0

Your Cart is Empty

March 07, 2021 2 min read

As soon as Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream, and said:
“Rise up, take with thee the child and his mother, and return to the land of Israel; for those who sought
the child’s life are dead.”


So he arose, and took the child and his mother with him, and came into the land of Israel. But, when he
heard that Archelaus was king in Judaea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to return there;
and so, receiving a warning in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee; where he came to live in
a town called Nazareth, in fulfilment of what was said by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
(Matthew 2;19-23)


After the sorrow of not being allowed to go to Judea, St. Joseph experiences the joy of returning to Nazareth.
His joy increases as the days of Christ's hidden life go by. The home life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph resembled
that of their neighbors. Time was spent in family life. Sometimes Joseph would contemplate the Child "in the
most pure arms of Mary, the blessed Mother. She held God veiled in flesh, and pressed her lips in sweet kisses
on the flesh of the One who is true God and true man" (Paulinus of Aquilea). And St. Joseph, as F. de
Eximensis so charmingly says, "showed delight and joy in providing for the infant Savior's needs, bathing him,
reverently handling the small limbs of his precious body, changing his clothes, and doing other things that little
children require."

Contemplating Joseph's life in the company of Jesus and Mary, we can make our own the words of a prayer
composed by Pius XII:

St. Joseph, grant that according to your example we keep our eyes fixed on our Mother Mary, your most
sweet spouse, who silently used to do her weaving in a corner of your workshop, with a smile on her
lips. Grant that we not lose sight of Jesus, who busied himself with you at your carpenter's bench. Thus
may we be able to lead a peaceful and holy life on earth, as a prelude to that eternally happy life which
awaits us in Heaven for ever and ever. Amen.


Prayer: Glorious St. Joseph, you marveled to have the King of Heaven subject to your com- mands; though
your consolation in leading him out of Egypt was troubled by fear of Archelaus, nevertheless, being reassured
by the angel, you lived at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts be freed from harmful fears, and that we have peace of
conscience living in security with Jesus and Mary and dying in their company.


Deepen your relationship with and devotion to St. Joseph

Download the free booklet on Devotion to St. Joseph

This Booklet Contains

  • The Seven Sundays Devotion to St. Joseph.
  • The Litany of St. Joseph.
  • Quamquam Pluries: Encyclical letter of His Holiness Leo XIII on the Holy Rosary and the Patronage of St. Joseph.
  • Patris Corde:Apostolic Letter of the Holy Father Pope Francis on the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as patron of the universal church.



Also in Scepter Blog Corner

True God and True Man - a meditation by St. Josemaria for the Feast of the Annunciation
True God and True Man - a meditation by St. Josemaria for the Feast of the Annunciation

March 22, 2023 2 min read

"It is only through Christ that we will come to comprehend our inner self and everything that matters most to us..." - St. Josemaria Escriva

In honor of the Feast of the Annunciation, St. Josemaria helps us reflect on the impact of our Lady's "Fiat" that extends down through the centuries.

9 Quotes from the Saints about St. Joseph
9 Quotes from the Saints about St. Joseph

March 15, 2023 3 min read

Here are nine quotes from the saints about the earthly father of Jesus for your prayer.
How to Be Closer and Grow in Devotion to St. Joseph
How to Be Closer and Grow in Devotion to St. Joseph

March 12, 2023 3 min read

Catholics pray to St. Joseph to buy or sell a house or find a job, but praying to St. Joseph also deepens our relationship with each member of the Holy Family. We condensed two millennia of Church tradition into just two ways that you can grow closer to St. Joseph in your daily routine as we approach the feast day.