“Tell me again about that time when you…” As a kid, I asked my parents this question all the time. As a father, my own kids have asked me the same thing.
Every child wants to hear the experiences their parents had before they were born — the things they lived through, the choices they made, and the impact it had on them.
I ask St. Joseph the same thing. Every year, in the seven weeks leading up to St. Joseph’s feast day on March 19, I practice a devotion known as the Seven Sundays of St. Joseph. The practice has been around at least since Pope Gregory XVI in the 1800s. I first read about it five years ago in a small booklet entitled “Favorite Prayers to St. Joseph.” I wanted to deepen my relationship with this beloved saint, and thought this devotion would be a good way to do it.
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Throughout the life of St. Joseph, there are seven sorrows and seven joys that we are called to mediate on. Each sorrow gives way to a joy. They are:
- The doubt of St. Joseph when Mary conceived, followed by his consolation at the message of the Archangel Gabriel.
- The poverty of Jesus’ birth, followed by the knowledge that the Savior had been born.
- Seeing the precious Blood spilled in Jesus’ circumcision, followed by being the one to give the child the Holy Name of Jesus.
- Hearing the prophecy of Simeon, followed by the knowledge that the world would be redeemed by this child.
- The flight into Egypt, followed by the overthrow of the Egyptian idols.
- The return from Egypt, followed by life with Jesus and Mary.
- Losing Jesus in Jerusalem, followed by finding him in the temple.
While there are some prayers and meditations you can find, there is no specific formula you must follow to participate in this devotion. All that matters is taking one of these sorrows and joys, and meditating on it every Sunday. These meditations don’t even have to be on the seven Sundays leading up to St. Joseph’s feast day, though people will often pray them then. If you’re looking for a good place to start, the St. Josemaría Institute has a free booklet with meditations that I’ve found very helpful.
This is not a meditation that you go through quickly, like a Rosary you can say in one sitting, or even a novena you can finish in nine consecutive days. I’ve found that I like the slower nature of this devotion, as it allows me to stay with each sorrow and joy longer than I otherwise would.
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I’ll typically double-check that week’s sorrow and joy before leaving for Sunday Mass, and say a silent prayer before receiving Communion, asking for the grace to contemplate them. I’ll meditate on them at church, and also bring them to mind throughout the week. There’s no specific set time — it can happen in the shower, during my morning commute, while spending time with my family, etc — I just try to have an openness to what God will want to show me that week.
For example, I’ll contemplate Joseph’s doubt when Mary became pregnant. I’ll consider what must have gone through Joseph’s mind as he planned to divorce Mary, the pain he must have felt in making that choice, how many times he must have imagined Mary when he considered the future, and what it must have been like to contemplate the future without her. I’ll wonder how long this lasted — that period between choosing divorce and the Angel’s message — was it hours? Days? Did he find it hard to trust God throughout that time? And what it must have been like when the angel appeared, what blessed consolation was offered to him! Were there times in their married life when he’d wake up in bed, remember how close he came to a life without Mary, and squeeze her that much tighter, glad she was there?
Or I’ll imagine the prophecy of Simeon — hearing the opposition that Jesus would face and the suffering Mary would endure. Did he wonder why Simeon made no reference to him, or did it go without saying? Did it break his heart to imagine what his wife and child would face and to know that he would not be there — that he could not help them, shield them, protect them or even suffer alongside them? Did hearing Simeon and Anna say that the child would redeem God’s people, that this suffering would not be pointless give Joseph hope? Did it soothe his spirit to know that his wife and child would bring about the redemption of the world?
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On the last Sunday, I imagine searching for Jesus — what a frantic task that must have been. Was Joseph’s mind racing, furiously going over every possible place where the child could be? Did he second guess himself, thinking he should have kept Jesus closer so as not to lose him? Did he sleep at all in those three days? What it must have been like, to go from one place to another, each time hoping this would be where Jesus was, only to be disappointed again. And then finally, he did find Jesus. What it must have felt like, what relief must have surged through his heart to embrace the boy again!
After I finish these meditations, I feel a deeper friendship with St. Joseph. Beyond the stained glass windows and icons and statues, there is a man, a man who lived through these sorrows and these hopes. Joseph is a father for all of us, and in these seven Sundays, our father tells us again the stories from his life, and we know him better.
