St. Joseph: Patron of the Church, guardian of God's ‘choicest treasures’

God chose Joseph as lord and chief of His household and possessions, the guardian of His choicest treasures, wrote Pope Pius IX.

(PerMariam) — Nearly 155 years ago, Pope Pius IX elevated the feast of St. Joseph and declared him the Patron of the Universal Church – a title found now in the Litany of St. Joseph, something so recommended during these weeks.

Every March is given over by Holy Mother Church in a special way to devotion to St. Joseph – the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Christ.

St. Joseph – the man who remains so silent in the Gospels, and yet who is invoked by the Church as Her special patron and terror of demons. His devout custodianship of Christ and the holy Virgin serves as an example to all, but especially to Catholic men, who are called to imitate the virtues of the carpenter.

It is to St. Joseph that the heavy responsibility fell of naming Christ, in accordance with the will of God as conveyed to him by the angel. Matthew’s Gospel (1:20-25) recounts how St. Joseph was confirmed in this, and when the time came for the Virgin’s son to be named it was he who “called his name Jesus.”

He was indeed the patron of the Holy Family, and by extension of the whole Church which sees Herself in miniature in that blessed felicity found in the Holy House of Nazareth. The Scriptures thus document St. Joseph’s tender care not only for the persons of Jesus and Mary but also for their very names: something which should lead to much thought in the modern world full of blasphemy and atheism.

Building upon the rich and ancient cult of devotion to St. Joseph, Pope Pius IX issued a decree in 1870 by which he formally declared him “Patron of the Church.” Some years later, Pope Leo XIII built upon the teaching of his predecessor and set aside this month of March “to the honor of the holy Patriarch by daily exercises of piety.”

The brief but profound decree issued by Pius IX contains a synthesis of the Church’s devotion to, and honor of, St. Joseph along with a timely reminder of why now, as ever before, Catholics ought to invoke the heavenly intercession of St. Joseph as Patron of the Church and Terror of the demons who seek to destroy Her.

Pius IX’s decree is as follows:

As almighty God appointed Joseph, son of the patriarch Jacob, over all the land of Egypt to save grain for the people, so when the fullness of time had come and He was about to send to earth His only-begotten Son, the Savior of the world, He chose another Joseph, of whom the first had been the type, and He made him the lord and chief of His household and possessions, the guardian of His choicest treasures.

Indeed, he had as his spouse the Immaculate Virgin Mary, of whom was born by the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ our Lord, who deigned to be reputed in the sight of men as the son of Joseph, and was subject to him.

Him whom countless kings and prophets had desired to see, Joseph not only saw but conversed with, and embraced in paternal affection, and kissed. He most diligently reared Him whom the faithful were to receive as the bread that came down from heaven whereby they might obtain eternal life.

Because of this sublime dignity which God conferred on his most faithful servant, the Church has always most highly honored and praised blessed Joseph next to his spouse, the Virgin Mother of God, and has besought his intercession in times of trouble.

And now therefore, when in these most troublesome times the Church is beset by enemies on every side, and is weighed down by calamities so heavy that ungodly men assert that the gates of hell have at length prevailed against her, the venerable prelates of the whole Catholic world have presented to the Sovereign Pontiff their own petitions and those of the faithful committed to their charge, praying that he would deign to constitute St. Joseph Patron of the Church. And this time their prayer and desire was renewed by them even more earnestly at the Sacred Ecumenical Council of the Vatican.

Accordingly, it has now pleased our Most Holy Sovereign, Pope Pius IX, in order to entrust himself and all the faithful to the Patriarch St. Joseph’s most powerful patronage, has chosen to comply with the prelates’ desire and has solemnly declared him Patron of the Catholic Church.

He has also ordered that his feast on March 19th by henceforth celebrated as a double of the first class, without any Octave, however, because of Lent. He arranged, moreover, that a declaration to this effect be promulgated through the present decree of The Sacred Congregation of Rites on this day sacred to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, the most chaste Joseph’s Spouse. All things to the contrary notwithstanding.