S. Joseph Sponsi B.M.V.

Joseph ígitur ductus est in Ægýptum, emítque eum Pútiphar eunúchus Pharaónis, princeps exércitus, vir Ægýptius, de manu Ismaëlitárum, a quibus perdúctus erat. Fuítque Dóminus cum eo, et erat vir in cunctis próspere agens: habitavítque in domo dómini sui, qui óptime nóverat Dóminum esse cum eo, et ómnia quæ géreret, ab eo dírigi in manu illíus. Invenítque Joseph grátiam coram dómino suo, et ministrábat ei, a quo præpósitus ómnibus gubernábat créditam sibi domum, et univérsa quæ ei trádita fúerant: benedixítque Dóminus dómui Ægýptii propter Joseph.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

And Joseph was brought into Egypt, and Putiphar an eunuch of Pharao, chief captain of the army, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ismaelites, by whom he was brought. And the Lord was with him, and he was a prosperous man in all things: and he dwelt in his master's house, Who knew very well that the Lord was with him, and made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found favour in the sight of his master, and ministered to him: and being set over all by him, he governed the house committed to him, and all things that were delivered to him: And the Lord blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Quis et qualis homo fúerit beátus Joseph, cónjice ex appellatióne, qua, licet dispensatória, méruit honorári ádeo, ut pater Dei et dictus et créditus sit: cónjice et ex próprio vocábulo, quod augméntum non dúbitas interpretári. Simul et meménto magni illíus quondam Patriárchæ vénditi in Ægýpto, et scito ipsíus istum non solum vocábulum fuísse sortítum, sed et castimónium adéptum, innocéntiam assecútum et grátiam.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

What and what manner of man the blessed Joseph was, we may gather from that title wherewith, albeit only as a deputy, God deemed him fit to be honoured he was both called, and supposed to be the Father of God. We may gather it from his very name, which, being interpreted, signifieth Increase. Remember likewise that great Patriarch who was sold into Egypt, and know that the Husband of Mary not only received his name, but inherited his purity, and was likened to him in innocence and in grace.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Quare non de símplici vírgine, sed de desponsáta concípitur? Primum, ut per generatiónem Joseph, orígo Maríæ monstrarétur: secúndo, ne lapidarétur a Judǽis ut adúltera: tértio, ut in Ægýptum fúgiens habéret solátium. Martyr Ignátius étiam quartam áddidit causam, cur a desponsáta concéptus sit: Ut partus, ínquiens, ejus celarétur diábolo, dum eum putat non de vírgine, sed de uxóre generátum.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Why was the Lord conceived of an espoused virgin rather than of a free? First, for the sake of the genealogy of Mary, which we have obtained by that of Joseph. Secondly, because she was thus saved from being stoned by the Jews as an adulteress. Thirdly, that Himself and His mother might have a guardian on their journey into Egypt. To these, Ignatius, the martyr of Antioch, has added a fourth reason namely, that the birth might take place unknown to the devil, who would naturally suppose that Mary had conceived by Joseph.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Et hic locus ad utrámque redúndat grátiam; et ut cito flecti divínam misericórdiam matris víduæ lamentatióne credámus, ejus præcípue, quæ únici fílii vel labóre, vel morte frangátur; cui tamen víduæ gravitátis méritum exsequiárum turba concíliet: et ut hanc víduam populórum turba septam, plus vidéri esse quam féminam, quæ resurrectiónem únici et adolescéntis fílii suis lácrimis merúerit impetráre: eo quod sancta Ecclésia pópulum juniórem a pompa fúneris atque a suprémis sepúlchri, suárum révocet ad vitam contemplatióne lacrimárum: quæ flere prohibétur eum, cui resurréctio debebátur. ¶ Qui quidem mórtuus in lóculo materiálibus quátuor ad sepúlchrum ferebátur eleméntis, sed spem resurgéndi habébat, quia ferebátur in ligno. Quod etsi nobis ante non próderat, tamen posteáquam Jesus id tétigit, profícere cœpit ad vitam: ut esset indício, salútem pópulo per crucis patíbulum refundéndam. Audíto ígitur Dei verbo, stetérunt acérbi illi fúneris portitóres, qui corpus humánum letháli fluxu natúræ materiális urgébant. Quid enim áliud, nisi quasi in quodam féretro, hoc est, suprémi fúneris instruménto, jacémus exánimes, cum vel ignis immódicæ cupiditátis exǽstuat, vel frígidus humor exúndat, vel pigra quadam terréni córporis habitúdine vigor hebetátur animórum; vel concréta noster spíritus labe, puræ lucis vácuus mentem alit? Hi sunt nostri fúneris portitóres. ¶ Sed quamvis supréma mortis spem vitæ omnis aboléverint, et túmulo próxima córpora jáceant defunctórum: verbo tamen Dei jam mórtua resúrgunt cadávera: vox redit, rédditur fílius matri, revocátur a túmulo, erípitur a sepúlchro. Quis iste est túmulus tuus, nisi mali mores? Túmulus tuus perfídia est: sepúlchrum tuum guttur est. Sepúlchrum enim patens, est guttur eórum, unde verba mórtua proferúntur. Ab hoc sepúlchro te líberat Christus: ab hoc túmulo surges, si aúdias verbum Dei. Et si grave peccátum est, quod pœniténtiæ lácrimis ipse laváre non possis; fleat pro te mater Ecclésia, quæ pro síngulis tamquam pro únicis fíliis vídua mater intérvenit. Compátitur enim quodam spiritáli dolóre natúræ, cum suos líberos lethálibus vítiis ad mortem cernit urgéri.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

