St Joseph guardian
The Holy Life of Saint Joseph
- Saint Joseph, protector and guardian of the Holy Family, is an important figure in the Christian tradition.
- Saint Joseph, as adoptive father, protected and guarded Jesus, taking care of him and his mother Mary.
- Saint Joseph, protector and model of holiness, from him we can learn to welcome the will of God in our lives.
- Saint Joseph, protector of the good death. It is believed that Saint Joseph assisted Jesus and Mary in their last hours of life, offering them comfort and support.
- The Church compares that death to a peaceful sleep, like that of a child falling asleep on his mother’s breast.
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Protector of the Church
Pope Leo reaffirms the analogy between the Holy Family and the Church, taking up and exalting the role of their patron: "... may the Most Blessed Patriarch consider himself a protector, in a special way, of the multitude of Christians of whom the Church is made up, that is, of this innumerable family scattered throughout the world on which he, as spouse of Mary and father of Jesus Christ, has almost paternal authority.
It is therefore right and supremely worthy of Blessed Joseph who, as he once used to protect holily in every event the family of Nazareth, so now with his heavenly patronage protect and defend the Church of Christ".
(Leo XIII, in the encyclical Quamaquam Pluries, of 15.8.1889)
Protector of the happy death
The Church compares his death either to a pacific sleep, like a child falling asleep on the breast of his mother; or to a sweet-smelling torch, that burns out and dies, spreading the gentle scent imbibing its substance. The death of Saints is always enviable, because all die in the kiss of the Gentleman; but that kiss has no other than a sweet and precious feeling of love.
But Joseph died truly in the kiss of the Gentleman, since he died in the arms of Jesus. And if, as we believe, he had the use of the senses and of the word until to his last sigh, which could not be other than a sigh or a burst of love, hasn’t he crowned such a holy life otherwise than by pronouncing the sacred names of Jesus and Mary?
Happy death! If I cannot, like Joseph, die between Jesus and Mary, visible at my eyes, shall I be able at list to join your name, Joseph, to the names of Jesus and Mary on my dying lips!
The saint death of Joseph has produced precious fruits on the earth, which was aromatized by the gentle scent that a Saint life leaves of itself, and a Saint death, and gave to the Christians a powerful protector in Heaven near God, especially for the agonizing.
Anyone invokes S. Joseph in the last battle, although it is violent, he will win. Blessed is therefore that one who relies on this saint Patriarch and dying joins the Saint name of Joseph to the very sweet names of Jesus and Mary.
All Christian world recognises him as mediator of dying people, and therefore of the happy death. Joseph son of Jacob helped the Egyptians in the time of the scarcity distributing them the wheat that he had collected, but in order to help his brothers he did moreover: He was not satisfied to have filled up their bags with wheat, but he added its price. The glorious Joseph will certainly do the same; with what generosity he will behave with his devout people! In the moment of their extreme necessity, in the hour of their death, he can reward will know the devout homage with which he has been honoured.
The death of the servants of S. Joseph is very calm and gentle. Saint Theresa narrates the circumstances that accompanied the last moments of her first daughters, so devout to S. Joseph. "I have observed, she says, that at the moment to render the last breath they enjoyed ineffable peace and tranquillity; their death was like the sweet rest of the oration. Nothing showed that their inner was troubled by temptations. Those divine pieces of information free my heart from the fear of the death. Dying seems to me now the easier thing for a faithful devout to Saint Joseph ".
Prayer to St. Joseph for a good death
Powerful Protector and my beloved Father St. Joseph, Spouse of the Queen of Angels, Holy Mary, Mother of God and Our Lady, virginal father of Jesus, and special protector and advocate of dying sinners, I, miserable sinner, trusting in your loving mercy, with the desire to love and serve in the presence of Jesus, my sweet Redeemer, the Holy Mary, your wife and the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose you in this day as my special protector, advocate and defender, for all the shares of my life and the agony of my death and now forever consecrate myself as a servant, a slave, and your devoted son, and as such I give myself to you in all possible ways with a perfect donation.
And, Sovereign Patriarch, use me tremendous mercy at the hour of my death and agony. And when I lack the strength, and my tongue will not invoke, when my eyes no longer see the light and I will have lost the sense of hearing, and I cannot get human favors, remember, O my Father, the petitions now meet in front of your compassionate pity and tender mercy, protect me in that last day and at that moment of extreme need, because it helped by your patronage, I die in God's grace, free from all my enemies and placed among God blessed , which I hope to be commended for all eternity in your company.
