Joseph: Faithful Guardian & Protector

"There is a general rule concerning all special graces given to any human being. Whenever divine grace chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a high vocation God adorns that person with all the gifts of the Spirit needed to fulfil the task.

This general rule is especially true of that holy man Joseph. He was chosen by the eternal Father to be the faithful guardian and protector of the most precious of all his treasures, namely, his divine Son; and of Mary, who became his wife. This was the task laid upon him which he carried out faithfully right to the end, when he heard the Lord say to him, 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.'

A comparison may be made between Joseph and the whole Church of Christ. Joseph was the specially chosen man through whom and under whom Christ entered the world fittingly and appropriately. Thus, if the whole Church stands in the debt of the Virgin Mary, since it was through her child-bearing that it was able to receive Christ, surely after her, it owes special thanks and honour to Joseph..."

(From a sermon of Bernardino of Siena, Italian Franciscan missionary)