St. Joseph's Day

I was given the privilege of reading The Life of Saint Joseph as seen by mystic and Benedictine Abbess Maria Cecilia Baij.  You can purchase it from 101 Foundation (as well as about a million other wonderful items). 

I honestly learned so much about St. Joseph from this series of revelations.  Before reading the book, St. Joseph was just a kind gentleman tasked with loving and protecting Jesus and Mary.  Now... now he is so much more, and I am almost stunned with how much love and admiration I now have for him.  I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I didn't really ever think much of him when I'd call upon the saints! 

He set me straight on that one... :)  Blessed be St. Joseph, the most holy foster father of Jesus and the most chaste and loving spouse of Our Lady!

To celebrate, I'll share some of my favorite St. Joseph depictions!  This first one is beautiful in that it shows little Jesus "playing" at his father's feet in Joseph's workshop.  However, as the sunlight streams in, we see that the shadow young Jesus casts is a Cross.  Then we realize that little Jesus is playing with three nails... indicative of the three nails that will one day pierce His Hands and Feet for our salvation.

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Oh, and this one... probably everyone has seen this image of St. Joseph and little Jesus at some point or another.  It's so tender that my heart just about bursts.  Little Jesus is rubbing His Eyes.  Was He crying?  Is He just waking up?  Nodding off to sleep?  Regardless, strong and gentle Saint Joseph is there to hold Him, support Him and comfort Him in the most loving of ways.

How happy St. Joseph must have been to cradle that perfect Child in his arms!

How overjoyed he must have been to hear himself called "Father" by the truest Love of his life?

May all children know such love from their fathers, and may all fathers show such tenderness for their children.

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Another favorite is this loving moment between St. Joseph and Jesus.  St. Joseph holds the lilies that signify his purity.  He casts his gaze down upon Jesus as that little God-Child looks up adoringly at His doting foster-father.

The peacefulness that emanates from this picture leaves me sleepy.  I'm not kidding!  I want to cuddle up against Saint Joseph and rest with little Jesus, too!

I honestly think that upon Jesus' own Death, He immediately flew into Limbo where the souls of the just awaited news that salvation had come.  He flew into the depths of this Limbo and sought out first His dear father, Saint Joseph.  I imagine their reunion to be something similar.  Saint Joseph was probably on his knees in adoration of his Son, yet Jesus scooped him up and embraced him, happy to once more be in the arms of the father who loved him so dearly throughout his earthly life.

May Saint Joseph protect, guide and bless our fathers, and may we learn through his holy example how to love Christ better each day!

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