THE

STORY OF ST. JOSEPH

for Children i

‘By /
SISTER M. ELEANGRE, C.S.C.





THE STORY OF SAINT

JOSEPH FOR CHILDREN

By

SISTER M. ELEANORE, C.S.C.

New York

THE PAULIST PRESS
401 West 59th Street



Nihil Obstat:

Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.,

Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur

:

Patrick Cardinal Hayes,

Archbishop of New York.

New York
,
December 31, 1932

.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN THE U. S. A.

BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK, N. Y.

Copyright, 1933, by

The Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle

in the State of New York



THE STORY OF SAINTJOSEPH
FOR CHILDREN

THE CARPENTER OF NAZARETH

TT was a great day in the Jewish Temple of

Nazareth. A husband was to be chosen for
Mary, the daughter of Joachim and Ann. Be-

cause she was of the royal house of King

David, her husband must also be of that house,

for this was the custom of the Jews.

The sun was warm and bright on the

stones that made the walks of the Temple

courtyard. God had waited from all eternity

to make beautiful days for the feasts of Mary,

who was to be His Mother. Several men came

to the Temple on this day to ask for the hand

of Mary, because she was known to be good

and lovely. Among them was Joseph the car-

penter. His family had moved from Bethle-

hem to Nazareth, and when he grew up he had

followed his father’s trade as a carpenter.

When Mary was very young she had prom-

ised God she would never marry, but, like the

Sisters, would devote herself especially to God

and His service. She was surprised, there-

fore, when the high priest told her she was to

marry. But she was obedient and the com-

mand of the high priest was the will of God

Pas:e Three



to her and so she consented to marry. She

knew that God would take care of her promise

always to be a virgin for love of Him.

When the suitors had all asked the high

priest for the hand of the Blessed Virgin, he

prayed for a sign from Heaven to know which

to choose. Mary prayed very hard. Suddenly

the staff that St. Joseph carried in his hand

blossomed into lilies. This was a sign to Mary

that he, as she, had promised God he would

always be a virgin. So she was very happy.

According to the custom of the Jews, sacri-

fices were offered to God and many prayers

were said for the newly betrothed couple.

That evening a feast was given to the closest

relatives. It was not a very big feast because

Joseph and Mary were poor.

After the betrothal Mary went back to live

Page Four



in her own home till it was time for the wed-
ding to take place, for this was the custom of

the Jews.

St. Joseph and our Lady did not know yet
that she was to be the Mother of Jesus. They

thought they would never have children be-

cause that had promised God to be virgins like

Priests and Brothers and Sisters are. But the

Lord Jesus wanted to become man and He
wanted our Blessed Lady for His Mother. So
God the Father made Him a human soul and
God the Holy Ghost made Him a human body
which was born of a Mother and grew like
any baby’s body, and the Lord Jesus in His

own divine Person took the soul and body in
union to Himself. In this way “the Word was
made flesh.” Jesus is called the Word of God
and the flesh means He became human.

God sent the archangel Gabriel to tell our
Lady that He wanted her for His Mother. At
first she was afraid she could not do this be-
cause she had promised God not to have the
joy of children of her own but only to be a
spiritual mother to other women’s children,
like the Sisters who teach and care for the poor
and sick and pray for sinners. But the arch-
angel told her God wanted her for His Mother,
anyway. So she said she would be His Mother.

She did not tell St. Joseph what had hap-
pened, because it was a secret between God

Page Five



and her. So St. Joseph was worried and un-

happy when he found out she was going to

have a child, for he thought she had not kept

her promise to God. Then God sent an angel

to tell St. Joseph that Mary was chosen to be

His Mother and that he was to take her as his

wife and support and care for her and the

Child, Who was to be named Jesus.

St. Joseph Is Married

So St. Joseph and our Lady celebrated

their marriage happily, and then Mary went

to live in the poor little home that St. Joseph

had prepared for her. One part of the house

was a carpenter shop in which St. Joseph

worked making tools and furniture to sell to

the people of the town. In those days only

those who were farmers or soldiers or had

state offices belonged to the upper class of soci-

ety. So St. Joseph belonged to the humbler

class.

Page Six



ST. JOSEPH LEAVES NAZARETH

Just when it was time for our Lord to be

born, the Emperor Caesar Augustus sent out

a decree that the whole world should be en-

rolled. He wanted to know how many people
he ruled. Because St. Joseph’s family came

from the town of Bethlehem, he and Mary had
to go there to be enrolled. It seems that they

decided to move there.

