in sanctity and merits, that he surpassed the merits of call the other Saints. Put temp 6 yd trem

:

III. Admitting this, the Apostle writes, that in the next life, Jesus Christ "will render to every man according to his works."1 What great glory must we not suppose that He bestowed upon Saint Joseph, who served and loved Him so much whilst he lived on earth! At the last day our Saviour will say to the elect, "I was hungry! and you gave me to eat... I was a stranger and you took me in naked and you covered me. ."2 These, nevertheless, have fed Jesus Christ, have lodged Him, or clothed Him, only in the persons of the poor; but Saint Joseph procured food, a dwelling, and clothes, for Jesus Christ in His own person. Moreover, our Lord has promised a reward to him who gives a cup of water to the poor in His name: "For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in My name... he shall not lose his reward."3 What then must be the reward of Saint Joseph, who can say to Jesus Christ, I not only provided Theewith food, with a dwelling and with clothes; but, I saved Thee from death, delivering Thee from the hands of Herod.' All this helps to increase our confidence in Saint Joseph; it makes us reflect, that on account of so many merits, God will refuse no grace which Saint Joseph asks of Him, for his devout clients.

IV. Saint Bernardine of Sienna adds, that we cannot doubt that Christ not only does not refuse to Saint Joseph in heaven, that familiarity and reverence, which, as a Son towards His father, He accorded him when he lived on earth, but rather, that it is now perfected."4 Remark the words, familiarity and reverence; that Lord, who, on earth, revered Saint Joseph as His father, will certainly deny him nothing that he asks in heaven. Besides this, we may add, that although on earth, Saint Joseph had not the authority, by nature, of a father over the humanity

1 Rom. ii, 6.

2 Matth. xxv, 35.

3 Marc. ix, 40.

Dubitandum non est quod Christus familiaritatem, reverentiam, atque sublimissimam dignitatem quam sibi exhibuit dum ageret in humanis tanquam filius patri suo, in cœlis utique non negavit, quin potius complevit et consummavit.S. de S. Joseph. art. iii.

"

of Jesus Christ, he nevertheless had it, at least in a certain manner, as the spouse of Mary, who, as the real Mother of the Saviour, had authority over Him: He to whom the tree belongs has also a right to its fruit. This caused Jesus, when on earth, to respect and obey Saint Joseph as His superior. This also causes Jesus, now in heaven, to consider the prayers of Saint Joseph, in the light of commands.1

V. Let us now listen to what Saint Bernard writes of the power of Saint Joseph to dispense graces to his devout servants: To some of the Saints power is granted to succour in particular necessities, but, to Saint Joseph power is granted to succour in all necessities, and to defend all who, with devotion, have recourse to him.' That which Saint Bernard wrote as his opinion, Saint Teresa confirmed by her own experience: she says, 'It would seem that to other Saints our Lord has granted power to succour in some particular necessity, but experience proves, that Saint Joseph succours in all.' Of this we are certain; for as on earth, Jesus Christ was pleased to be subject to Saint Joseph, so in heaven He does all that the Saint asks. Let us therefore imagine that we hear our Lord, when He sees us afflicted in the midst of our miseries, address us all in the words in which Pharaoh addressed his people, at the time of the famine in Egypt: "Go to Joseph " if you desire consolation. By our Lord's grace, there is not at present a Christian in the world who is not devout to Saint Joseph; but, amongst them all, those receive the most abundant graces, who recommend themselves to him the most frequently, and with the greatest confidence. Let us therefore never let a day pass without many times recommending ourselves to Saint Joseph, who, after the most Blessed Virgin Mary, is the most powerful of all the Saints with God. Let us never allow a day to pass without offering him some particular prayer, but especially during the novena for his feast; let us redouble our prayers, and 1 Dum pater orat natum, velut imperium reputatur. 2 Gen. xli, 55.

