So greatly did Jesus love poverty, that, not finding it in heaven, He came upon the earth to practise it. All those principally associated with Our [pg 118] Lord in the salvation of mankind were obliged to endure poverty. Since the Lord loved poverty so much, St. Joseph, too, had to practise this virtue. Even before St. Joseph was selected to become the foster-father of Our Lord, he was poor according to the will of God, but afterwards he learned the virtue still more from the example of Our Lord. If one single sentence that he had heard from the Gospel, induced St. Antony, abbot and patriarch of monks, to give all his wealth to the poor, how much more did the example of Our Lord act effectively on Joseph, so that he renounced all expectation of worldly advancement. Often in their communing with each other, the question of their destitution must have been the topic; but it was not to find ways and means to avoid it; on the contrary that they should be patient in the trial. Joseph possessed nothing; hence he witnessed the Lord in His poverty laid in a manger after His birth. At the presentation he could make no other offering but that of very poor people, a pair of pigeons which could be bought for very little money. He also had to undergo many hardships on his journey to Egypt.
Prayer.
Holy St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, etc., etc.
Twenty-third Day.
In Egypt, so tradition has it, Joseph had to labor for others in order to bring in the means of a livelihood for himself and the Holy Family. Even then their income was by no means superfluous, and according to St. Liguori they often had to suffer [pg 119] actual want. In this manner Joseph spent eight years in Egypt. When he was recalled by the voice of the angel, he settled in Nazareth; though his circumstances there were probably better, they were by no means luxurious. Bossuet says: “Imagine a poor laborer, who had no other fortune than the labor of his willing hands, no other means of subsistence but his work. Every day he saw the end of his provision, and he had to begin again on the following day, like our poor working people. Still he was rich in contentment; he had enough, because he had nothing which might be coveted by others; he possessed all because he stood in need of everything; he was happy, quiet, secure, although he had no place whereon to rest his head. He was continually constrained to labor with the sweat of his brow. He divided all his income with Jesus and Mary. Was it not a consolation for him to do this? even according to our weak reason, guided by religion.”
Prayer.
Holy St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, etc., etc.