Holy St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, etc., etc.
The interior life of the Holy Family in Nazareth must have been a most beautiful one. They were joined so closely to God, that there was no earthly distraction which could separate them from contemplating and communing with Him. They formed a kind of trinity on earth, a representation of the Trinity in heaven. These three were one, because they were united by the bond of union, Jesus Christ. The people of Nazareth did not know the adorable person of the Lord, nor the dignity of the Mother of God. They knew Joseph by sight, for he had often gone out to look for work, and necessarily came more in contact with his neighbors. That holy house of Nazareth was a perfect paradise, full of peace, of order, recollection, unity, and happiness. Their conversation was about God and the best means to comply with His holy will. Joseph and Mary adored the Lord because He was God; but they exacted His obedience because He was their Son.
Holy St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, etc., etc.
Let us think to-day, of the social life between Joseph and Mary. St. Joseph was a very great saint, and Mary was unstained by sin: so pure, so holy, that no created being could be compared to her. What can we suppose was the conversation of these heavenly beings? When Mary visited her cousin, St. Elizabeth, John, in his mother's womb, leaped for joy. In other words, the presence of the God-man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin scattered graces about her with god-like profusion, and certainly St. Joseph, too, was affected by it. With as lively a faith as we have before the tabernacle on the altar, St. Joseph must have recognized the presence of the Lord, for he was acquainted with the mystery of the incarnation, as it had been revealed by the mouth of the angel. We are silent, and sunk in deep devotion in church, where God dwells. Was St. Joseph less impressed than we, when he recognized Him Who was the Son of God, and Who was to redeem His people Israel from their sins? How great was their devotion to the hidden Lord, how fervent their prayers! Still St. Joseph was the master in that house; he was the head of the family, and was obeyed in all his instructions.
Holy St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, etc., etc.