In private revelations to Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil, the Virgin Mary appeared under the title of Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin. On some occasions, Saint Joseph also appeared, and he spoke to her, saying:
“It is true my daughter, that immediately after my conception, I was, through the future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of future Virgin-Father, cleansed from the stain of original sin.”
“I was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my soul. This is my unique privilege among men.”
“My pure heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin, grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy spouse, I surpassed the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir.”
“My heart suffered with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my special vocation to hide and shield as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother and Son from the malice and hatred of men.”
“The most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet would not be there to console them.”
“Their future suffering was ever present to me and became my daily cross. I became, in union with my holy spouse, co-redemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary I co-operated, as no other, in the salvation of the world.”
First, it must be understood that Saint Joseph himself received neither an Immaculate Conception, nor any other gift of near equivalence to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Despite the strong wording of the above quoted messages, Saint Joseph was conceived with original sin. Notice that the first sentence quoted above states 'after my conception.' By comparison, Mary's gift was received at the very moment of conception, so that she never was touched in the least by original sin. Saint Joseph began life at his conception as a sinner, having inherited original sin, being in need of subsequent redemption.
Second, the cleansing from original sin that Saint Joseph undoubtedly received is much the same as that which we all receive at our baptism, for we too are cleansed from original sin. After our baptism, we have not the slightest stain of sin on our souls. The same is true of Saint Joseph, although he received the additional privilege of receiving his baptism in the womb. The baptism that we generally receive is that from water and the proper words, in the formal Sacrament of baptism (usually administered by an ordained person). But the baptism that Saint Joseph received was a mystical baptism, that is, a non-formal baptism, from Christ directly. The water and words in the case of mystical baptism is the water that poured forth from the side of Christ on the Cross, and his words as he was dying for us on the Cross. Thus, all who receive a mystical baptism, including Saint Joseph, receive a true baptism directly from Christ on the Cross. But the Virgin Mary's gift was far greater.
Third, it is true that any baptism cleanses the soul from original sin and leaves no stain of sin behind. Yet it is also true that those who are conceived in original sin, after baptism, still have a remnant of original sin, namely concupiscence, which is a certain tendency toward sin. This tendency is not itself a sin, but it weakens the heart and clouds the mind. In most persons, this concupiscence eventually leads to some personal sin, to one extent or another. However, in Saint Joseph, his holiness and devotion to God was so excellent that he never gave in to that tendency toward sin to such an extent as to commit even the least personal sin. Like Saint John the Baptist, Saint Joseph had original sin, but no personal sin whatsoever throughout his entire life.
Fourth, Saint Joseph was able to avoid all personal sin by meditating on the advent of the Messiah, and later by the presence of the Messiah within the Holy Family. Saint John the Baptist was also able to avoid all personal sin by meditating on the advent of the Messiah. Saint Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family, also had the assistance of the Virgin Mary and the Christ-child in avoiding sin and in bearing the hardships of this life, without sin.
Fifth, although he avoided all personal sin throughout his entire life, Saint Joseph was still affected by that remnant of original sin which weakens the heart and clouds the mind. That is why he decided, in good conscience but incorrectly, to decline to accept Mary as his wife (after their betrothal and after the Incarnation). When corrected by God, Joseph was immediately and fully obedient to God, cheerfully accepting Mary and her Son as his own. However, the mark of original sin on his heart and mind showed itself in that earlier decision, which was a weakness, but not a sin. Similarly, the remnant of original sin still with Saint John the Baptist also showed itself, as when he sent his disciples to inquire whether Jesus was the One who was to come, or whether they should wait for another (Lk 7:19). Saint Joseph was affected by original sin, even though he had no personal sins whatsoever, whereas the Virgin Mary had neither original sin nor personal sin.
Sixth, the gift of avoiding all personal sin throughout one's entire life is a great gift, but it pales in comparison to the gift of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was not merely sinless. She was so thoroughly filled with every grace from conception that she had no weakness of heart at all and no obscurity in her mind, but instead she had perfect purity of heart and perfect clarity of mind. Saint Joseph, though he is one of the holiest of the Saints, and though he committed no personal sins at all throughout his entire life, still he had the weaknesses and imperfections which accompany those who are conceived and afflicted with original sin. Even after his sanctification within the womb, the remnant of original sin remained with Joseph, just as it remains with us, after our sanctification in baptism. Mary had no personal sin, no original sin, and no imperfection. Joseph had no personal sin, but he did have original sin and imperfection.
