Catholic Spiritual Living Journal

PLACE yourself in the presence of God, kneeling with your hands clasped.
Read slowly and devoutly :

"Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD? There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous. You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad."

Meditate :

Bring all you have read before you at once, as if you saw our Lord.

Then say to Him whatever comes into your mind to say; for instance:

Joseph was pure and innocent in a way unlike any other man who ever lived, our Lord excepted. His soul was as white as snow. He had nothing whatever within his heart to make him ashamed, and he would have found it most difficult to find matter for confession.

0 Blessed Joseph, make me so blameless and irreproachable that I should not care though friends saw into my heart as perfectly as Jesus and Mary saw into thine. 0 gain me the grace of holy simplicity arid affection, so that I may love thee, Mary, and, above all, Jesus, as thou did love Jesus arid Mary.

Joseph was as humble as he was sinless. He never thought of himself, but always of the Infant Savior, whom he carried in his arms.

0 Holy Joseph, make me like thee in purity, simplicity, innocence and devotion.

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, pray for me.