March 13th — St. Joseph’s Third Joy.
13th Day. — St. Joseph’s Third Joy.
Hearing the Name of Jesus.
1. Before Our Lord was born, an angel had given instructions to St. Joseph that His name was to be called Jesus. It was St. Joseph, not Our Lady, who was first to pronounce the name of the Son of God. The jurisdiction he thus exercised was a declaration of his authority. When God brought the animals to Adam to be named, He thus declared him their master. So when He gave to Joseph the office of naming the Infant in his arms, He declared him the constituted ruler of his God. O wondrous privilege! What must have been the sanctity of one to whom such an office was assigned!
2. The name St. Joseph gave to his Infant Son was Jesus, the Saviour — not Emmanuel, or Christ. Christ is the official name of the Son of God in virtue of His human nature; He was anointed as Man with the Holy Spirit. Emmanuel, or God with us, proclaims His divinity; but Jesus, or Saviour, declares at the same time His human nature and divine personality. As Our Saviour He must be both God and Man — man to pay the price of our redemption, God that the price may be one that can satisfy the Eternal Father.
3. What must have been the sweetness which filled St. Joseph’s heart as he first breathed that sacred name! If to others it was as honey in their mouth, to St. Joseph it was as nectar and ambrosia, containing in itself all possible sweetness. None save the holy Mother felt such joy as St. Joseph in pronouncing the holy name. Yet how little I love it and relish it! How seldom I repeat it, and with what coldness and indifference! My Jesus, mercy! May I love Thee ever more and more!
« Previous Section
March 12th — St. Joseph’s Third Sorrow.Next Section »
March 14th — St. Joseph’s Fourth Sorrow.
This article, March 13th — St. Joseph’s Third Joy. is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/devotional/the-catholic-daily/march-month-st-joseph/march-13th-st-josephs-third-joy/
Do not repost the entire article without written permission. Reasonable excerpts may be reposted so long as it is linked to this page.
