Virgo Potens

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 19th 2. Yet this sorrow was accompanied by consolation. An angel had informed St. Joseph that the Child should be called Jesus. It was St. Joseph’s wondrous privilege to confer the Sacred Name. How great must have been the sanctity of him who thus was chosen to name the Godhead with the name of Jesus, Saviour. What sweetness filled his soul as, for the first time, he breathed that sweetest of all names. Application.— It is sweetness in the heart and honey on the lips of those who often use it with devotion. Affections and Resolutions.— Often to invoke the Sacred Name. “My Jesus, mercy; may I ever love Thee more and more.” Colloquy with St. Joseph. Spiritual Reading.— “Imitation of Christ” Book III., Chapter 16. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 19th 3rd Point — St. Joseph’s Third Sorrow omd Third Joy Consideration.— Eight days after the birth of a Jewish boy, took place the ceremony of circumcision. It was the first shedding of the Saviour’s Blood, His first keen sting of pain. Hard by, His Mother stood, and listened to His Infant cries, and bitter sorrow surged within her heart and that of her dear spouse as they thought of all the suffering that yet awaited Him. It was for our sins the Divine Infant and His Mother and St. Joseph suffered. Should not we, too, be willing to suffer in atonement for our own sins? (continued below)

Voici l’Ami de mon Cœur. Allez a Joseph. Here is the Friend of my Heart. Go to Joseph. St. Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart, pray for us. His Holiness, Pope Pius IX, by an autograph rescript June 3, 1874, granted to all the faithful who shall make this ejaculation, with at least contrite heart and devotion: An indulgence of one hundred days, once a day. The Raccolta (1878)

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 18th Application.— We, too, with Joseph and the Virgin Mother, will take our place beside the Crib of Bethlehem in lowly adoration, and in loving contemplation of the newly-born Babe. We shall ask these two companions of the Infant Saviour to fill our souls with sentiments like theirs. Affections and Resolutions.— Kneeling that first Christmas night with Mary and St. Joseph at the Infant Savioui's side, pour forth the feivent affections of your heart in acts of love, oblation, and petition. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

1 of 2 Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 18th 2. And as the night wore on, and while the town of Bethlehem was steeped in sleep, the songs of angels filled the little cave, and heavenly glory shone around it, and the Word made Flesh came down to dwell amongst us in the form of a beauteous Infant God. And Joseph's soul was wrapt in ecstasy of joy, as kneeling by the crib he gazed in rapturous contemplation on the newly-born Babe. A moment of such joy was cheaply purchased at the cost of days of toil and sorrow. (continued below)

2 of 2 March 17th ~ FEAST of ST. PATRICK, Bishop, Confessor (continued from above) Pius IX in 1859 as a tribute to the vigorous Faith of this nation raised the feast of St. Patrick which had appeared in the Roman Breviary since the Fifteenth Century, to the rank of a double. Patrick is the great patriarch of the Irish episcopate, and of Irish monachism. This monachism left its mark throughout medieval Europe wherever the Scotti planted their tents and introduced their traditions. His feast is a holy day of obligation in Ireland; there is a church dedicated to Him in Rome, not far from the Via Salaria. ~ The New Roman Missal, 1937

1 of 2 March 17th ~ FEAST of ST. PATRICK, Bishop, Confessor St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, was sent to that country by Pope Celestine as a missionary. He found Ireland heathen and left it Christian. St. Patrick died in A.D. 464, and was buried at Down, in Ulster. He scattered the seed of the Gospel with such success that, from the innumerable band of holy men and women which it produced, the verdant land of Erin was known in the Middle Ages by the glorious title of the “Island of Saints”—a glory which three centuries of bitter persecution of the Catholic Faith at the hands of the Anglican Church utterly failed to eclipse. (continued below)

A Morning Offering Through St. Joseph Receive me, dear and chosen Father, and the offering of every movement of my body and soul, which I desire to present through thee to my blessed Lord. Purify all! Make all a perfect holocaust! May every pulsation of my heart be a Spiritual Communion, every look and thought an act of love, every action a sweet sacrifice, every word an arrow of Divine love, every step an advance toward Jesus, every visit to Our Lord as pleasing to God as the errands of Angels, every thought of thee, dear Saint, an act to remind thee that I am thy child. I recommend to thee the occasions in which I usually fail, particularly . . . [Mention these]. Accept each little devotion of the day, though replete with imperfection, and offer it to Jesus, Whose mercy will overlook all, since He regards not so much the gift as the love of the giver. Amen. Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 17th The night was coming on. He must get shelter somewhere. They could not spend the hours of darkness out in the cold deserted streets. At length they found a cave that served as a stable for a neighbouring homestead. Was this to be the palace of the Infant King of Heaven ? The loving heart of St. Joseph bled with sorrow at the thought of all the Virgin Mother and her Child would have to suffer in this wretched lodging. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

