from St. Alphonsus Mary Liguori:
We ought to have great confidence in the protection of Saint Joseph, because he has been extremely dear to God on account of his sanctity. To estimate Saint Joseph’s sanctity it is sufficient to know that he was chosen by God to discharge the duties of a father to Jesus Christ. Now Saint Paul tells us: That God “hat made us fit ministers of the New Testament,” which means, according to Saint Thomas, that whenever God chooses any one for a particular ministry, He gives him all the graces necessary to fit him to fulfill it. God having then destined Saint Joseph to exercise a father’s authority over the Incarnate Word, we must hold for certain that he conferred upon him all the gifts of wisdom and sanctity which suited so sublime an office. We cannot then doubt but that he enriched him with all the graces and privileges accorded to other saints. Gerson and Suarez say that Saint Joseph had three special privileges not granted to other saints. The first was that of being sanctified in his mother’s womb like Jeremias and Saint John the Baptist. The second was that of being at the same time confirmed in grace. The third that of being ever exempt from the movements of concupiscence: a privilege which Saint Joseph by the merits of his purity may communicate to those who honor him by delivering them from carnal appetites.
Joseph in the Gospel is called JUST. Now what does the word ‘just” mean? According to Saint Peter Chrysologus, it means a perfect man who possesses all virtues; so That Saint Jo9seph was already holy before his marriage, but he made still greater progress in sanctity after his marriage with the Blessed Virgin. The example of his holy spouse alone was enough to sanctify him. But if Mary, as Saint Bernardine of Siena says, is the dispensatrix of all the graces that God grants to men, with what profusion must we not believe that Mary enriched her spouse, whom she loved so well and by whom in return she was so beloved.
