Today is the Feast of St Joseph. Besides being the Patron of the Universal Church, he is also the Patron of a Happy Death. May we all die in a state of grace!
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By Philip Kosloski
Death can be scary, but with St. Joseph at your side, it doesn't have to be.The mystery of death can create a great deal of anxiety, especially when someone is on their deathbed. We don’t know what will happen to us when we die and we hope and pray that our soul will join God in eternal bliss.
One saint who can help ease our fears is St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death. While no one knows for certain when St. Joseph died, most biblical scholars believe Joseph died prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. With this in mind, many traditions believe that Joseph died in the arms or presence of Jesus and Mary. It’s a beautiful image, one that has led the Church to proclaim Joseph the patron saint of a happy death. It would have certainly been the most peaceful death a person could experience!
Here is one prayer that recalls this image and can give us comfort while we await our own death. We never know when God will call us home, so in the meantime, let us do all we can to prepare for that day, making it a day of great joy.
O Blessed Joseph, who yielded up thy last breath in the arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.”Amen.
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