READING 1
Matthew 2:19-23

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled. “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

READING 2
From the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde by Pope Francis

At the end of every account in which Joseph plays a role, the Gospel tells us that he gets up, takes the child and his mother, and does what God commanded him (cf. Mt 1:24; 2:14.21). Indeed, Jesus and Mary his Mother are the most precious treasure of our faith.¹ In the divine plan of salvation, the Son is inseparable from his Mother, from Mary, who “advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son until she stood at the cross” (Lumen Gentium 58).

We should always consider whether we ourselves are protecting Jesus and Mary, for they are also mysteriously entrusted to our own responsibility, care and safekeeping. The Son of the Almighty came into our world in a state of great vulnerability. He needed to be defended, protected, cared for and raised by Joseph. God trusted Joseph, as did Mary, who found in him someone who would not only save her life, but would always provide for her and her child. In this sense, Saint Joseph could not be other than the Guardian of the Church, for the Church is the continuation of the Body of Christ in history, even as Mary’s motherhood is reflected in the motherhood of the Church (CCC 963-970). In his continued protection of the Church, Joseph continues to protect the child and his mother, and we too, by our love for the Church, continue to love the child and his mother.

That child would go on to say: “As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). Consequently, every poor, needy, suffering or dying person, every stranger, every prisoner, every infirm person is “the child” whom Joseph continues to protect. For this reason, Saint Joseph is invoked as protector of the unfortunate, the needy, exiles, the afflicted, the poor and the dying. Consequently, the Church cannot fail to show a special love for the least of our brothers and sisters, for Jesus showed a particular concern for them and personally identified with them. From Saint Joseph, we must learn that same care and responsibility. We must learn to love the child and his mother, to love the sacraments and charity, to love the Church and the poor. Each of these realities is always the child and his mother.

REFLECTION

When Pope Francis visited the United States, he had lunch in Washington D.C. at a homeless shelter, and when he talked to the homeless men there he told them about St. Joseph, who was also homeless. In the Year of St. Joseph, Pope Francis added several invocations to the Litany of Saint Joseph to reflect St. Joseph’s special love for the poor, including “Support in difficulties,” “Patron of exiles,” “Patron of the afflicted,” and “Patron of the poor.”

When we look at the amount of need, we can spontaneously desire to help as many as possible. And then we can get caught up in a numbers game that leads us to neglect the care for a few for the sake of caring for many. In this way, St. Joseph is always a great teacher for us. He primarily cared for just two. He poured out his life for a child and his mother. This helps us to believe that St. Joseph will show that care for each one of us individually, no matter how unimportant we might feel. It also reminds us that each person is a little Jesus and worthy of all our love and attention. Ultimately we must be faithful to whatever the Lord is asking and some are asked to minister to more, some to less, but each one is infinitely precious.

This reminds us of the epitaph on St. Ignatius’s tomb: “Non coerceri a maximo, contineri tamen a minimo divinum est,” which translates to “Not to be restrained by what is greatest, yet to be contained by what is least—that is divine.” That is the freedom of St. Joseph who moved with freedom among the greats of this world and always found, served, and loved God in the littlest ones. And so we can ask ourselves: how well do we let St. Joseph care for the little parts of our own heart? And then how well do we care for the little ones God brings to us? How important to us is each child and each mother? Do we get lost in a numbers game? Will we give everything for just one little one?

Now as we come to the end of this week, we make a consecration to St. Joseph. That will be our first big step towards consecrating our hearts to the heart of Joseph and Mary before consecrating our heart to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. We may want to continue renewing this consecration throughout the remainder of the preparation as well.

PRAYERS

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

1. Cf. S. Rituum Congregatio, Quemadmodum Deus (8 December 1870): AAS 6 (1870-1871),
   193; Bl. Pius IX, Apostolic Letter Inclytum Patriarcham (7 July 1871): l.c., 324-327. ↩︎

Copyright © 2026 by St. Vincent Archabbey

READING 1
Matthew 2:13-15

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”

READING 2
From the Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos x 31 by Pope St. John Paul II

The Church transforms these needs into prayer. Recalling that God wished to entrust the beginnings of our redemption to the faithful care of St. Joseph, she asks God to grant that she may faithfully cooperate in the work of salvation; that she may receive the same faithfulness and purity of heart that inspired Joseph in serving the Incarnate World; and that she may walk before God in the ways of holiness and justice, following Joseph’s example and through his intercession.

One hundred years ago, Pope Leo XIII had already exhorted the Catholic world to pray for the protection of St. Joseph, Patron of the whole Church. The Encyclical [of Pope Leo XIII] Quamquam Pluries appealed to Joseph’s “fatherly love…for the child Jesus” and commended to him, as “the provident guardian of the divine Family,” “the beloved inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by his blood.” Since that time—as I recalled at the beginning of this Exhortation—the Church has implored the protection of St. Joseph on the basis of “that sacred bond of charity which united him to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God,” and the Church has commended to Joseph all of her cares, including those dangers which threaten the human family.