St. Joseph had to buy an ox to carry their

few household goods and their clothes and

food for the journey. He also had to buy an
ass for Mary to ride upon. An ox is a big
strong animal, somewhat like a cow, that in

former times was used to pull loads and to
plow. The pioneers of America used oxen to

pull their covered wagons when they traveled
to the west of our country. An ass is a strong
little animal that looks like a mule. Both are

gentle and patient and both have big soft eyes.

Page Seven



This ox and ass St. Joseph bought were to be

present in the stable when the Saviour was

born. You have seen little images of them in

the Christmas crib.

St. Joseph and our Lady set out with some

of their relatives and friends who also were

going to Bethlehem. It was in December and

so the fields were bare and the wind was cold.

They arrived in the town in the late afternoon

and the snow was falling. They went to the

inn to get shelter for the night, but found that

all the rooms were taken. St. Joseph felt very

sad because of this. He went to several places

asking for shelter, but every room in the town

was taken. Finally the innkeeper told him he

could find a rude shelter in an old stable at the

edge of town.

St. Joseph at Bethlehem

St. Joseph and our Lady went to this old

stable. On the way St. Joseph got some clean

straw with which to make a bed for our Lady.

He fed the ox and the ass. After he and Mary

had eaten their supper they lay down to sleep.

Soon there was no sound except when the ox

or the ass moved in the straw.

Suddenly St. Joseph was awakened by the

sound of lovely singing and a glorious light

that filled the poor little stable. Then what

Page Eight



do you think he saw? Wrapped in swaddling

clothes and laid in the manger was the most

beautiful Baby in all the world. Beside the

manger Mary knelt in adoration. Jesus the
Light of the world had been born. St. Joseph

fell on his knees and wept for joy. Then Mary
let him hold the sleeping Child.

St. Joseph adores the Child
,
Jesus .

Page Nine



Soon there came the sound of voices and of

running feet. St. Joseph went to open the

door of the stable. At the door were some

shepherds. They all talked at once. Then one

of them who seemed to be the leader said to

St. Joseph:

“We were keeping the night watches over

our flocks. And behold an angel stood by us,

and the brightness of God shone round about

us
;
and we feared with a great fear. And the

angel said to us : Fear not
;
for, behold, I bring

you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to

all the people: for, this day, is born to you a

Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city
of David. And this shall be a sign unto you.

You shall find the infant wrapped in swad-

dling clothes, and laid in a manger. And

suddenly there was with the angel a multitude

of the heavenly army, praising God, and say-

Page Ten



ing Glory to God in the highest
;
and on earth

peace to men of good will. So we said to one

another : Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let

us see this word that is come to pass, which the

Lord hath shewed to us. We have sought the
Child. Is He here?”

While the shepherd asked, “Is He here?”

St. Joseph stepped aside and motioned them

all to enter. When they saw the Babe with
His Mother they were very happy and they

knelt to pray. They were the first, after our

Lady and St. Joseph, to see the great God be-

come a helpless Babe for love of us all.

St. Joseph Provides a Home

When it was morning St. Joseph set out to
find a house in which his little family could

live. When he had found a vacant one in a
poor section of the town he prepared it as best

he could. Then he brought the Babe and Mary,
and soon, though they had very few things,

our Lady made it into a home.

When the Child was eight days old St.
Joseph named Him according to the Jewish
custom. He named Him Jesus, as the angel
had told him to do. Jesus means Saviour.

Some time later wise men from the eastern
countries came to adore Jesus. They had seen

a new star in the sky, and as they thought it

might mean the Saviour was born, they fol-

Page Eleven



lowed it till it came and stood above the house

where the Holy Family lived. These wise men

were of noble birth, and so they had many at-

tendants with them. On their way to visit
Jesus they stopped to pay their respects to

King Herod. He was afraid the new-born

King might get some of his power, and so he

Page Twelve

St. Joseph welcomes the wise men
from the East.



decided to kill Him. So he asked the wise

men to come back to tell him where the Child

was, saying he also wished to adore Him. This

was a terrible lie.

When the wise men came into the poor

house of the Holy Family, they knelt to adore

the Babe. Then, as He smiled at them, they

gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and

myrrh. These gifts were valuable, and St.

Joseph was glad to get them because he was so

poor and it was hard to get enough from his

trade as carpenter to support his family.

The wise men did not go back to Herod, for

an angel told them in sleep that Herod wanted

to kill our Lord. They went home another

way. Herod was very angry. So he decided

to kill all the boy children under two years of

age. God knew this was going to happen, and

so He sent an angel to awaken St. Joseph from

sleep one night to tell him about it.

