Welcome to Day 2 of the St. Joseph Novena Study! We’re going to look at Joseph’s traits and his role as spouse.
If you missed Day 1 and would like to catch up, there’s time! Here is Day 1.
For those praying along or those curious, today’s list and reflections will be based on this reading: DAY 2: VIRGINAL HUSBAND OF MARY
Day 2 St. Joseph List
- Husband of Mary
- Protector and witness of Mary’s virginity
- Calm
- Humble
- Deep virtue
- Purity
- Sanctity
- Legal father
- Guardianship
- Support
- Faithful companion
- Supporter
- Comforter of the Mother of Sorrows
- Loyal in poverty, journeying, work, and pain
- Faithful protector
- Intercessor
Virtue in Vocation
Similar to yesterday’s list, there is a mix of virtues and roles. Having these virtues can better prepare us for the roles we have in our vocation, and our vocation can help us to grow in the virtues.
The Roles of a Spouse
The vocation of husband or wife comes with many roles. St. Joseph lived as an example of the following: protector, supporter, companion, comforter.
We covered Joseph as protector quite a bit as a father, but this role carries over to the entire household, including as a spouse. We can protect our household by creating a safe home where we teach faith, hope, and love (CCC 2223).
Beyond providing shelter and clothing, spouses support one another by working together under the same mission to achieve whatever that family is called to do in service of God and one another.
Lastly, companion is a great word. From the old French, “compaignon” or the Latin “com” and “pan”. A companion is someone that you break bread with. Day in and day out, you go through it all together, from each meal where bread is broken to worship at the liturgy of Mass where bread is broken. Spouses worship together.
Virtues of St. Joseph as Spouse
To be more like St. Joseph, we should look to these virtues: humility, purity, faithfulness, and loyalty.
Humility puts others before ourselves. Purity gives us clear minds and hearts to act entirely without selfishness. Faithfulness and loyalty tell your spouse that you will always be dependable.
None of these virtues is easy alone, but we can look to St. Joseph as an example and intercessor again to ask Jesus, whom he raised, that we be given the grace to live these better.
St. Joseph, pray for us!
On the Marriage of Joseph and Mary
I’ve heard many jokes about how Joseph got his humility because anything wrong would have had to be his fault. It must have been quite a thing to be husband to a perfect wife and father to a perfect Son.
Yet, more than a happy home, Joseph and Mary were providing Jesus with a lived example of a marriage. This marriage was the human example that Christ saw throughout his formative years of commitment and giving of oneself for another.
Brant Pitre shows in his book Jesus the Bridegroom all how Jesus prepares himself to give of himself to us through his sacrifice as in a marriage, and heaven is the wedding feast.
The Holy Family modeled this sacrifice.
Thank you for joining the St. Joseph Novena Study! Feel free to share with anyone who might like these lists and reflections or might want to join us for the last week leading up to the Feast of St. Joseph!
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