From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
This prayer to St. Joseph dates back to the 4th or 5th century.
This prayer to St. Joseph dates back to the 4th or 5th century.
While devotion to St. Joseph can be traced back to the early Church, there were only a handful of prayers and churches that were dedicated to him during the first millennium.
One of the oldest prayers to St. Joseph is a brief, one-sentence inscription written in Greek.
The 19th-century book by Edward Healy Thompson, The Life and Glories of St. Joseph, recalls this short prayer.
One of the oldest prayers to St. Joseph is a brief, one-sentence inscription written in Greek.
The 19th-century book by Edward Healy Thompson, The Life and Glories of St. Joseph, recalls this short prayer.
The Greek epigraph inscribed on a gem of the fourth or fifth century brought to light by Cavedoni speaks volumes for the loving confidence reposed in him by the early Christians. Thus it runs, “O Joseph, assist me in my labors and give me grace.”
This is one of the few prayers that can be traced with certainty to the early centuries of the Church, and is evidence that devotion to St. Joseph was present among the first Christians.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.