fast on the vigil; and let us seek from him the graces which are useful for our souls, for he will always obtain them for us. In particular, I exhort you to ask for three special graces for the forgiveness of your sins, the love of Jesus Christ, and a good death. As to the forgiveness of sins, I thus argue: when Jesus Christ lived in this world, in the house of Saint Joseph, could a sinner who desired to obtain the forgiveness of his sins from our Lord, have found a more efficacious means to obtain this consolation than through Saint Joseph? If then, we desire to be pardoned by God, let us have recourse to Saint Joseph, who now that he is in heaven, is more loved by Jesus Christ, than he was loved by Him on earth. Let us also ask Saint Joseph for love towards Jesus Christ; this I firmly believe to be the particular grace which Saint Joseph obtains for those who are devout to him-tender love towards the Incarnate Word; and the Saint merited this by the tender love which he himself bore Him on earth. Let us also ask him for a happy death: all know that Saint Joseph is the patron of a good death; for he had the happiness to die in the arms of Jesus and Mary; therefore his devout servants should hope with confidence, that at their death, Saint Joseph will visit them, accompanied by Jesus and Mary, and that he will help them. Of this there have been many instances.

VI. Boverio relates, that in the year 1541 brother Alexius of Vigevano, a Capuchin lay-brother was dying, and begged the brothers to light some tapers: they asked him why? He replied that it was because Saint Joseph and the most Blessed Virgin would shortly come to visit him. He had scarcely pronounced these words than he exclaimed, Behold Saint Joseph and the Queen of heaven; kneel down, my fathers, and welcome them!' and so saying, he sweetly expired on the 19th of March, the day which is consecrated in honour of Saint Joseph. Saint Vincent Ferrer, Father Patrignani, and others relate, that' a merchant in the city of Valencia used every year, on Christmas day, to invite to dinner an old man and a

woman, nursing a child in honour of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This good man appeared after his death to a person who was praying for him, and told him that at his death Jesus, Mary, and Joseph had visited him, and said: In life thou didst receive us into thy house in the person of those three poor persons; we are now come to receive thee into our house; and they then took him to paradise.' In the Franciscan legendary, or the 14th of February, it is related that Sister Prudentiana Zagnoni, who had great devotion to Saint Joseph, was favoured at her death with the vision of Saint Joseph, who came close to her bed with Jesus in his arms. She began to converse first with Saint Joseph, then with Jesus, thanking them for so great a favour, and in this sweet company breathed forth her happy soul. In the history of the discalced Carmelites it is also related, that when the Venerable Sister Anne of Saint Augustine, a Carmelite nun, was dying, some of her sisters saw Saint Joseph and Saint Teresa, who attended upon her, and that the servant of God was filled with joy. A nun in another convent saw her ascend to heaven between Saint Joseph and Saint Teresa. Father John de Allosa, in his book on Saint Joseph, relates, that a religious of the order of Saint Augustine appeared to a companion and said, that God had delivered him from hell on account of the particular devotion which he had had for Saint Joseph.' He then declared that the Saint, as the adopted father of Jesus Christ, had great power

with Him.

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NOVENA OF MEDITATIONS

For the Nine Days preceding the Feast of the Purification of Mary-to commence on the 24th of January.

These Meditations are on the Litany of Loretto, and can be used for the Novenas preceding the principal Festivals of the Divine Mother.

I. '

5

First Day.

OLY MARY, pray for us.'--Since, in the Litany of our Blessed Lady, the Church teaches us to ask this good Mother so many times to pray for us, it will be well before meditating upon the titles by which she is invoked, to consider the great power which her prayers have with God. Blessed is that person for whom Mary prays! Jesus rejoices when his most Beloved Mother prays to Him, that He may have the pleasure of granting her all she asks. One day Saint Bridget heard Jesus speak to Mary and say, 'My Mother, thou well knowest that I cannot do otherwise than grant thy prayers, therefore ask of me what thou wilt.'1 And He then added, Since thou, when on earth, didst deny Me nothing, it is becoming now that I am in heaven, that I should deny thee nothing that thou askest Me.' Saint Bernard says, 'To be heard by the Son is to be graciously heard.'3 Mary has only to speak, and her Son grants her all that she asks. Let us therefore pray to this Divine Mother, without ceasing, if we wish to secure our eternal salvation, and let us address her in the words of Saint Andrew of Crete: We beseech thee, therefore, O Holy Virgin, to grant us the help of thy prayers with God; prayers which are more pretious than all the treasures of the world; prayers which obtain for us a very great abundance of

1 Note 6, page 146. 9 Note 1. page 147. 3 & Filio andiri est exaudiri.