"Ite Ad Joseph!"

As the Church continues to celebrate the canonisation of our new saints, one of them, St Andre Bessette, has a message for the Church of our time: "Ite ad Joseph!"  Go to Joseph.  St Andre was the founder of Montreal's great sanctuary to St Joseph, and through this humble brother's ministry, devotion to the husband of Our Lady experienced a great renewal in the Americas. 

In the years since Vatican II many Catholics have forgotten about St Joseph - he seems to have been thrown out in the frenzied zeal of the reformers to "simplify" our faith.  Yet the life of the Church is impoverished when the Saints are discarded.  When we put the patron of the universal Church to one side, then that presents other problems.  St Joseph, the just man, chosen by God as husband for Mary and guardian and father figure for Jesus, has an important role to play in the life of the Church and in the lives of each individual Christian.  Hence, devotion to St Joseph brings many blessings and graces, as well as his protection.  The canonisation of St Andre is call from the Lord, I believe, reminding us that we must put Joseph back into our lives.  By the way, Wednesday is the day in the week dedicated to St Joseph.

My friend the exorcist (that sounds good!) was telling me about the power of St Joseph's intercession and protection.  The demons, he said, hate him because they had no power over him.  In his life on earth, it seems, Joseph resisted the temptations they laid in front of him: his love for Jesus and Mary was so strong, so complete, no earthly pleasure could distract him.  Now there's a patron to have!  One of St Joseph's titles is "Terror of Demons", so that fits.  Apart from that, in St Joseph we see the model of the devoted servant of Christ.  We also see the model for men and for fathers in particular.  As radical, atheistic feminism has wrecked havoc in society and the Church, St Joseph provides for us men a refreshing antidote to the misandry which has become so prevalent in our times. 

In this time of renewal and reform, we have a great friend in St Joseph, as many Saints have found.  St Teresa of Avila said that whenever she went to Joseph for help, he never failed her: hence she placed the reform of the Carmelite Order into his hands, dedicating the first house of the reform to him.  We would do well to dedicate all our efforts for renewal, personal and institutional, to him and allow him to lead us.  St Andre once said that devotion to St Joseph was the way to heaven - how true that is.  As St Joseph safely conducted Jesus and Mary into Egypt and then to Nazareth, he can bring us, safely and surely, to heaven. And let's face it, with Joseph on our side we're in with a pretty influential person: after all, if he asks Jesus to let us into heaven, can the One he brought up refuse him?  Not likely!! 

Prayer to St Joseph:

Remember, most pure spouse of Mary ever Virgin, my loving protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection or asked for your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding, therefore, in your goodness, I come before you and humbly implore you. Despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them. Amen

Collect for the feast of St Andre Bessette:

Lord our God, friend of the lowly,
You gave your servant, Brother André,
a great devotion to Saint Joseph
and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted.
Through his intercession
help us to follow his example of prayer and love
and so come to share with him in Your glory.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.