The Spiritual Conference of St. Francis de Sales, entitled, “The Virtues of St. Joseph”, or Conference 19, spell out quite clearly the characteristics the Founder of the Visitation Order wanted to emphasize in this Patron of the Monasteries.
St. Francis wrote, “valour, constancy, and strength..virtues which existed in our saint in a very eminent degree. It is certainly with very good reason that St. Joseph is said to resemble the palm-tree, for he was always very valiant, constant, and persevering.
Now our glorious St. Joseph was endowed with all these virtues, and practised them marvellously well. With regard to his constancy, how did he show it when, seeing our Lady with child and not knowing how that could be, (O God, what distress, what trouble of mind did he not suffer!) nevertheless he does not complain, he is not unkind, nor less gracious towards his spouse, he does not illtreat her on that account, but remains as gentle and as respectful to her as he had ever been.
But what valour and what strength does he not show in the victory that he gained over the two great enemies of man, the devil and the world! And that by the exact practice of humility, as we have observed in the whole course of his life.
With regard to perseverance against that interior enemy, the weariness or distress that comes over us from the continuation of abject, humiliating and painful things, of misfortunes if we must so speak, or from the various accidents that happen to. us; Oh! how greatly was this Saint tried by God, and by men even in his journey. The Angel commands him to set out quickly, and to take our Lady and her most dear Son into Egypt; and behold, he sets out at once without saying a word. He does not inquire, “”Where shall I go? What road shall I take? How shall we find food? Who will receive us?” He sets out probably with his tools on his back, in order to gain in the sweat of his brow his poor bread and that of his family. Oh ! how much he must have felt that distress of which we are speaking, seeing that the Angel had not even told him how long he was to remain there! He could not establish himself in any permanent home, not knowing when the Angel might command him to return.
If St. Paul so much admired the obedience of Abraham, in that when God had not told him which way he should go, Abraham did not ask, Lord, Thou tellest me to go out, but tell me then whether it is to be by the south or by the east gate but he set out immediately, and went as the Spirit of God conducted him; how admirable is this perfect obedience of St. Joseph . The Angel did not tell him what time he was to remain in Egypt, and he did not inquire; he dwelt there for the space of five years, as most persons think, without inquiring about his return, being sure that He who had commanded him to go, would again command him when he had to return, and he was always ready to obey.
I leave you to imagine how much St. Joseph must hare longed to return… The anxiety of not knowing when he should go away, must no doubt have greatly afflicted and tormented his poor heart; nevertheless he remained always the same, always sweet, tranquil, and persevering in his submission to the good pleasure of God, by which he let himself be entirely guided; for as he was just, his will was always submissive, united, and conformed to that of God. To be just is nothing else but to be perfectly united to the will of God, and to be conformed to it in all events prosperous or adverse.