Thoughts on Mary and St. Joseph?

[Tom317]

On a different thread a side topic was shortly discussed about Mary and St. Jospeh. In that thread I posted the following:

…I hold a great love for Mary and many devotions to her. She is my mother and I accept her as such and give her all the love and honor due from a loving child. However, I have for some time felt that St. Joseph is an often overlooked Saint and his role cannot be understated within the Holy Family, he was a true spiritual leader of the family God gave him to care for, he was an incredibly holy and strong man and that was in the face of NOT receiving the same graces that Mary received…he stood strong in the midst of truly hard cirumstances and let’s face facts, God chose Joseph every bit as much as God chose Mary. For those reasons I make Joseph my role model, for like him I am a man and a spiritual leader of my home. None of that takes away anything from Christ or from Our Lady.

My question here is how do you see Mary and St. Joseph in God’s plan for salvation and as personal role models of the faith?

 

[HailMary]

There is an ancient tradition that I’ve heard many people say that St. Joseph was assumed Body and Soul into Heaven.

After Mary, he is the most glorious, even above all the angels.

I love St. Joseph and I say this prayer after each Rosary:

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen

The Holy Family is, like any family (or at least should be), an image of the Trinity.
St. Joseph images God the Father,
Jesus truly is God the Son,
Mary images the Holy Spirit [remember that She is His spouse and the imagery that Ephesians 5 speaks of (two becoming one)]

 

[Tom317]

There is an ancient tradition that I’ve heard many people say that St. Joseph was assumed Body and Soul into Heaven.

After Mary, he is the most glorious, even above all the angels.

I love St. Joseph and I say this prayer after each Rosary:

The Holy Family is, like any family (or at least should be), an image of the Trinity.
St. Joseph images God the Father,
Jesus truly is God the Son,
Mary images the Holy Spirit [remember that She is His spouse and the imagery that Ephesians 5 speaks of (two becoming one)]

That is pretty much how I see it too. I don’t think it takes anything from Christ or Mary to lean on St. Joseph as a role model, especially for men of this day.

 

[HailMary]

That is pretty much how I see it too. I don’t think it takes anything from Christ or Mary to lean on St. Joseph as a role model, especially for men of this day.

The Blessed Virgin is the painting of God.

If you go to an art show and praise a picture that is beautiful, the artist KNOWS that you are actually praising him. Of course, this is the Divine Artist who created the august Virgin, and by praising Mary, we praise God.

 

[Tom317]

The Blessed Virgin is the painting of God.

If you go to an art show and praise a picture that is beautiful, the artist KNOWS that you are actually praising him. Of course, this is the Divine Artist who created the august Virgin, and by praising Mary, we praise God.

I agree completely. Yet, we are all created by God in His image, including St. Joseph, and while He did not create us with the same graces as He did with Mary, we too are a beautiful peice of art.