THE BOOK OF JOSEPH - "LET IT BE PRINTED"

Some news I have been holding on to ... The Book of Joseph has finally been blessed with the IMPRIMATUR!! I never thought a nobody like me would receive this type of validation for his work. I am so grateful. I have received this blessing from the hands of Archbishop Emeritus Ramon C. Arguelles who, after reviewing my book, granted his approval.

IMPRIMATUR was granted on September 12, 2019 - Feast of Our Lady To order your copy, please visit:  

https://bookofjoseph2017.wixsite.com/saintjoseph/t

 God bless you and St. Joseph smile upon you!

THE BOOK OF JOSEPH

St. Joseph is the Reflection of God the Father, Guardian of God the Son, Friend of God the Holy Spirit, and Spouse of the Immaculate One. 

Using the words of Popes, Saints, and Church-approved Mystics, THE BOOK OF JOSEPH presents the life story of St. Joseph of Nazareth beginning with the faithful prayers of his parents to conceive a son, all the way to the taking of his soul to Heaven. 

In between are revealed the events of St. Joseph’s childhood, his harassments by the devil, his marriage to the Virgin Mary, the birth of Christ, the Holy Family’s life in Egypt and Nazareth, the circumstances of St. Joseph’s death, his final words and ecstasies, and his possible assumption into Heaven – body and soul. 

This book answers such questions as: Who were Jesus’ paternal grandparents? Was Joseph immaculate or sanctified? Was he a virgin or an elderly widower? His body: assumed, or in the tomb? 

Also included are sections on St. Joseph’s apparitions, relics, prayers, feast days, sayings of the Popes and Saints, and a grand selection of art. 

This book will be printed in limited quantities and will be sent out in December. 

APPARITION OF ST. JOSEPH TO TWO FRANCISCAN FRIARS

In the 16th Century there arose a devotion called “The Seven Our Fathers of Saint Joseph”, which would later be known as “The Seven Sorrows and Joys”. The devotion as it appears today is credited to Blessed Gennaro Sarnelli (1702-1744). Below is related the brief story of how this devotion came to be requested by St. Joseph himself: 

There were once two priests of the Franciscan order who were sailing along the coast of Flanders. A terrible tempest arose, sinking the ship along with 300 passengers. The two Fathers grabbed hold of a nearby plank, embracing it for dear life, as they were tossed about in the violent waves. All the while the two men had recourse to St. Joseph, praying and begging for his assistance, to save them in the name of God from their most helpless and dire situation. 

On the third day someone came to their aide, appearing as a most radiant man, encouraging them to have faith and to continue to confide in St. Joseph. The mysterious man safely conducted them into a harbour much to the happiness and relief of the two priests. Upon arriving safely, they thanked him repeatedly and asked for the name of the man who had just saved their lives. The man revealed to them that he was none other than St. Joseph — the one to whom they had prayed all this time. 

The two priests wanting to extend some form of honour or respect to the Saint for all that he had done for them, asked what they could do to show their gratefulness. St. Joseph told them to honour him thusly: to recite daily the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” seven times while meditating on his seven sorrows and seven joys. After advising them, he disappeared as mysteriously as he had come.

THE SEVEN SORROWS & JOYS OF ST. JOSEPH

A just man shall fall seven times and shall rise again.
– Proverbs 24:16

I – The Despair of St. Joseph (St. Matthew 1:19)
The Annunciation to St. Joseph (St. Matthew 1:20-24)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

II – The Poverty of Jesus’ Birth (St. Luke 2:7)
The Birth of the Savior of Mankind (St. Luke 2:10-19)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

III – The Circumcision of Jesus (St. Luke 2:21)
The Holy Name of Jesus (St. Matthew 1:25)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

  IV – Simeon’s Prophecy (St. Luke 2:34, 35)
The Salvation of Mankind (St. Luke 2:29-33)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

V – The Flight into Egypt (St. Matthew 2:13-14)
The Toppling of the Idols (Isaiah 19:1)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

VI – The Perilous Return from Exile (St. Matthew 2:19-22)
Family Life at Nazareth (St. Luke 2:51-52)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

VII – The Loss of Jesus in Jerusalem (St. Luke 2:42-45)
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (St. Luke 2:46-49)

OUR FATHER + HAIL MARY

ST. GERTRUDE'S VISION OF ST. JOSEPH

St. Gertrude of Helfta was a scholarly sister of the Benedictine Order who was given to mystical experiences and ecstasies. She received visions and locutions from our Lord Jesus, as well as the saints, and was a great lover of the Souls of Purgatory. She is the only female saint to possess the title “the Great,” given to her by Pope Benedict XIV. She relates a vision she had of St. Joseph: 

“On the Feast of the Annunciation, I saw Heaven opened and St. Joseph sitting upon a magnificent throne. I felt myself wonderfully affected when, each time his name was mentioned, all the Saints made a profound inclination toward him, showing by the serenity and sweetness of their looks that they rejoiced with him on account of his exalted dignity.”

