Devotion to St. Joseph and his greatness in obtaining graces
«The devil has always feared true devotion to Mary because it is a" sign of predestination ", according to the words of Saint Alfonso. In the same way he fears true devotion to St. Joseph […] because it is the safest way to go to Mary. Thus the devil [... makes] believers who are obtuse in spirit or inattentive believe that praying to Saint Joseph is at the expense of devotion to Mary.
Let's not forget that the devil is a liar. The two devotions are, however, inseparable ».
Saint Teresa of Avila in her "Autobiography" wrote: "I don't know how one can think of the Queen of the Angels and the much she suffered with the Child Jesus, without thanking St. Joseph who was so much help to them".
And yet:
«I don't remember so far having ever prayed to him for a grace without having immediately obtained it. And it is a marvelous thing to remember the great favors that the Lord has done to me and the dangers of soul and body from which he has freed me through the intercession of this blessed saint.
To others it seems that God has granted us to help us in this or that other need, while I have experienced that the glorious Saint Joseph extends his patronage to all. By this the Lord wants us to understand that, in the way he was subject to him on earth, where he as a putative father could command him, just as he is now in heaven in doing
everything he asks for. [...]
For the great experience I have of the favors of St. Joseph, I would like everyone to persuade themselves to be devoted to him. I have not known a person who is truly devoted to him and does some particular service to him without making progress in virtue. He greatly helps those who recommend themselves to him. For several years now, on the day of his feast, I have been asking him for some grace and I have always been answered. If my question is not so straight, he straightens it for my greater good. [...]
Whoever does not believe me will prove it, and will see from experience how advantageous it is to commend oneself to this glorious Patriarch and be devoted to him ».
The reasons that must push us to be devotees of St. Joseph are summarized in the following:
1) His dignity as a putative Father of Jesus, as a true Bridegroom of Mary Most Holy. and universal patron of the Church;
2) His greatness and holiness superior to that of any other saint;
3) His power of intercession on the heart of Jesus and Mary;
4) The example of Jesus, Mary and the saints;
5) The desire of the Church which instituted two feasts in her honor: March 19 and May XNUMX (as Protector and Model of the workers) and indulged many practices in her honor;
6) Our advantage. Saint Teresa declares: "I do not remember asking him for any grace without having received it ... Knowing from a long experience the wonderful power that he has with God I would like to persuade everyone to honor him with particular worship";
7) Topicality of his cult. «In the age of noise and noise, it is the model of silence; in the age of unbridled agitation, he is the man of motionless prayer; in the era of life on the surface, he is the man of life in depth; in the age of freedom and revolts, he is the man of obedience; in the age of the disorganization of families it is the model of paternal dedication, of delicacy and conjugal fidelity; at a time when only temporal values seem to count, he is the man of eternal values, the true ones "».