Nine Days with Saint Joseph

Introduction Go to Joseph! (Gen 41:55) T he reason to have a devotion to Saint Joseph is simple: no one was closer to Jesus and Mary. Saint Joseph occupies a singular place among the saints. He was the spouse of the Blessed Mother, and he exer- cised fatherhood over the Incarnate Word. By drawing near to him, we draw near to the heart of our salvation, Jesus Christ. In Patris Corde , the apostolic letter which began the Year of Saint Joseph, Pope Francis writes that “each of us can discover in Joseph—the man who goes un- noticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence—an in- tercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.” Looking to the saints, we find ready testimony to the power of Saint Joseph’s patronage. Saint Teresa of Ávila says of Saint Joseph, “I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant.” Many saints are noteworthy as patrons for particular sorts of people and situations, but Saint Joseph’s patronage is univer- sal. Saint Teresa gives a marvelous reason for this: “the Lord wishes to teach us that, just as he was subject 3