Even today we have many reasons to pray in a similar way: “Most beloved father, dispel the evil of falsehood and sin…graciously assist us from heaven in our struggle with the powers of darkness…and just as once you saved the Child Jesus from mortal danger, so now defend God’s holy Church from the snares of her enemies and from all adversity.” Today we still have good reason to commend everyone to St. Joseph.

REFLECTION

In the Litany of St. Joseph he is called “Terror of demons.” This title often captures people’s attention and stirs their fascination. St. Joseph protects us from evil. The greatest protection from evil is in humility and charity. St. Joseph brings us to the lowest place and he holds us close to Jesus, the source of all love. Joseph is sometimes depicted carrying a lantern from when he led the Holy Family out of Bethlehem by night. Joseph brings light of purity that dispels the power of darkness, and the light of honesty that eliminates falsehood.

Joseph’s protection and intercession is not a magic talisman but rather requires our cooperation. We must want to be honest, pure, humble, and virtuous. We must want to place the love of God before all else and continually choose Him whenever there is a conflict between Him and the enticements of this world. But how do we develop such desires? As we pray to St. Joseph and deepen our friendship with him, our desire to be like him will continue to grow.

What are the places in your life that still need to be transformed? In what ways do you suffer from the darkness of evil, falsehood and the power of sin? Where do you need the protection of St. Joseph in your life? How is he teaching you to become more like him?

PRAYERS

Litany of St. Joseph or
Ancient Prayer of St. Joseph or
Ad te beate Ioseph

Copyright © 2026 by St. Vincent Archabbey

READING 1
Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.

READING 2
From the Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos x 19 by Pope St. John Paul II

In the words of the “annunciation” by night, Joseph not only heard the divine truth concerning his wife’s indescribable vocation; he also heard once again the truth about his own vocation. This “just” man, who, in the spirit of the noblest traditions of the Chosen People, loved the Virgin of Nazareth and was bound to her by a husband’s love, was once again called by God to this love.

“Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife” into his home (Mt 1:24); what was conceived in Mary was “of the Holy Spirit.” From expressions such as these are we not to suppose that his love as a man was also given new birth by the Holy Spirit? Are we not to think that the love of God which has been poured forth into the human heart through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rm 5:5) molds every human love to perfection? This love of God also molds-in a completely unique way-the love of husband and wife, deepening within it everything of human worth and beauty, everything that bespeaks an exclusive gift of self, a covenant between persons, and an authentic communion according to the model of the Blessed Trinity.

“Joseph. . .took his wife; but he knew her not, until she had borne a son” (Mt 1:24-25). These words indicate another kind of closeness in marriage. The deep spiritual closeness arising from marital union and the interpersonal contact between man and woman have their definitive origin in the Spirit, the Giver of Life (cf. Jn 6:63). Joseph, in obedience to the Spirit, found in the Spirit the source of love, the conjugal love which he experienced as a man. And this love proved to be greater than this “just man” could ever have expected within the limits of his human heart.

REFLECTION

St. John Paul II invites us into a profoundly sacred space in the marital love between Joseph and Mary. Although a fearful approach would make their virginity a barrier between them, Pope John Paul II has no hesitation in speaking of the greatness of their love. As the Catechism taught in the passages on chastity, the virtuously chaste man or woman is able to experience even greater intimacy, closeness, and tenderness. From this perspective of a man with a fully developed heart, we are invited to imagine the intimate love he shared with both Jesus and Mary. Following God’s law does not limit, but rather intensifies our capacity for love. Indeed, we will find the fullness of God’s law exemplified in the Heart of Jesus which is a burning furnace of love.

How do imagine Joseph demonstrated his love for Mary? How about his love for Jesus? What things did they speak about? What graces did they share? What tender gestures did they exchange? What was it like to enter their house in Nazareth? What can we learn from Joseph about how to love Jesus and Mary more fully?

PRAYERS

Litany of St. Joseph or
Ancient Prayer of St. Joseph or
Ad te beate Ioseph

Copyright © 2026 by St. Vincent Archabbey

READING 1
John 15:12-15

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

READING 2
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

2338 The chaste person maintains the integrity of the powers of life and love placed in him. This integrity ensures the unity of the person; it is opposed to any behavior that would impair it. It tolerates neither a double life nor duplicity in speech.

2339 Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom. The alternative is clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy. “Man’s dignity therefore requires him to act out of conscious and free choice, as moved and drawn in a personal way from within, and not by blind impulses in himself or by mere external constraint. Man gains such dignity when, ridding himself of all slavery to the passions, he presses forward to his goal by freely choosing what is good and, by his diligence and skill, effectively secures for himself the means suited to this end.”¹

2340 Whoever wants to remain faithful to his baptismal promises and resist temptations will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted to the situations that confront him, obedience to God’s commandments, exercise of the moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer. “Indeed it is through chastity that we are gathered together and led back to the unity from which we were fragmented into multiplicity.”²

2341 The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason.

2342 Self-mastery is a long and exacting work. One can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life. The effort required can be more intense in certain periods, such as when the personality is being formed during childhood and adolescence.

