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Our good and loving God knows well the challenge posed by His call to “be Holy as He is Holy.” He understands and sympathizes with our fallen nature, and sends us an abundance of grace to overcome the temptations of this transient world. In St. Joseph, God offers us an outstanding illustration of personal purity.
God Our Heavenly Father chose the virtuous St. Joseph to be the guardian of the purity of the precious Holy Family. Under the title “Guardian of Virgins,” St. Joseph offers us a shining example of the value of chastity. Through his holy intercession, we have a magnificent channel of grace available to aid in overcoming the myriad of obstacles to virtuous living that confront us each day.
Like the four arms of the cross, there are four particular areas of chastity to which we are called: that of body, mind, heart, and spirit. Accepting the challenge of personal purity is a cross we each bear, but is not one that is either unreasonable or impossible.
As we strive to conquer the temptations of the world, let us seek the assistance of the Holy Heart of St. Joseph. A dear friend transcribed this traditional prayer. Please join me in this short, simple supplication to St. Joseph for the virtue of purity:
O Guardian of Virgins and Holy Father Joseph to whose faithful custody Jesus, Innocence Itself and Mary, Virgins of Virgins were committed, may I, with Joseph’s help, continue to serve Jesus and Mary with a pure heart and chaste body all the days of my life. Amen.
-Mary Anne, SalveSanctaMaterDei.com