St. Joseph's Feast Day is today; actually, it is a Solemnity! St. Joseph is honored as one of the=he Church's greatest Saints and powerful intercessors. St. Joseph has many titles; the most striking and my personal favorite is Terror of Demons.
Why is St. Joseph such a strong protector in spiritual warfare and why is his help so needed today?
In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that he is a "just man" (Mt 1:19) and not a single word of his own is ever recorded. His actions speak volumes and help us understand why demons would fear him.
Joseph was a man of deep humility and never sought his own will but sacrificed to follow God's will. We know that he was prepared to divorce Mary quietly when she was found with child; he did not want her to be exposed to shame or worse. An angel appeared to Joseph and told him, "Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. It is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her." (Mt 1:19-20).
This carpenter set aside all fear and took a leap of faith. He trusted completely in God's providence and accepted the call to be the earthly father of Jesus, the Son of God. His yes had enormous consequences; he protected the Holy Family from all manner of evil and helped raise Jesus to manhood under his and Mary's watchful care. In a hidden yet essential role, Joseph made possible the unfolding of Christ's saving mission.
St. Joseph was a man of obedience. Every message received from the Lord was met without hesitation. He did not argue or delay; he acted immediately to protect those entrusted to him. When warned that Herod sought to kill the child, Joseph rose and took Jesus & Mary by night to Egypt. (Mt 2:14).
The humility and obedience of Joseph stand in stark contrast to the pride and rebellion of Satan. This is why St. Joseph is such a spiritual ally in the fight against evil.
A priest with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal - a Catholic ministry that serves people seeking deliverance from demonic influence shares a compelling testimony. During an exorcism of a woman eventually delivered from demonic possession, the Litany of St. Joseph was prayed aloud. At the invocation "St. Joseph, Terror of Demons," the demons reacted violently. Afterward, the woman explained that it was clear the demons were shaken by the prayers offered in his name. She even described a vivid sense of the spiritual presence of St. Joseph in the room; a moment she will never forget.
St. Josemaria Escriva once observed, "The greatest saint in the history of the Church is not a pope, cardinal, bishop, priest or friar. The greatest Saint in the history of the Church is a layman, a husband, a father and a worker."
As we strive to live our vocations faithfully and confront the forces of evil in our own time - in our homes, our parishes and society, let us look to St. Joseph as a model of authentic masculinity: humble, obedient, courageous. He is the Terror of Demons, and his quiet strength remains an enduring source of protection for us today.
Vivat Jesus!
{Written by Patrick E. Kelly, Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus for KNIGHTLINE, volume 44, #11.
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