J.M.J.
I dedicate this post to Saint Joseph, my dearest patron.
This is the first time that I will post a spiritual journal. I always keep to myself entries of this kind. But I want to share this particular occurrence, among many others I’ve had, that shows how the guidance, protection, and help of Saint Joseph is great, strong and prompt, to those in need, especially to his devoted clients like I am. These last few months, I’ve felt his overwhelming presence in my life, by making himself more known to me in daily events.
I started being a devotee of Saint Joseph on December 16, 2016, nine months ago, when I wrote my article on The Sleeping Saint Joseph, which has been well-received by our Readers. A few years back, I started reading about him and praying to him. But my true devotion to him began last year. There’s an injustice that has happened to me earlier this year that I consider as a low point in my adult life. Initially, I didn’t know who among our spiritual friends, the Saints, would be most fitting to turn to with my situation. God responded to me by giving me direct signs pointing to Saint Joseph. Thus, for a half year now, I intensified my prayers to him, asking for his powerful intercession. Saint Joseph accepted my application for being his spiritual daughter and friend. Now as his spiritual daughter and friend, and a devoted client, I feel his presence in my life everyday.
Our family now has a larger Sleeping Saint Joseph figure, which we love, and always offer modest flowers to, such as the white, fragrant sampaguita.
To give honor to the Sleeping Saint Joseph that started everything in our spiritual friendship, I’m going to share an experience I’ve had related to it:
It was August 31, 2017. There were 2 questions of utmost importance about my life, which put me in distress and needed immediate guidance. Since I was about to sleep, I thought of calling Saint Joseph as “Sleeping Saint Joseph.” It’s the very first time that I addressed him that way in my prayer. Then, I had this dream –
In my dream, I was back to myself as a student in University of Santo Tomas. I even saw myself wearing my school uniform and I.D. I was with my Ate (older sister). When I was a student there, my family usually met up in UST to fetch me or have bonding moments. In this dream, I knew that I had a class report and Ate was helping me carry various school stuffs. Back then, whenever I did errands, it would usually be in Dapitan Street, near my college, Faculty of Arts and Letters. Right across the gates, we used to eat and study at a fast food chain. In my dream, we ended up going inside and I suddenly heard Ate saying, “Hey, Saint Joseph messaged you, oh!” I replied, “Oh?” I saw the message, handwritten in black marker pen on a yellowish manila paper, which my Ate read aloud with feelings.
It’s strange that in my dream I was aware that I had prayed before I slept, and I thought straightaway that this message was Saint Joseph’s answer to my questions. Surprised and curious, I exclaimed, “Why is it that it was what he said?”
Then I clearly remember joining Ate in holding the large paper. I even read the message aloud myself. That’s probably why I was able to remember it when I woke up. I saw the time was 2:11, but I really needed to share my dream to Mommy at once.
At first, I had thought my dream was somehow a coincidence… until I got a proof that it’s of Providence. My mother insisted for me to check the Bible verse that I saw written in my dream. I must admit that I was betting to see just a random verse, since it’s a ‘mere’ dream. As Mommy was being pushy, I grabbed the laptop, and checked on Matthew, Chapter 1. I sincerely had no clue what’s in that Chapter. I read the Books of the Bible of course. But I haven’t been able to memorize them in great detail.
The first thing I saw on Chapter 1 was “The Genealogy of Jesus.” I was already surprised with these opening verses because earlier that day, I was telling Mommy about the Israelites. We were talking particularly about Abraham and his descendants, as we have been trying to learn intensively both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Soon after the genealogy, it’s now the moment to find out exactly what’s in Matthew Chapter 1, Verses 19-23. What I read next was something that I will never ever forget. Because what the verses said gave the connection:
Chapter 1
The Birth of Jesus.
18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.
20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
25 He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
These verses, right before my eyes, I understood as Saint Joseph’s signature. He apparently “signed” his message to me in my dream, because there’s a dash mark (-) prior to the verse. He could have just written Joseph, to ‘sign’ it. Instead, he started with Verse 19, which begins with his very name – Joseph, her husband…a righteous man. He made use of the lines from the Holy Bible itself. What a Signature!
I also find it meaningful that he wrapped it up until Verse 23 that speaks of the Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” The Holy Family’s names were all there in the signature, with Patriarch Joseph as its head.
Blessed be Jesus, Mary and Joseph forever!