Page Thirteen



IN THE LAND OF EGYPT

St. Joseph went right away to tell our

Lady they must leave Bethlehem and seek a

place outside the realm of Herod. She got

ready to go and dressed our Lord for the

journey while St. Joseph packed the few

things they could take with them on the ox.

Then our Lady with the little Lord Jesus in

her arms got on the poor gray ass. St.

Joseph led the ox, and they started on the

long journey into the land of Egypt.

They went along a road that was much

used in those days. Traders went over it

with their goods, and also Jewish families

from Palestine who were escaping from the

cruelty of the Romans. St. Joseph and our

Lady were much afraid the soldiers would

catch them before they reached the River of

Egypt, seventy miles away. At last, how-

Page Fourteen



ever, they were across the river and safe from

Herod, who had no power in that land.

We do not know exactly where St. Joseph
found a home in Egypt. Probably it was in

Heliopolis, a city near Cairo, because there

was a Jewish settlement there. Perhaps you

have seen the beautiful picture of the great

sphinx in the desert with Mary and her Babe

asleep on its huge forepaw while St. Joseph

keeps guard over them. This could easily

have happened during their journey into

Egypt. Travel was very slow in those days,

especially when people were, like St. Joseph,

so poor that they had to walk from place to

place.

The Holy Family stayed in Egypt about

two years. Then the cruel King Herod died.

One night an angel of the Lord came to St.

Joseph while he was asleep and told him to

arise and to take the Child and His Mother

Page Fifteen



and go into the land of Israel. St. Joseph did

this. Again they packed up their few things,

and taking the little Jesus, now almost four

years old, set out on the journey.

St. Joseph intended to go back to Bethle-

hem to live. When he came close to the land

of Israel he heard that Herod’s son Archelaus

was now the king. He was afraid this king

would want to kill Jesus as his father had

wanted to. He prayed for light to know what

to do. That night while he lay asleep on the

roadside an angel came to him. The angel

said that God wanted him to live in Nazareth

in the country of Galilee. That is why our

Lord is called a Nazarene and the carpenter’s

Son of Nazareth.

The Gospel tells us that St. Joseph was a

just man. Our Lady never sinned at all. And

Jesus is holiness itself. So you can imagine

how happy the little family of Nazareth must

have been. But a great sorrow was always

in their hearts. They knew that Jesus had

to suffer and die for our sins. When St.
Joseph went to deliver tools and furniture he

had made, Jesus would sometimes go with

him. When they got home, St. Joseph would

wash the dust of the street from his feet and

then would take off the sandals from our

Lord’s little feet and wash them. He would

Page Sixteen



kiss them tenderly and think how they would

one day be pierced with terrible nails.

Sometimes in the evenings when they sat

in the dooryard our Lady would twine the

long dark curls of Jesus about her fingers and

think how one day a crown of cruel thorns

would make the blood from His sacred head

St, Joseph teaches Jesus his trade.

Page Seventeen



flow through them. When she bathed His

little body she would think how one awful

night wicked soldiers would beat it with

leaded whips till the flesh was torn to ribbons

and His bones were showing.

Sometimes when St. Joseph came home in

the evenings Jesus would run to meet him

with outstretched arms. In the setting sun

Page Eighteen

St. Joseph
,
Foster Father of the

Son of God, pray for us.



His shadow would look like a cross, and then

His parents would think of the day when He

would hang on a cross for our sins. When

He would ask for a drink and St. Joseph

would hold the gourd of water to His mouth,

he would think he heard Jesus say, as He did

when He was hanging on the cross, “I thirst.”

Sometimes St. Joseph would be so sad

while they were working in the carpenter

shop that Jesus would have to comfort him.

He would put His little arms about St.

Joseph’s neck and tell him that it was not his

fault. You see, St. Joseph did not commit any

big sins for he was a just man. He needed
to be saved from original sin as we all do, but
that sin was his through Adam’s fault and not
through his own. It is believed that St.

Joseph was cleansed from original sin while
he was very young, perhaps even before he
was born, as St. John the Baptist was. God
could do this by using the merits of our Lord’s

passion before it actually took place.

St. Joseph was very pious, and he kept
holy all the sacred feasts of the Jews. He
went to Jerusalem every year at the solemn
feast of the Pasch, which commemorated the
time when the children of the Israelites were
not killed by the angels who killed the chil-
dren of the Egyptians, to make them let the

Page Nineteen



chosen people go back to their own land. He

probably went to the other two solemn feasts

of the Jews in the Temple at Jerusalem. Our

Lady and Jesus probably went with him to

these festivals.

