A Novena to St Joseph : Day 4 - The Adoration of the Shepherds

4) a) Whilst shepherds watched

Whom brightest Angels at His birth,

With laud and carol hailing,

Praised God; announcing Peace on earth,

Good will and love unfailing. Hail Mary.

Quem magno cum tripudio

angeli laudaverunt;

pacemque cum gaudio

in terris cecinerunt. Ave Maria.

Angels praised Him with a great celebration of song and dance; they sang joyously of peace on earth.

Gospel Account

An angel of the Lord stood by them. J-J Tissot

There were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock; and behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them:

‘Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.’ 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.’

4) a) The adoration of the shepherds

Whom wondering shepherds as of all

The Shepherd Prince declaring,

Yet found, a stable mean and small

With ass and oxen sharing. Hail Mary.

Quem pastorem omnium

pastores cognoverunt;

dum in praesepe Dominum

iacente invenerunt. Ave Maria.

The Shepherds recognised Him, the Shepherd of all shepherds, when they found Him laid in a manger.

Gospel Account

They found Mary and Joseph, and the infant Jesus. J-J Tissot

And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath shewed to us.’ And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Notes

Joseph would have heard the great hymn sung by the heavenly army of angels, perhaps the most beautiful and sublime music the earth had ever heard. He may have ventured outside to see what was happening in the skies above Bethlehem. He was present and witnessed with amazement the arrival of the shepherds and their adoration of the little Baby. He too would have heard with wonder the things that were told them by the shepherds.

Adoremus in æternum Sanctissimum Infantem!

Prayer asking St Joseph to be one's companion and guide in this life

Oratio, ut S. Ioseph in via vitae huius ducem et comitem impetremus.

 

O SAINT JOSEPH, just as thou as father and mentor didst most faithfully guide Jesus Christ during His boyhood and adolescence through His journeys in this life, I beseech thee to assist me in the wanderings of my life as just such a companion and guide. Never permit me to turn aside from the path of God's commandments. Be for me a protection in adversity, and a solace in hardship, until I finally arrive in the land of the living, where I may rejoice forever with thee, with the most holy spouse Mary, and with all the saints in my God Jesus. Amen.

O S. IOSEPH! qui tanquam pater et manuductor Christum Iesum in pueritia et iuventute per omnes peregrinationis humanæ vias fidelissime deduxisti: et mihi obsecro in vitae meæ peregrinatione tanquam comes et ductor assiste, nec unquam permitte me a via mandatorum Dei declinare; sis in adversis præsidium, in ærumnis solatium, donec tandem ad terram viventium perveniam, ubi tecum et sanctissima sponsa tua Maria, omnibusque Sanctis æternum in Deo Iesu meo exultem. Amen.

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.