St. Joseph, Most Faithful, Pray for Us

Faithfulness is one of the defining virtues of St. Joseph. It is the first one listed in St. Joseph Chapel here at the Retreat Center. Twelve of the virtues listed in the Litany of St. Joseph are found on the ceiling of the chapel. The Catechism of the Catholic Church helps to define faith in paragraph 143 stating, “ By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. With his whole being, man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, "the obedience of faith.”

St. Joseph was a man who lived this definition of faith. To begin, in Matthew’s gospel, St. Joseph is described as “a just man”. Other versions translate the text saying he was “ faithful to the law”. Thus, as the Catechism states, St. Joseph submitted his intellect and his will to God. During this season of Christmas, we have, through the gospel stories proclaimed, been able to see this virtue of faithfulness in St. Joseph live out.
 
Even though St. Joseph never speaks a word, his actions speak of this deep faith. He shows that faithfulness to the Lord when directed by the angel in a dream about taking Mary as his wife, and when asked to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, he responds in faith by doing so without a word. Therefore, because of the virtue of his faithfulness, He is given to us as the model husband, father, and protector.

This image of St. Joseph is part of the Chapel Nativity set displayed on campus since at least the Christmas of 1939! The nativity was set up in the original convent chapel until the new Motherhouse was constructed in 1957. Since then, it has been part of the Christmas tradition of the St. Joseph Chapel where students, sisters, residents, and now retreatants visit and say a prayer.