(Excerpts from the talk of Msgr. Josefino Ramirez, PWHS Lenten Recollection, March 2, 2002)

Why is St. Joseph the Patron of a Happy Death. Why? Because he was the only person on earth given this privilege, or rather, reward by God to die in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Can you imagine dying in the very arms of Jesus and Mary? What a privilege for St. Joseph. Well, you know, St. Joseph was given by God this mission on earth to take care of the two most important treasures of God, namely, Jesus and Mary. He was the one to take care of Jesus and Mary. And so, as a reward, he was given the privilege to die in their arms in a happy and peaceful death. It is said that he died before Jesus and Mary, also as a privilege, because God wanted to spare him from the sufferings that Jesus and Mary suffered. It would be very, very difficult for him to see Jesus dying on the cross and to see Mary suffering at the foot of the cross. He had suffered so much on earth, and that was enough. He was exempted by God from the pains of that suffering.

St. Joseph is called "most faithful" (tapat), most just (justice), giving to someone what is due to him. St. Joseph gave to God what is due to God. St. Joseph obeyed the will of God, that is justice. St. Joseph gave to himself what is due to himself, he was a son of God. He gave to others what is due to others. He was a just man. And so, justice demands that he be given just reward in heaven. ‘Yon po lamang ang explanation why St. Joseph is called a just man.

There is a devotion which I would like you to know and to practice, the devotion to St. Joseph every Wednesday for four successive hours: first, in memory of the faithfulness of Joseph to interior life, the spiritual life, that was the most important to him. Wala ng mahalaga pa kundi ang ating kaluluwa. Interior life, the life of your soul. Give that your top priority. Sabi nga ni Jesus, "It is not by bread alone that man lives." After that you pray one Hail Mary. The second hour, the faithfulness of Joseph to grace. He would never waste the graces that are being given by God. Lahat ng biyaya ng Diyos ginagamit niya ayon sa kalooban ng Diyos. His faithfulness to grace. Thirdly, his faithfulness to Jesus. Si Joseph po, bagama’t isang lamang karaniwang tao although he belonged to the royal family of Jacob, of David, was a mere carpenter, an ordinary man, yet he was entrusted Jesus, the very Son of God. He was called the only man whom God called "Daddy." Can you imagine Jesus calling him Daddy, or Tatay, or Papa? Can you imagine God calling you Papa? Imagine the privilege given to Joseph?

So the faithfulness of Joseph to the interior life, the faithfulness of Joseph to grace, the faithfulness of Joseph to Jesus and his faithfulness to Mary, these are the four secrets of Joseph. I know many devotees of Joseph who died happy deaths. I know those very devote followers of Joseph even died on the month of March, because Joseph would like it known that those who are devoted to him will always have his special protection and intercession. A Burmese priest told me this story. Meron daw isang devotee si St. Joseph who used to pray to St. Joseph everyday, but unfortunately he also loved to drink. He was a drunkard. One day he died and he went to heaven and at the door of heaven stood peter. Peter said, "I am sorry you have no place in heaven, because you were a drunkard." Immediately, Joseph stood up and said. "No, he is my client. Let him come into heaven." "I am sorry, St. Joseph, he has no place in heaven." Then St. Joseph said, "If he has no place in heaven, I will leave heaven." So Joseph went out of heaven in protest. And when Mary saw Joseph going out, she said, "Darling, I will also go out of heaven!" And Jesus saw them and said, "Daddy, Mommy, I will also go with you. I will go out of heaven." So the whole family went out of heaven.

Joseph gives good husbands. For some of you it is already late, but you can spread around this devotion. We need good, holy husbands and fathers. That is why, this month, we will have the congress for fathers on the feast of St. Joseph. They said that there is now this fatherhood crisis. So the church would like us to go to the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Joseph. John Paul II called the family a little church, a domestic church. And Pope Pius XI declared Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church, the whole church, because the head of the Church is Jesus, the mother of the Church is Mary, so the Patron, the protector, is Joseph. Joseph is a good protector, he is a very good provided, he is called the "terror of the demons," he is the patron of the poor, and above all, he is the patron of a holy and a happy death.

I am going to pray this wonderful prayer to St. Joseph for a happy death.

"O, Blessed St. Joseph, you give forth your last breath in the loving embrace of Jesus and Mary. When the seal of death shall close my life, come with Jesus and Mary to help me. Obtain for me this solace for that hour; to die with their holy arms around me. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I commend my soul living and dying into your arms. Amen."

 

And this prayer has been simplified for you to easily memorize and say:

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,