"Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall
see God!" One might almost think that Our Lord
in uttering these words was thinking of His foster-father. It was because of his purity of heart that
he had the privilege of seeing God face to face
under the veil of flesh for nearly thirty years. Let
us see what this meant.
It meant that St. Joseph must have been free
from all sin, so far as was possible to one who had
not Our Lady's singular privilege. The authority
over the sinless Lamb of God would scarcely have
been entrusted to one who was sinful. The constant association, the exchange of endearing love
implied that His father was the purest of all men.
To me, too, Christ commits Himself in Holy Communion to be my guest and the food of my soul.
What ought I to be?
Purity of heart involves also a knowledge of
God. Who, save His Mother, knew Jesus as Joseph
did? Who watched so intensely each movement,
each look, each word? Who sought to imitate
them and drink in His spirit as Joseph did? Who
was modeled so perfectly after the likeness of
Christ? How distant is my likeness to Christ!
Nay, how unlike am I, alas! to Him!
St. Joseph had the extraordinary privilege of
ministering with his own hands to Jesus, a privilege which the angels must have envied him. His
ministry to Jesus was a source of continual grace.
His acts of love to Jesus were acts of love to God.
All was done for Jesus, knowing that he was doing
it for God. O happy Joseph! Teach me to minister to others for Jesus' sake.