Seventh and finally, through his love for Mary and Jesus, and through his meditation on the future sufferings of his adopted son Jesus Christ, he participated in our redemption. In one sense, his participation in our redemption is unique, for he is the sole foster father of Christ and the sole visible head of the Holy Family. But in another sense, his participation in our redemption is ordinary, in that we are all called to participate in our own redemption and in the redemption of others by cooperating with God's grace and by living according to the sufferings of Christ.
Commentary on the words of Saint Joseph to Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil:
“It is true my daughter, that immediately after my conception, I was, through the future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of future Virgin-Father, cleansed from the stain of original sin.”
Saint Joseph was cleansed from the stain of original sin after his conception, therefore, he was conceived with original sin; his conception was not an immaculate conception. This cleansing was not so complete that he would have received the same grace as in the Immaculate Conception, nor even the same grace a moment later than conception. Rather, this is the ordinary cleansing from original sin that we all receive in Baptism, except that Saint Joseph received it in the womb. But even though it is correctly said that baptism cleanses us from the stain of original sin, it is also correctly said that a remnant of original sin remains, called concupiscence, which is a certain weakness of mind and heart that tends towards sin, but is not itself sin.
“I was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my soul. This is my unique privilege among men.”
The grace that Saint Joseph received was the same kind of grace that we receive in baptism, namely, sanctifying grace. Thereafter, Joseph never had the slightest stain on his soul because he never sinned in the least throughout his entire life. Nevertheless, he still had that remnant of original sin which is not a stain on the soul, because it is not itself a sin, but which weakens the will and obscures the intellect, resulting in at least some imperfections. The Virgin Mary had no imperfections at all and not even the remnant of original sin. Saint Joseph's privilege was unique in that no other human person has received sanctifying grace immediately after being conceived with original sin. John the Baptist was also sanctified in the womb, but not until some length of time after conception, at the Visitation.
“My pure heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin, grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy spouse, I surpassed the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir.”
The first moment of Saint Joseph's existence was his conception; he was not inflamed with love for God at that moment, because he was conceived in original sin. The Virgin Mary was inflamed with love for God from the first moment of her existence, that is, from the moment of conception itself. The correct understanding of this quote is that the beginning of Saint Joseph's pure heart was found in that moment after conception; this subsequent moment was the first for his now sanctified and loving heart, but it was not the first moment of his existence. In the moment of conception, which is the very moment just before his sanctification, Joseph's heart was afflicted with original sin and so it was not inflamed with the love of God. But from the first moment of his sanctification, which was the moment after conception, Joseph was so inflamed with the love of God that his holiness exceeded that of all the Angels, and that of all the other Saints, except the Blessed Virgin Mary. True extent of the holiness of Saint Joseph has remained hidden for many years.
“My heart suffered with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my special vocation to hide and shield as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother and Son from the malice and hatred of men.”
Certainly, these words are true. For throughout the history of the Church, the faithful have acknowledged the holiness and the vocation of Joseph as the head of the Holy Family and as the protector of the Holy Family and of the Church. But Joseph has also remained partially hidden from us, in that formerly we did not know that he was completely without personal sin throughout his entire life.
“The most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet would not be there to console them.”
Yes, it is true that both Joseph and Mary knew beforehand that their Son would suffer greatly to save mankind. They knew it by understanding the hidden meaning of Scripture. And they knew it by the extraordinary graces from God which poured forth into their minds and hearts from Mary's Divine Son Jesus Christ. They knew, and this knowledge caused them to suffer, even well in advance of the Passion and Death of the Christ.
“Their future suffering was ever present to me and became my daily cross. I became, in union with my holy spouse, co-redemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary I co-operated, as no other, in the salvation of the world.”
By his meditation on the future sufferings of Jesus on the Cross, Joseph suffered with Jesus, just as Mary also suffered by this same meditation, so that they participated in Christ's salvific death for our salvation, even in advance of the salvific event. Mary's role in this participation exceeds Joseph's role, and yet each one's role is unique and of great value. Joseph's role has remained hidden for so long, in order to allow Mary's role to be understood before his role, because her role is before his role. Joseph became like Christ because he received grace from Christ's Cross and because, in meditating on Christ's sufferings, he conformed himself to Christ.
Such is the great and hidden holiness of Saint Joseph, the head of the Holy Family and the Protector of the Pope.
by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
December 25, 2006
