March 27th — St. Joseph’s Purity of Heart.

27th Day.— St. Joseph’s Purity of Heart.

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.”  One might almost think that Our Lord in uttering these words was thinking of His foster-father.  It was because of his purity of heart that he had the privilege of seeing God face to face under the veil of flesh for nearly thirty years.  Let us see what this meant.

1.  It meant that St. Joseph must have been free from all sin, so far as was possible to one who had not Our Lady’s singular privilege.  The authority over the sinless Lamb of God would scarcely have been entrusted to one who was sinful.  The constant association, the exchange of endearing love implied that His father was the purest of all men.  To me, too, Christ commits Himself in holy Communion to be my guest and the food of my soul.  What ought I to be!

2.  Purity of heart involves also a knowledge of God.  Who, save His Mother, knew Jesus as Joseph did?  Who watched so intensely each movement, each look, each word?  Who sought to imitate them and drink in His spirit as Joseph did?  Who was modeled so perfectly after the likeness of Christ?  How distant is my likeness to Christ!  Nav, how unlike am I, alas, to Him!

3.  St. Joseph had the extraordinary privilege of ministering with his own hands to Jesus, privilege which the angels must needs have envied him.  His ministry to Jesus was a source of continual grace.  His acts of love to Jesus were acts of love to God.  All was done for Jesus, knowing that he was doing it for God.  O happy Joseph!  Teach me to minister to others for Jesus’ sake.

 

 


This article, March 27th — St. Joseph’s Purity of Heart. is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/devotional/the-catholic-daily/march-month-st-joseph/march-27th-st-josephs-purity-heart/
Do not repost the entire article without written permission. Reasonable excerpts may be reposted so long as it is linked to this page.

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