When Jewish boys were twelve years old

they put on the robe of manhood. Before this

time their fathers taught them the Scriptures

and the Jewish laws and customs and also the

other things you learn in school. They did not

have schools like ours. So St. Joseph taught

Jesus all these things.

ST. JOSEPH SEEKS JESUS

When Jesus was twelve years old the Holy

Family went to Jerusalem to celebrate the

Pasch. After the festival was over, they set

out for home. Jesus, however, stayed behind

after the people with whom His parents were,

had gone. They did not worry at first, for

they supposed He was somewhere else in the

company. When night was come, however,

He did not join them as they had expected.

So they sought Him throughout the company.

When they could not find Him they re-

turned to Jerusalem. They were very sad.

Any father and mother would be sad over

losing a child. But St. Joseph and our Lady

knew their Child was God. Just think how

Page Twenty



St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin find
Jesus in the temple.

they felt. Perhaps it seemed cruel for our

Lord to stay behind without telling them, but
He is God and God does not always explain
things to us. He wants us to trust Him
always to do what is best and right for us.
Besides, our dear Lord had some work to do
for His Heavenly Father.

Page Twenty-one



For three long unhappy days St. Joseph

and our Lady went about the streets of Jeru-

salem searching for Jesus. They asked every-

one they met and inquired at every house.

At last they went to the Temple to see whether

He might be there. He had been there most

of the time. When they found Him He was

sitting in the midst of the doctors of the law,

hearing them and asking them questions. The

doctors were amazed at His wisdom, for they

thought that He was only a carpenter’s son.

Jesus had much more learning than St.

Joseph had taught Him. He had all human

Page Twenty-two



knowledge as well as all divine knowledge.

He learned as other children do because He

wanted to know exactly how we live and also

that He might give us an example. But He

did not need to learn in this way. So you can

see why the doctors were so surprised that a

boy of twelve knew more than they did after

all their years of study.

Just imagine how happy His parents were

to find Him again. Our Lady asked Him why

He had left them without telling them. He

said that He had to do this work for His

Heavenly Father. Because St. Joseph and

our Lady wanted only the will of God in all

things and because they knew what a wonder-

ful privilege they had in being allowed to have

our Lord at all, they were satisfied with this

answer.

Then Jesus went home with them and lived

in perfect obedience to them till He was thirty

years old, when He began His public life. St.

Joseph taught Jesus his trade as a carpenter.

He also taught Him more of the Scriptures

and the Jewish laws and customs.

Sometime before Jesus was old enough to

begin His public life St. Joseph died. When

he was dying Jesus held him in His arms, and

Mary knelt beside him. Though he was sad

to leave them, he gladly did God’s will.

Page Twenty-three



Joseph the Saint

God always wants His special friends to

have great confidence in Him. One way in

which to make them show their confidence is

to try their faith very often. So God often

tried St. Joseph’s faith, as this story shows

you.

God also wants His special friends not

only to do good acts but to be good in them-

selves. St. Joseph not only kept all the com-

mandments
;
he was good all the way through.

He kept himself free even from little faults.

God also wants His special friends to be

very humble. St. Joseph is so humble that

his whole life is hidden in that of Jesus. We
know less about him than about almost any

other great man in history. He wanted it this

way, for all he wanted to be or do was just as

the protector of Jesus and Mary. He had

no thoughts or ambitions outside them. He

was satisfied even to die before our Lord be-

gan His public life and worked miracles and

established His Church. St. Joseph asked

nothing whatever for himself. Yet, having

Jesus and Mary, he had more than any one

else in all the world.

Page Twenty-four



PRAYERS TO ST. JOSEPH

Dear St. Joseph, obtain for us grace to

lead an innocent life; and may our life ever

be shielded by thy protection. Amen.

St. Joseph, foster father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, pray for us who have placed ourselves

under thy protection, now and at the hour of

death. Amen.

Remember, 0 most chaste spouse of Mary,

0 my amiable patron, St. Joseph, that it has
never been known that any one asked thy pro-

tection and thy help without receiving them.

1 come to thee and give myself to thy care.

Page Twenty-five



Do not despise my prayers, 0 foster father of

my Redeemer, but listen to them in thy kind-

ness and answer them. Amen.

Great St. Joseph, who didst die in the arms

of Jesus and Mary, I ask thee now to help me

at the moment of my death, even if then I

should not be able to ask thee. Amen.