 

ST. JOSEPH APPARITION AT FATIMA

FATIMA, PORTUGAL – 1917

Witnesses: St. Jacinta Marto, St. Francisco Marto

and Servant of God Lucia dos Santos

From May to October 1917 three shepherd children beheld apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary atop a small holm-oak tree. During these visions, the seers were given secrets, were instructed to pray the Rosary, and to offer penance for the conversion of sinners. In the September apparition, our Lady told them: 

“Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October St. Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus in order to bless the world. God is satisfied with your sacrifices . . .”

On October 13th it is estimated that over 70,000 people gathered around the site of the apparitions. After our Lady appeared to the three children, thousands of people from different walks of life (including atheists who had gone to mock the children) witnessed what is now famously known as “The Miracle of the Sun.” During the miracle, the three shepherd children were witnessing what the Virgin had promised them in September. Servant of God Lucia dos Santos recounts what they saw: 

“Our Lady having disappeared in the immensity of the firmament, we saw, beside the sun St. Joseph with the Child Jesus (both to the left of the sun), and our Lady (on the right side of it), clothed in white with a blue mantle. St. Joseph and the Child Jesus wore red. Jesus appeared to be two years of age. St. Joseph appeared to bless the world, for he traced the Sign of the Cross with his hand.”

Here is St. Joseph, no words are spoken by him, but his actions speak. St. Joseph, holding his Son Jesus, blesses the world by tracing the sign of the cross with his hand. This is a powerful statement regarding his place as head of the Holy Family as well as his position in the Church. He holds Christ in his arms, making a statement about true fatherhood: “Fathers, love your children, take your place at the head of the family and protect those entrusted to your care.” The act of St. Joseph blessing the crowds shows his power in the Church, as intercessor and Patron of the Universal Church, as proclaimed in 1870 by PopePius IX.

ST. JOSEPH PATRON OF CANADA NOVENA

In preparation for the Canadian Federal Election of 2019

In preparation for the 2019 Canadian Federal Election, to be held on October 21, I have composed a Novena of St. Joseph Patron of Canada to be prayed 5 times (I hope I did the math correctly) starting this Saturday, September 7 (the eve of Our Lady’s Birthday) and ending on Monday, October 21. Let us pray for a worthy Prime Minister to be elected to lead our nation.

OPENING NOVENA PRAYER

BIBLICAL READING

REFLECTION

PRAYER

CLOSING NOVENA PRAYER

OPENING NOVENA PRAYER

Good St. Joseph, you are the faithful protector and intercessor of all who love and venerate you. We have special confidence in you. You are powerful with God and will never abandon your faithful servants. Therefore, we humbly commend ourselves, and our entire nation of Canada, to your intercession. By the love that you have for Jesus and Mary, do not abandon us during life, and assist us at the hour of our death. Amen.

DAY 1 – SON OF DAVID 

READING

 

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid … (St. Matthew 1:20).

REFLECTION

The Sovereign Lord had deigned to make St. Joseph of royal blood, placing in him all the honour and glory of the House of David. Though St. Joseph’s family no longer sat on the throne, he was still a continuation of this nobility. He carried this heritage as though it were a secret between himself and his Lord — a sacred bond between an earthly prince and the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. St. Joseph’s royalty was not shown with an outward crown, but one which was hidden within his heart — a heart in which the Lord took great consolation and great delight (Joe Rodrigues, The Book of Joseph).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, prince of God, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 2 – DEDICATED FATHER

READING

And they said: Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know (John 6:42)?

REFLECTION

There is but one fatherhood, that of God the Father, the one Creator of the world, of all that is seen and unseen. Yet man, created in the image of God, has been granted a share in this one paternity of God. Saint Joseph is a striking case of this, since he is a father without fatherhood according to the flesh. He is not the biological father of Jesus, whose Father is God alone, and yet he lives his fatherhood fully and completely. To be a father means above all to be at the service of life and growth. Saint Joseph, in this sense, gave proof of great devotion. For the sake of Christ, he experienced persecution, exile and the poverty which this entails. … His only reward was to be with Christ (Pope Benedict XVI).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, dedicated father, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 3 – CHASTE HUSBAND

READING

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary (Luke 1:27 DRV).