The history which we here read in the Holy Gospel hath for us specially two gracious lessons, the one from the literal, the other from the mystic interpretation thereof. According to the letter then, we see how quickly the compassion of God was aroused by the sorrow of this mother, who was a widow, a widow broken down by nursing her only son, or by the bitterness of her grief for his death. She was a widow also whose worshipful conversation is borne witness to by this, that, much people of the city was with her. Mystically however, this widow encompassed by the multitude was something more than a poor woman whose tears won from the Lord the resurrection of her young and only son; for she is a type of our holy Mother the Church, who calleth back her young children to life from the pursuit of deathly vanities, and soul-slaying honours, by bidding them look on those tears which she sheddeth for such as they, and which it is unlawful for her to shed for them of whom she knoweth that they will rise again. ¶ This man, then, being dead, was carried out on a bier to the grave by four bearers, even as the sinner is borne to destruction by the four elements of which he is composed. But there was hope in his latter end, from this, that that whereon he was carried was of wood, and wood, albeit it had profited us little before, is become everything to us now since Jesus touched it, being a figure of that gibbet, the Cross, which was made thereof, and wherefrom salvation floweth unto all people. When, therefore, the horrid bearers of the corpse heard the commandment of God, they stood still, and carried no farther him who was dead through the fatal course of a material nature. And is not our case even as that of the widow's son, when we lie, as it were, lifeless, in our spiritual coffin, that is, in the last bed of our soul's death, consumed by the fever of unbridled lust, or frozen by cold-heartedness, or with our whole manliness sapped by some degrading habit of this earthly body, or starved by a spiritual lockjaw that shutteth our mouth to the bright food of our soul? These, and such as these, are they which carry us out to burial. ¶ But even at the last hour, when the hope of life hath been utterly extinguished, and the bodies of the dead are lying by the side of the grave, by the word of God those carcases live again, yea, arise and speak. Then doth Jesus deliver the son to his mother, for Jesus calleth him out of the grave, and delivereth him from death. O, what is the grave of the soul but a bad life? Sinner! thy grave is unbelief, and thy throat is a sepulchre! Even so is it written: Their throat is an open sepulchre, (Ps. v. ii,) whereout breathe their pestilential words. Lo! Christ maketh thee free from that grave! If only thou wilt hear the word of God, thou shalt yet arise from that sepulchre! Yea, though thy sin be exceeding weighty, so that the tears of thine own sorrow cannot wash it away, let thy Mother the Church weep for thee, that longing Mother who weepeth for every one of her children as though he were the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Believe me, her spiritual anguish is keen like the anguish of nature, when she seeth her children dead in sin, and carried out to be buried for ever.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.