A Priest's Tribute to St. Joseph, Patron of Family Life

From the Mail is pleased to have among its readers an ancient Dominican in New York, and this venerable religious sent a note on St. Joseph, which FTM considers worth sharing...

"I am the youngest of ten children in an Irish immigrant family.  Of the six who survived childhood, there are three religious and three married. 

"I remember, well over 80 years ago, my holy mother obtaining fresh, new (every year) St. Joseph cords from the Homeless Child Home on Staten Island.  We wore these blessed cords around our waist every day.  My mother had a great devotion to St. Joseph.  She saw two of her boys survive World War I, and one crossed the ocean in 20 round-trips with the Navy.  Her husband was a firefighter for 45 years, without ever suffering an injury.  She saw two sons become priests, and one daughter a nun, and two sons become Knights of St. Gregory.  My mother dropped dead as she was making the stations of the Cross at the ninth station, Jesus falls the third time.  She has 100 priests at her funeral...

"I urge all to have devotion to St. Joseph, Patron of Family Life, Patron of Working People, Patron of a Happy Death, Patron of the Universal Church.  He proved it in our family."

~  From The Wanderer, May 6, 1993 issue; From the Mail column excerpt ~

St. Joseph and a Nobleman's Sons: A Blessing in Disguise

A nobleman, greatly devoted to St. Joseph, was accustomed to celebrate his feast yearly, with great zeal. He had three children: one of them died on the very day of the saint's feast; the next year, on the same day, a second one died also. This double loss so disconcerted the good father, that he formed the resolution not to celebrate the feast on the following year, fearing lest his last remaining child might die in his turn. A short time before the feast, either to dispel his grief, or from the effects of fear, he undertook a journey. One day, as he walked along buried in thought, his eyes fell upon the bodies of two young men which were hanging from a tree. At the same moment an angel appeared to him and said: "Dost thou see those two young men ? Know then, that thy two sons, had they lived, would have ended like them, but, because of thy devotion to St. Joseph, he obtained from God that they should die in their infancy, in order to spare the dishonor to thy house, and to assure to themselves the happiness of heaven. Go then and celebrate the saint's feast, and fear nothing for thy remaining son; he will become a bishop and enjoy a long life." The events proved the truth of the prediction.

~  Excerpt from Devotion to Saint Joseph by Father Joseph Anthony Patrignani, S.J. ~

SAINT JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US!