The Church has only formally declared as dogma the Assumption of Mary, but St. Francis de Sales, a Doctor of the Church, saw the same possibility for St. Joseph, the spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus.
A few weeks ago, we looked at the reflections of St. Francis de Sales on the Assumption of St. Joseph in his Treatise on the Love of God, Book 7, chapter 13. Those were not his only reflections on this subject.
In May of 1621 Pope Gregory XV had ordered that the March 19 feast of St. Joseph henceforth be observed by the universal Church. On March 19, 1622, the first time this feast was observed by the whole Church, Francis preached an important sermon on the virtues of St. Joseph to the sisters of the Visitation Sisters in Annecy.
Towards the end of this profoundly beautiful sermon, Francis adds: “What more remains for us to say now, except that we cannot doubt at all that this glorious saint has great influence in heaven with Him who so favored him as to raise him there in body and soul…for how could He who had been so obedient to him all through his life, have refused this grace to St. Joseph?” (pages 124-25 of Oblate Father Joseph F. Chorpenning’s Sermon Texts on Saint Joseph by Francis de Sales: Toronto, Peregrina Publishing, 2000; emphasis mine)
St. Joseph does not utter a single word in Scripture. But, in this same sermon Francis imagines that the silent Joseph now addresses the newly risen Jesus in these words: “My Lord, remember, if it please You, that when You came from heaven to earth, I received You into my house, into my family, and, as soon as You were born, I received You into my arms. Now that You are returning to heaven, take me with You; I received You into my family, receive me now into Yours…I have carried You in my arms, now carry me upon Yours; and, as I took care to nourish and guide You during the course of Your mortal life, take care of me and lead me into life eternal” (page 125).
Francis then concludes, “how can we doubt that Our Lord caused to rise with Him to heaven in body and soul the glorious St. Joseph….St. Joseph, then, is in heaven in body and soul, there is no doubt” (page 125).
Too often today, we hear of the loss of family values and even, at times, of a lack of appropriate care and respect from adult children toward aging parents, let the words of the parent, Joseph, to his son Jesus in this sermon speak to our hearts and, where necessary, change them. May the example of this father and this son be imitated in the lives of all parents and children so that what is begun here in our lives as families may be continued forever in the glory of heaven!
Rev. Lewis S. Fiorelli, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
