St. Joseph of Nazareth is a great saint who totally lived by faith – a faith that made him a real hero. He was chosen by our heavenly Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, Jesus his divine son and Mary Queen of heaven. Joseph was Jesus’ foster-father and Mary’s husband.

He was poor all his life and had to work very hard in his carpenter shop, but he did not mind. Joseph was happy to work for his little family. He loved Jesus and Mary so very much. In the Holy Bible we do not find even one word spoken by St. Joseph, and yet, even without words, he shows his deep faith and trust in the Living God.

Whatever the Lord wanted him to do, St. Joseph did at once, no matter how difficult it was. He was humble and pure, gentle and wise. Jesus and Mary loved him and obeyed him because God had placed him as the head of their family. What a joy for St. Joseph to live with the Son of God himself. Jesus obeyed him, helped him, and loved him.

We pray to St. Joseph as the protector of the dying for a special reason. We believe that Joseph died peacefully in the arms of Jesus and Mary when God finally called his faithful servant to the joy of heaven. St. Joseph died before Jesus’ passion and death on the Cross.

St. Teresa of Avila chose St. Joseph as the protector of her order of Carmelite sisters. She had a great trust in his prayers. “Every time I ask St. Joseph for something,” she said, “he always obtains it for me.” St. Joseph is the patron of the Universal Church.

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