I think that Saint Joseph chose to write “- Matthew 1:19-23” than his name plainly so that I must believe. To have such a specific and connected detail appear in my dream would help me give credence to the dream and the message itself.
Why was I a student in school uniform in my dream, when it’s been years ago since? I analyze it as Saint Joseph telling me that he’s been always with my family, in our past, today in our present, and will be in our future. My heart also says that it symbolizes me now being a student of Saint Joseph, learning in his office for which he received from God prodigious special graces.
As an immediate response to Saint Joseph, I prayed the Rosary. I later found out that while I was praying my favorite devotion, something in real life that was related to my question was happening simultaneously.
I realized, as I was recalling the dream, that there were only two sentences in the message: two answers for two questions in my prayer. It means, wow, Saint Joseph replied fast! The Church says that God can indeed choose to communicate in dreams, considering that nothing is impossible with Him; that everything is possible with God. When something godly or saintly appears in our dreams, even to us ordinary people, it’s considered a “private revelation.” As such, you have the personal choice to believe it or otherwise. Keep in mind that interpreting our dreams must only be done with much prayer, and never by anything else. God will let you know what it means if He wills it, or it just remains a mystery.
For me, since I’m a person who rarely dreams, and whenever I do, there’s always a meaning or sense to it later on, I believe that this particular dream was a sign from God and the Saints; their nod to tell me that I’m on the right path; and They are with me. Perhaps, like the Sleeping Saint Joseph who received providential dreams, I was given the grace to experience a much simpler version of it. With gratitude to God, the dream has brought me closer to Saint Joseph. It is another means through which he lets me feel that he is present in my life, besides the day-to-day signs.
The real-life connection of the dream didn’t end there:
The next day, September 1, 2017, we went to our beloved Parish in Quezon City and joined the prayers for the First Friday of the Month, the day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. My family and I conversed with this kind priest presiding that time. I didn’t talk to him about anything in relation to my dream. So how astonished I was when the priest cited the following verses to us, from Matthew 22:37-39:
He [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
That was the second sentence from Saint Joseph in my dream!
Later in the evening, we decided to stay for the Vigil Mass (known as “Anticipated Mass” here in the Philippines) for the First Saturday of the Month, the day of devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Its schedule is always at 10 PM. Yes, it feels like a Midnight Mass for Christmas! Many people still take part in it every month.
The Gospel for the Vigil Mass, Matthew 25:14-30, was amazingly connected too! It’s the Parable of the Talents, which directly speaks about “responsibilities.” Thus, throughout his homily, the priest emphasized on responsibilities and used the word “responsibility” many times.
In those moments at Church, I felt much more appreciation for the significance of my dream. And I believe, in my inmost being, that it was Saint Joseph’s way of confirming his message to me through another faithful servant of God, a priest in our beloved Parish.
By now, I already have some discernment on what Saint Joseph is telling me. It all starts to make sense as I continue pondering it. He has certainly answered me. That is, with a Message of Love- a message on love and responsibility. I know that I’ll be able to fully comprehend it only in God’s time and will, if and when He grants all the necessary graces for me to accomplish what I’m told to do.
My reflection for the message as answer to the questions in my life is that “Love and Responsibility” always go hand in hand. One cannot survive without the other. Love and Responsibility thrive together. You can only truly love someone if you fulfill your responsibilities to him or her. However, even if you fulfill your responsibilities, but you do not love enough, it’s going to fail. To have true love for a person is to have, at the same time, a deep sense of responsibility for him or her – True love values, respects, honors, and protects.
As a token of gratitude to God for willing the most loving Saint Joseph to be my spiritual father, friend, guardian, and protector in Heaven and on earth, I will try my best to be an obedient handmaid to His commands. I recommend to you who are reading this to have a devotion to Saint Joseph, as he is sure to haste in helping you. For all of us faithful clients of the glorious Saint Joseph, we can show our love to him by imitating him and all his virtues, and modeling our actions on his. Let us pray with confidence to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who are sure to help us, and offer our humble efforts to God. Then, may God’s blessing come upon us, obtained for us from Him by our holiest spiritual parents.
I love you, San Jose.
* * *
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
St. Joseph, most chaste Spouse and Guardian of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, mighty Foster-Father and diligent Protector of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Head of the Holy Family, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
Email: [email protected]
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