Dear St. Joseph, help me to live always as

thou didst in the presence of Jesus and Mary,

so that I may never offend their pure eyes

with sin of any kind. Amen.

Dear St. Joseph, through the care thou

didst take of Jesus and Mary, I ask thee to

take care of me and my family all our lives.

Amen.

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

(For October Devotions)

To thee, 0 Blessed Joseph, we have re-

course in our affliction, and having implored

the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we now,

with hearts filled with confidence, earnestly

beg thee also to take us under thy protection.

By that charity, wherewith thou wert united

to the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God,

and by that fatherly love, with which thou

didst cherish the Child Jesus, we beseech thee

and we humbly pray that thou wilt look down

with gracious eyes upon that inheritance

Page Twenty-six



which Jesus Christ purchased by His Blood,

and wilt succor us in our need by thy power

and strength.

Defend, 0 most watchful guardian of the

Holy Family, the chosen offspring of Jesus

Christ. Keep from us, 0 most loving Father,

all blight of error and corruption. Aid us

from on high, most valiant defender, in this

conflict with the powers of darkness, and even

as of old, thou didst rescue the Child Jesus

from the peril of His life, so now defend God’s

Holy Church from the snares of the enemy

and from all adversity. Shield us ever under

thy patronage, that, imitating thy example

and strengthened by thy help, we may live a
holy life, die a happy death, and attain ever-

lasting bliss in Heaven. Amen.

LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have

mercy on us.

Page Twenty-seven



Holy Mary,

St. Joseph,

Illustrious son of David,

Light of the patriarchs,

Spouse of the Mother of God,

Pure guardian of the Virgin,

Foster Father of the Son of God,

Zealous defender of Christ,

St. Joseph, most just,

St. Joseph, most chaste,

St. Joseph, most prudent,

St. Joseph, most brave,
|

St. Joseph, most obedient,

St. Joseph, most faithful,
*

Protector of Holy Church,

Terror of demons,

Patron of the dying,

Hope of the sick,

Comfort of the sorrowing,

Safeguard of families,

Guardian of virgins,

Glory of the family life,

Model of workmen,

Lover of poverty,

Mirror of patience,

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of
the world, spare us, 0 Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the

world, graciously hear us, 0 Lord.

Page Twenty-eight



Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of
the world, have mercy on us.

V. He made him lord over His household.

R. And ruler of all His possessions.

Let Us Pray

0 Lord, Who in Thine unspeakable provi-
dence wast pleased to choose blessed Joseph

for Thy most holy Mother’s spouse, grant, we
beseech Thee, that we may become worthy to
have him for our intercessor in Heaven whom
we venerate as our protector on earth. Amen.

Page Twenty-nine



HYMNS TO ST. JOSEPH

Dear Guardian of Mary

Dear Guardian of Mary, dear nurse of her

Child,

Life’s ways are full weary, the desert is wild,

Bleak sands are all round us, no home can we

see;

Sweet Spouse of our Lady, we lean upon thee.

For thou to the pilgrim art father and guide,

And Jesus and Mary felt safe at thy side;

0 glorious Patron, secure shall I be,

Sweet Spouse of our Lady, if thou art with

me!

God chose thee for Jesus and Mary, wilt thou

Forgive a poor exile for choosing thee now ?

There’s no saint in Heaven, St. Joseph, like

thee,

Sweet Spouse of our Lady, do thou plead for

me.

When the treasures of God were unsheltered

on earth,

Safe keeping was found for them both in thy

worth

;

0 Father of Jesus, be father to me,

Sweet Spouse of our Lady, and I will love thee.

Page Thirty



Great St. Joseph

Great Saint Joseph, son of David,

Foster father of our Lord,

Spouse of Mary, ever virgin,

Keeping o’er them watch and ward.

In the stable thou didst guard them

With a father’s loving care;

Thou by God’s command didst save them

From the cruel Herod’s snare.

Three long days in grief and anguish,

With His Mother sweet and mild,

Mary Virgin, didst thou wander

Seeking the beloved Child.

In the Temple thou didst find Him

:

Oh, what joy then filled thy heart!

In thy sorrows, in thy gladness,

Grant us, Joseph, to have part.

Clasped in Jesus’ arms and Mary’s,

When death gently came at last,
Thy pure spirit sweetly sighing

From its earthly dwelling passed.

Dear Saint Joseph, by that passing,

May our death be like to thine;

And with Jesus, Mary, Joseph,

May our souls forever shine.

Page Thirty-one