REFLECTION

The dignity of the Mother of God is certainly so sublime that nothing can surpass it; but none the less, since the bond of marriage existed between Joseph and the Blessed Virgin, there can be no doubt that, more than any other person, he approached that super-eminent dignity by which the Mother of God is raised far above all created nature. For marriage is the closest possible union and relationship whereby each spouse mutually participates in the goods of the other. Consequently, if God gave Joseph as a spouse to the Virgin, He assuredly gave him not only as a companion in life, a witness of her virginity, and the guardian of her honour, but also as a sharer in her exalted dignity (Pope Leo XIII).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, chaste spouse of Mary, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 4 – WORKER

READING

And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion (Ecclesiastes 3:22 DRV).

REFLECTION

Work was the daily expression of love in the life of the Family of Nazareth. The Gospel specifies the kind of work Joseph did to support his family: he was a carpenter. This simple word sums up Joseph's entire life. … Having learned the work of His presumed father, Jesus was known as “the carpenter's son.” If the Family of Nazareth is an example and model for human families, in the order of salvation and holiness, so too, by analogy, is Jesus' work at the side of Joseph the carpenter … At the workbench where he plied his trade together with Jesus, Joseph brought human work closer to the mystery of the Redemption (St. John Paul II, 1989).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, diligent worker, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 5 – PERFECT ADORER OF CHRIST

READING

And all the angels were standing around the throne … and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God (Revelation 7:11).

REFLECTION

In profound adoration St. Joseph united himself to the special grace of each one of the events in the life of Jesus.  He adored our Lord in His hidden life and in His Passion and Death; he adored in advance the Eucharistic Christ in His tabernacles: there was nothing that our Lord could hide from Saint Joseph. Aside from the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph was the first and most perfect adorer of our Lord. (St. Peter Julian Eymard).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, perfect adorer, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 6 – TERROR OF DEMONS 

READING

… as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:6-8).

REFLECTION

St. Joseph, with the love and generosity with which he guarded Jesus, so too will he guard your soul, and as he defended Him from Herod, so will he defend your soul from the fiercest Herod: the devil! All the care that St. Joseph has for Jesus, he has for you, and will always help you with his patronage. He will free you from the persecution of the wicked and proud devil, the new Herod, and will not allow your heart to be estranged from Jesus. Ite ad Ioseph! Go to Joseph with extreme confidence (St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)!

​PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, Terror of Demons, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 7 – AGAINST POLITICAL EVIL

READING

Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the Lord; they have despised the Holy One … and turned their backs on Him (Isaiah 1:4).

REFLECTION

We now see, with true sorrow, that society is now much more depraved and corrupt than before …  This World Government will no longer acknowledge the authority of the father over his children, or of the public power over the citizens, or of God over human society. … We remind those on Our side … to save them from Socialism, the sworn enemy of Christians, to go to St. Joseph and to follow him as their guide, and to receive the special honor of his heavenly patronage (Benedict XV, 1920).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, against political evil, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 8 – PATRON OF THE CHURCH

READING

He made him the master of his house and ruler over all his possessions (Psalm 105:21). 

REFLECTION

And now, in these most troublesome times, the Church is beset by enemies on every side, and is weighed down by calamities so heavy that ungodly men assert that the gates of Hell have at length prevailed against Her, the prelates of the Catholic world have presented to the Sovereign Pontiff their own petitions, and those of the faithful, praying that he would make St. Joseph Patron of the Church. Accordingly, it has now pleased our Sovereign, Pope Pius IX, to entrust himself and all the faithful to the Patriarch St. Joseph’s most powerful patronage, to comply with the prelates’ desire, and has solemnly declared him Patron of the Catholic Church (Blessed Pius IX, 1870).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, Patron of the Church, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

DAY 9 – PATRON OF CANADA

READING

And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples …  Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war (Isaiah 2:4).

REFLECTION

Saint Joseph, with you we bless the Lord … as you are constantly at his side. Protect the whole church, the family born of the salvation of Jesus. Protect especially the people of Canada who have placed themselves under your patronage. Help them to come closer to the mystery of Christ in that attitude of faith, submission and love that is your own (St. John Paul II).

PRAYER

Hail Joseph, son of David, God is with you. Blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, Patron of Canada, convert our nation. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

CLOSING PRAYER

Loving Saint Joseph, faithful follower of Jesus Christ, we raise our hearts to you to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the Sacred Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare. We ask you, O Joseph, our patron and guide, for love of Jesus and Mary, to please keep our nation under your paternal protection, and bring the Church in Canada to her full glory. Amen.

Our Father + Hail Mary + Glory Be

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