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Congregation of the Sacred
Stigmata |
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of our Lord Jesus
Christ |
The Holy Spouses Mary and Joseph,
Our Patrons
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Painting of the Holy Espousals of Mary and Joseph in the Church of the
Stigmata, in Verona, Italy |
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The devotion or the solemnity of
the Holy Espousals of Mary with Joseph was originated in the XVth century,
in France, and has spread to other regions.
The devotion spread out to the
world had 23rd of January as the select date for this celebration. It was
suppressed in several places, including the region of Verona, around the end
of 1600 years.
However, with the spreading of
the cult to St. Joseph, it did not take a long time to this feast was
re-established, in the most old meaning, to the whole Church.
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In the age which St. Gaspar lived in
(on the beginning of the XIXth century), the Church of the Stigmata had been
reduced to an war shelter by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the main altar had been
destroyed. Fr. Gaspar
built a new altar and dedicated it to the Holy Spouses, represented in a
painting which he had bought, by an unknown painter. He left to the Church the
original title of the Stigmata, but of Jesus and no more of St. Francis, the way
it was.
After the
restoration of the Church of the Stigmata, in Verona, St. Gaspar promoted the
first solemnity of the Holy Espousals on January 23rd, 1823, when the 5
Stigmatines and another 47 priests are recorded as having celebrated the Holy
Sacrifice there. Following his direction, the Stigmatine Rev. Caetano Brugnoli
preached the homily, and introduced Mary and Joseph as "instruments of the
Divine Providence to carry out the most important work: the Incarnation". This
special approach shows that this devotion is not restricted to the married
couples, but it serves as a school of Holiness for all who love the Lord.
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God wanted the Espousals of Mary
and Joseph also to hide the mystery of the Incarnation, which the world
could not understand yet, in order to save the honor of Mary and nobody
doubt of her integrity for to have got pregnant in an way different of the
natural one; and to offer to us the most perfect model of spouses and
family. The marriage couples imitating Mary and Joseph will love each
other with no measures, will respect each other and will learn to reconcile
in the misunderstandings, will live with fidelity to each other, will be
with given hands in the joy and in the sadness, building their home in the
Rock Who is Christ (Mt 7,24).
However, the main reason of St.
Gaspar to have placed us under the protection of the Holy Spouses is that
the life of the consecrated imposes a ever-greater searching of the intimacy
with Christ, according to our Constitution number 11. Well, there are not
creatures with so dedication to the most complete service and to the most
intimate union with Christ to compare with this couple: thirty years focused
on to the Savior in the joy, in the sorrows, in the cuddle of their home, in
the social relationships, in the monotony of the same everyday work, in the
prayers. |
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Painting of the Holy Espousals in the Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, in
Verona, Italy |
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Prayer:
O God,
who joined in virginal matrimony the Mother of His Son, Most Holy Mary and Saint
Joseph, to they be loyal collaborators to the mystery of the Incarnation, made
us, through their intercession, become participants of the Spiritual Nuptial
with Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Bibliography:
Revista "Voz Bertoniana" no. 01 -
Setembro, 2002: "Datas Significativas"
(Portuguese Language)
Espiritualidade de São Gaspar centrada em Cristo nos moldes dos Santos Esposos - Pe.
Mário Zuchetto, CSS - 2002 (Portuguese Language)