1 of 2 Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 17th 2nd Point — St. Joseph’s Second Sorrow and Second Joy Consideration.— The mandate from Imperial Rome had come. There was to be a general enrolment of the Jews. Mary, in her delicate condition, and St. Joseph must leave, and that at once, their little mountain home in Nazareth, and enter on a long and weary journey of some eighty miles to Bethlehem. Tired and footsore, after many days of travel, they reached the little town. Joseph's first endeavour was to find a place of shelter for the Virgin Mother. From inn to inn, from house to house he turned in vain. Everywhere there was the same cold, heartless answer : “No room, no room." (continued below)

Daily Prayer for Protection HAIL O SAINT JOSEPH! I, thine unworthy child, greet thee. Thou art the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate thee. Thou knowest that I have special confidence in thee and, after Jesus and Mary, place all my hope of salvation in thee, for thou art all-powerful with God and will never abandon thy faithful servants. Therefore, I humbly invoke thee and commend myself, with all who are dear to me, and my entire possessions, to thy secure protection and powerful intercession. I beseech thee, by the love of Jesus and Mary, do not abandon me during life, and assist me at the hour of my death. Amen. ~ Ven. Martin Von Cochem Favorite Prayers to Saint Joseph (1997)

Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 16th Application.— How many useful lessons for our guidance in this mystery of St. Joseph’s life! 1st. In sorrow and perplexity to have recourse to God alone. 2nd. Never to lose trust and confidence in God. 3rd. Not to be precipitate in taking action, but to turn to God in loving trustful prayer for light and guidance from above. If we act so in all the perplexities of life, our sorrow, like St. Joseph’s, will be turned into joy. Or if it be not good for us to have the cross removed, yet God will give us strength and help to bear it, and even sweeten all our suffering with the secret unction of His grace. Affections and Resolutions.— When affliction fills the soul, and we are groping in the darkness of uncertainty and sorrow, to cry aloud to God in the secret of our hearts for light and grace and guidance. "Incline unto mine aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.” ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 16th Application.— How many useful lessons for our guidance in this mystery of St. Joseph’s life! 1st. In sorrow and perplexity to have recourse to God alone. 2nd. Never to lose trust and confidence in God. 3rd. Not to be precipitate in taking action, but to turn to God in loving trustful prayer for light and guidance from above. If we act so in all the perplexities of life, our sorrow, like St. Joseph’s, will be turned into joy. Or if it be not good for us to have the cross removed, yet God will give us strength and help to bear it, and even sweeten all our suffering with the secret unction of His grace. Affections and Resolutions.— When affliction fills the soul, and we are groping in the darkness of uncertainty and sorrow, to cry aloud to God in the secret of our hearts for light and grace and guidance. "Incline unto mine aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.” ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

O St. Joseph, foster-father of Our Lord Jesus Christ and true spouse of Mary the Virgin, pray for us. An indulgence of 300 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, Motu Proprio, May 15, 1891). (The Raccolta, 1943)

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 15th 2. But succour was at hand. His anguished cry for light and guidance had been heard. For, lo ! in sleep an angel stood beside him, radiant with the light of heaven above. "Fear not,” the angel whispered in the silence of the night, "to take to thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her womb is of the Holy Ghost.” Oh, who can tell the intense joy and consolation that flooded the hitherto afflicted soul of Joseph as he listened to the angel’s message ? All his bitter sorrow was now turned into peace and gladness unimaginable. He was to be the foster-father of the Messiah, the long-expected of the nations; he was to be the spouse and guardian of the Mother of God. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

1 of 2 Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 15th The Seven Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph 1st Prelude — Behold St. Joseph kneeling with the Blessed Virgin beside the newly-born Saviour at the Crib of Bethlehem. 2nd Prelude — Ask for grace to understand and sympathise with the Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph. 1st Point — St. Joseph’s First Sorrow and First Joy Consideration.— St. Joseph's life had from the beginning been overshadowed by much suffering, but it was only after he had espoused the Virgin Mary that a really crushing sorrow overtook him. On her return from her visit to St. Elizabeth he could not help becoming aware that she was with child. How was this to be explained? He was too profoundly convinced of the peerless sanctity of Mary to give even the most passing heed to any suggestion in any way derogatory to her. Yet he was utterly perplexed, profoundly grieved. (continued below)

