deeply saddened by what he and his followers were witnessing. Through the sadness, he did not give up hope though. So, what did he do?
One thing he did was encourage all the faithful to pray to God Almighty for strength to endure. In doing so, he wrote the Encyclical quoted above, Quamquam Pluries (On Devotion to St. Joseph). In it, Pope Leo reminds us to continue our prayers directly to God but to also continue our requests to Mary for her help, especially through praying the Rosary. He ups the ante a bit by encouraging us to add a short prayer to St. Joseph at the end or our Rosary, you can see it here: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/stjoe2.htm.
Why did Pope Leo want the faithful to include St. Joseph on their list of saints to ask help from? The Pontiff described Joseph this way:
“He set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing; he guarded from death the Child threatened by a monarch's jealousy, and found for Him a refuge; in the miseries of the journey and in the bitterness of exile he was ever the companion, the assistance, and the upholder of the Virgin and of Jesus…It is, then, natural and worthy that as the Blessed Joseph ministered to all the needs of the family at Nazareth and girt it about with his protection, he should now cover with the cloak of his heavenly patronage and defend the Church of Jesus Christ.”
As Men of St. Joseph, we should often ask our patron to help us. This does not mean to ignore our direct line to Jesus Christ, or to avoid asking Mary or other Saints for assistance. But, we should take advantage of our special relationship with Jesus’ foster father and the patron of the Church. Joseph went through many of the struggles we go through as men, husbands, fathers, workers and leaders. He understands what our life is like, though we will never fully comprehend his.
Imagine how challenging everything must have been for this man. Though a spiritual superstar, he was not sinless as his wife was or divine like his foster Son. One lesson this gives us is that we can be “less” in many ways than other members of our family and still be the leader. If God has placed us in this role, there is a reason. Remember, a good leader does not do everything himself, but taps into others’ talents and manages the situation to accomplish the task at hand. Certainly Joseph is a model for us in this respect.
Take a moment each day to ask Saint Joseph to support you. You don’t need any formal prayer to do this. Start by opening your heart to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Express praise to God. Think of your gifts and thank God for them. Briefly think of any mistakes and sins you have made recently, think of what you could have done better and ask His forgiveness. Offer you life to God, just as Joseph did. Ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you and your actions. Ask Mary to help you be pure of thought and action, to help your family. Wrap up by asking Joseph to pray for you to have the strength he did when he was living on earth, providing for and protecting his family. Ask him to protect your family, friends and the Church.
Try to offer your prayers without watching the clock. When you can, pull in some short Bible reading into your prayer. Even just a few lines of Scripture can be very meaningful.
Our lives today are complicated and fast paced, even more so than during Pope Leo XIII’s time. It is easy to let trivial things steer us away from what’s important. We have to take charge of our lives. We are responsible for fulfilling the roles that God has chosen for us. If we try to go through life on our own, without any help, we are certain to fail. Pray often, read Scripture and learn the Catechism so you can better understand God’s plan for you and your family. Tap into Saint Joseph as a mentor and protector. He certainly won’t let you down.
Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons, Pray for us.
 | About Bill Harkins Bill Harkins is a husband and father, retired Marine, theology student, and candidate for the permanent deaconate for the Archdiocese of Mobile. He is an active member of St. Ignatius Parish, Mobile, Alabama. |
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