St. Francis de Sales would frequently meditate on Jesus in the arms of St. Joseph, and the image became a way he spread devotion to the saint.
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Devotion to St. Joseph wasn’t always widespread in the Catholic Church, and it took many centuries before his popularity grew among Christians.
One saint who worked to spread devotion to St. Joseph was St. Francis de Sales. According to the book Go to Joseph, Our Unfailing Protector, St. Francis de Sales would often preach, “No image can be sweeter to my heart than that of Jesus being carried in the arms of the chaste spouse of Mary and calling him father a thousand times in infantile language such as is prompted by the tender heart of a son.”
He also kept a single holy card in his breviary. This holy card was a picture of St. Joseph, which he held while he recited the Divine Office.
If you need an image to meditate on, find a picture of St. Joseph tenderly holding the baby Jesus. It can provide hours of meditation, and reflects the tenderness we should have when we are in the presence of Jesus, beholding his profound love for us.
Read more:
What is the Holy Cloak of St. Joseph?
Read more:
Why St. Joseph is a model for contemplative prayer