❀•°❀°•❀•°❀°•❀ It Is Sweet to Serve God, Despising this World Imitation of Christ ~ Book III, Chapter 10 DISCIPLE NOW will I speak, O Lord, and will not be silent; I will say in the hearing of my God, my Lord and my King that is on high. Oh, how great is the multitude of Thy sweet­ness, O Lord, which Thou hast hidden for them that fear Thee. (Ps. 30:20). But what art Thou to those that love Thee? what to those that serve Thee with their whole heart? Unspeakable indeed in the sweetness of Thy contemplation, which Thou bestowest on those that love Thee. In this most of all hast Thou shown me the sweetness of Thy love, that when I had no being Thou hast made me, and when I strayed far from Thee Thou hast brought me back again, that I might serve Thee, and Thou hast com­manded me to love Thee. 2. O Fountain of everlasting love, what shall I say of Thee? How can I ever forget Thee who hast vouchsafed to remember me, even after I was corrupted and lost. Thou hast, beyond all hope, showed mercy to Thy servant, and beyond all my desert bestowed Thy grace and friendship upon me. What returns shall I make to Thee for this favor? for it is a favor not granted to all to forsake all things and renounce the world and choose a monastic life. Can it be much to serve Thee whom the whole creation is bound to serve? It ought not to seem much to serve Thee, but this seems rather great and wonderful to me, that Thou vouchsafest to receive one so wretched and unworthy into Thy service and to associate him to Thy beloved servants. 3. Behold all things are Thine which I have and with which I serve Thee. Although, on the contrary, Thou dost rather serve me than I Thee. Lo! Heaven and earth, which Thou hast created for the service of man, are ready at Thy beck and daily do whatever Thou hast commanded them. And this is yet but little, for Thou hast also appointed the angels for the service of man. (Heb. 1:14). But what is above all this is that Thou Thy­self hast vouchsafed to serve man and hast promised that Thou wilt give him Thyself. 4. What shall I give Thee for so many thou­sands of favors? Oh, that I could serve Thee all the days of my life! Oh, that I were able, if it were but for one day, to serve Thee worthily! Indeed Thou art worthy of all service, of all honor, and of eternal praise! Thou art truly my Lord and I am Thy poor servant, who am bound with all my strength to serve Thee and ought never to grow weary of praising Thee. This is my will, this is my desire, and what­ever is wanting to me do Thou vouchsafe to supply. 5. It is a great honor, a great glory to serve Thee and to despise all things for Thee. For they who willingly subject themselves to Thy most holy service shall have great grace. They shall find the most sweet consolations of the Holy Ghost who, for the love of Thee, have cast away all carnal delights. They shall gain great freedom of mind who, for Thy name, enter upon the narrow way and neglect all worldly care. 6. O pleasant and delightful service of God, which makes a man truly free and holy! O sacred state of religious bondage, which makes men equal to angels, pleasing to God, terrible to the devils and commendable to all the faithful. O service worthy to be embraced and always wished for, which leads to the supreme good and procures a joy that will never end. ~ Thomas á Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. Translated by the Right Rev. Richard Challoner, D.D. ❀•°❀°•❀•°❀°•❀

2 of 2 Month of St. Joseph ~ March 14th Affections and Resolutions.— Have unbounded confidence in the power of St. Joseph. Turn to Him in all your spiritual and temporal necessities, and be assured that you will never have recourse to him in vain. Colloquy with St. Joseph. Spiritual Reading.— “Imitation of Christ” Book III., Chapter 10. ~ Rev. Joseph McDonnell, S.J., St. Joseph, A Novena of Meditations and Prayers (1926)

1 of 2 Month of the St. Joseph ~ March 14th 3rd Point — St. Joseph the Consort of the Queen of Heaven. Consideration.— Yet further still have we to go before we fully understand the greatness and the power of St. Joseph. Mary, as we know, is Queen of Heaven. Now, he who has espoused a queen is raised by that very fact to a sublime dignity, and shares in some sort in the greatness and splendour of his spouse. Application.— If St. Joseph be the consort of the Queen of Heaven, how can he be inferior to the saints, over whom he, in some sense, reigns in glory ? Must he not be above them all in dignity and power ? Hence it is that Suarez, one of the greatest theologians in the Church, does not hesitate to say: “I consider it a pious and probable belief that St. Joseph surpasses all the other saints in sanctity and grace.” (continued below)

Monthly Renewal of Consecration to Mary To be said on the 13th of every month in honor of Our Lady of Fatima I, (say your name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Mother, the vows of my baptism; I renounce Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the Heavenly court I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.