Our Lord seems purposely to have drawn their
thoughts from his earthly connexion with them, and to have raised their
minds to a contemplation of his unearthly, his heavenly, and eternal
origin. "How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about
my Father's business?" After this time, though the writings of the Holy
Book, either historical, doctrinal, or prophetic, at the lowest
calculation embrace a period of fourscore years, no allusion is made to
Joseph as a man still living, or to his memory as one already dead. And
yet he is one of those for the benefit of whose intercession the Church
of Rome teaches her members to pray to God, and from whose merits they
are taught to hope for succour.
On the 19th of March the following Collect is offered to the Saviour of
the world:--
"We beseech thee, O Lord, that we may be succoured by the merits of the
husband of thy most holy mother, {253} so that what we cannot obtain by
our own power, may be granted to us by his intercession. Who livest,"
&c. [V. 486.]
It is anticipating our instances of the different stages observable in
the invocation of saints, to quote here direct addresses to Joseph
himself; still it may be well to bring at once to a close our remarks
with regard to the worship paid to him. We find that in the Litany of
the Saints, "St. Joseph, pray for us," is one of the supplications; but
on his day (March 19) there are three hymns addressed to Joseph, which
appear to be full of lamentable superstition, assigning, as they do, to
him a share at least in the work of our salvation, and solemnly stating,
as a truth, what, whether true or not, depends upon a groundless
tradition, namely, that our blessed Lord and Mary watched by him at his
death; ascribing to Joseph also that honour and praise, which the Church
was wont to offer to God alone.
Pages:
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301