The Founder of the Visitation Order, St. Francis de Sales, had inspiring thoughts about and great devotion to St. Joseph.
We are sharing some of them during this month.
St. Francis said, ” Oh, what a saint is the glorious St. Joseph! He is not only a patriarch, but the chief of all patriarchs; he is not simply a confessor, but more than a confessor; for in his confession is contained the dignity of bishops, the generosity of martyrs, and of all the other saints.
It is then with good reason that he is compared to the palm-tree, the king of trees, which has the property of virginity, that of humility, and that of constancy and valour, three virtues in which the glorious St. Joseph greatly excelled; and if one dared to make comparisons, many persons would maintain that he surpasses all other saints in these three virtues.
There is no doubt, my dear sisters, that St. Joseph was more valiant than David, and wiser than Solomon; yet who could have thought so, without being enlightened by heavenly light, seeing him reduced to exercise the trade of a carpenter? so completely did he keep hidden all the signal gifts that God had bestowed npon him.
But what amount of wisdom did he not possess, since God gave in charge to him His most glorious Son, and chose him to be His guardian? If the princes of the earth take so much care and think it of such importance to give their children a guardian of the greatest capacity, and since God could choose for the guardian of His Son the man in the world the most accomplished in all sorts of perfections, according to the dignity and excellence of his Charge, who was His most glorious Son, the universal Prince of heaven and earth; how could it be that being able, He did not will it and did not do it?
There is, then, no doubt that St. Joseph was endowed with all the graces and all the gifts that were required for the care which the Eternal Father willed to give him of the temporal and domestic economy of our Lord, and of the guidance of His family. This was composed of only three persons, who represent to us the mystery of the most holy and most adorable Trinity; not that there is any comparison except with regard to our Lord, who is one of the Persons of the most Holy Trinity, for the others are creatures. But yet we may say that it is a Trinity on earth, which in a manner represents to us the most Holy Trinity: Mary, Jesus and Joseph; Joseph, Jesus and Mary; a Trinity marvellously estimable and worthy of being honoured.”
Source: Conferences of St. Francis de Sales, Conference 19