2343 Chastity has laws of growth which progress through stages marked by imperfection and too often by sin. “Man… day by day builds himself up through his many free decisions; and so he knows, loves, and accomplishes moral good by stages of growth.”³

2344 Chastity represents an eminently personal task; it also involves a cultural effort, for there is “an interdependence between personal betterment and the improvement of society.” Chastity presupposes respect for the rights of the person, in particular the right to receive information and an education that respect the moral and spiritual dimensions of human life.

2345 Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort. The Holy Spirit enables one whom the water of Baptism has regenerated to imitate the purity of Christ.

2346 Charity is the form of all the virtues. Under its influence, chastity appears as a school of the gift of the person. Self-mastery is ordered to the gift of self. Chastity leads him who practices it to become a witness to his neighbor of God’s fidelity and loving kindness.

2347 The virtue of chastity blossoms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and imitate him who has chosen us as his friends, who has given himself totally to us and allows us to participate in his divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality.

Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with one’s neighbor. Whether it develops between persons of the same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to spiritual communion.

REFLECTION

At the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples what true friendship means: totality of self-gift even to the degree of laying down my life for my friend; totality of trust, even to the point that I do whatever my friend tells me; totality of self-revelation, even to the point that I entrust my whole heart to my friend.

The Program for Priestly Formation 6^th edition sets out friendship with Jesus as one of the goals of seminary formation. How do we develop such great heights of friendship? The Catechism teaches us that it goes along with the virtue of chastity, which “blossoms in friendship.” Chastity is the virtue that governs our personal relationships, particularly in the dimensions of intimacy. Intimacy is based on the sharing of our interior lives. We have intimacy when heart speaks to heart, when the inside of me is inside of you and the inside of you is inside of me. Our capacity to take another into our heart is a uniquely human quality, made in the image of God (cf. John 17).

This requires a path of self-knowledge. We have to grow in awareness of what is in our hearts and how we are affected by our relationships as well as by the culture. It also requires self-mastery, in our ability to freely choose to receive or not, to share or not, to trust or not. It requires self-gift, in our ability to discern and then actually to give ourselves to another and open ourselves to the gift of another. All this we can learn from St. Joseph’s Most Chaste Heart.

How well do you know yourself? How free are you interiorly? How far along the path of self-mastery and self-gift have you come? How are your relationships? How developed is the virtue of chastity in your life? How is your friendship with Jesus? How is your friendship with others?

PRAYERS

Litany of St. Joseph or
Ancient Prayer of St. Joseph or
Ad te beate Ioseph

1. Gaudium et Spes x 17. ↩︎
2. St. Augustine, Confessions 10, 29, 40.s x 17. ↩︎
3. Familiaris Consortio 23. ↩︎

Copyright © 2026 by St. Vincent Archabbey

READING 1
Luke 14:7-11

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

READING 2
From a Sermon on St. Joseph by St. Francis de Sales

But if St. Joseph was careful to keep his virtues hidden under the shelter of his most holy humility, he took special care to conceal the precious pearl of his virginity; it is for this reason that he consented to be married, so that no one might know it, and that, under the holy veil of marriage, he might live more hidden. By this, virgins and those who wish to live chastely are taught that it is not enough for them to be virgins, if they are not humble, and if they do not enclose their purity in the precious box of humility; for otherwise it will happen to them as to foolish virgins, who, for want of humility and merciful charity, were shut out from the marriage feast of the Bridegroom [Matthew 25:1-12], and thus were forced to go to the marriage of the world, where they do not observe the counsel of the heavenly Spouse, who says that it is necessary to be humble to enter the wedding feast, I mean that it is necessary that one practice humility: for, He says, in going to a marriage feast, or “being invited to a marriage feast, take the lowest place” [Luke 14: 8,10]. By this we see how necessary humility is for the preservation of virginity, since undoubtedly no will be admitted to the heavenly banquet and to the nuptial feast that God prepares for virgins in the celestial dwelling place, unless they be accompanied by this virtue.

REFLECTION

Humility protects all the virtues, including chastity. Charity is the form of the virtues, giving them their height, direction and purpose. Humility is the ground of the virtues, providing their safe and stable foundation. Dietrich von Hildebrand, in his great work Transformation in Christ, enumerates several attitudes that mitigate against humility: pride that hates goodness, is blind to value, isolates and divides, turns freedom into license, and refuses all submission as such. With lesser forms of pride, we might reject the sovereignty of God, consider ourselves more valuable because of our virtues, consider our virtues as being due to ourselves instead of God. He also notes the dangers of vanity and haughtiness in which we display our own virtues or hold ourselves above submission to other persons, respectively. The humility of St. Joseph is a great teacher for us and uniting our heart with his can help us, by God’s grace, to grow in all the virtues for the sake of Jesus and Mary.

In what ways is your humility threatened? Which attitudes listed by von Hildebrand resonate with you as potential dangers? What makes it difficult for you to take the lowest place, as instructed by Jesus?

PRAYERS

Litany of St. Joseph or
Ancient Prayer of St. Joseph or
Ad te beate Ioseph

Copyright © 2026 by St. Vincent Archabbey