Devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph

Devotion to the Three United Sacred Hearts through the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph given to Edson Glauber in Itapiranga AM, Brazil

Devotion to the Most Chaste Heart

Introduction

The Apparitions of Jesus and Mary in Itapiranga and the Devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph

"I AM SAINT JOSEPH AND MY NAME JOSEPH MEANS ONE WHO GROWS, FOR I GROW EVERY DAY IN THE DIVINE GRACES AND VIRTUES."

(St. Joseph on March 1, 1998 to Edson)

The apparitions of Saint Joseph at the beginning of the manifestations of the Virgin, in Itapiranga, were rare. Sometimes he appeared next to the Virgin and Jesus, but without saying a word. Our Lady began to speak to Edson about the person of St. Joseph around 1995 and informed him long before to wait for his visits later on, because he would come to tell him important messages from God that would be for the good of the Church and the families of the whole world.

These apparitions with St. Joseph happened most frequently in mid-March 1998. During this period, Edson was sick with hepatitis, which made him lie in bed without moving very often, and which prevented him from doing many things for six months. It was during this period that St. Joseph revealed to him for the first time the promises of his Most Chaste Heart and the devotion that God wanted to see flourish in the Church and in the world in our times.

St. Joseph explained to him that this devotion will be a grand means of sanctification that God was granting to the Church and to all those who honor his Most Chaste Heart worthily as he wishes. It is one devotion in the Three united Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This devotion will honor the Holy Trinity, one and triune.

On November 20, 1995, the Blessed Virgin said to Edson: "Always pray to St. Joseph. He defends and protects you always from Satan's attacks. Saint Joseph is a great saint before God, because he achieves everything through his intercession before the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity has covered him with numerous graces so that he could carry out the task of being the protector of the child God in this world. And today, Saint Joseph is in the glory of heaven with the Blessed Trinity praying for you, for the eternal salvation of each one of you and so that you may understand well the calls of your Heavenly Mother."

In the messages received, we came across a novelty that could even scandalize the less informed: the term "virginal". And, in fact, this has never been attributed to St. Joseph. The traditional term is "chaste" and makes us think of a man perfectly chastened in his intimate feelings in living with the Virgin Spouse. That is why the classical iconography represents him at an advanced age in which the impulses of the flesh are more easily dominated. For we do not see why put beside the Mother of Jesus, 16 years old, a husband of 60! If God chose him to be the spouse of the Virgin Mother of His Son, it was fitting that He should give him all the graces necessary for this mission (St. Bernardine of Siena, Sermo I of St. Joseph).

The term "virginal" suggests that: by grace St. Joseph was exempted from any libidinous feelings that would have been humiliating for the Virgin Spouse and vexatious for himself. It is worth reminding ourselves, because of the difficulties of the present time, of Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical Quanquam Pluries: On the Patronage of St. Joseph:

"Certainly the dignity of the Mother of God is so high that nothing could be created above her. However, since Joseph was united to the Blessed Virgin by the conjugal bond, it cannot be doubted that he approached, more than anyone else, that super-eminent dignity by which the Mother of God so surpasses all created natures. The conjugal union is, in fact, the greatest of all; by reason of its very nature, it is accompanied by the reciprocal communication of the goods of the two spouses. If, therefore, God gave the Virgin Joseph as a spouse, He certainly did not only give him as a support in life, as a testimony to her virginity, as a guardian of her honor, but He also made him participate, through the conjugal bond, in the eminent dignity that she has received".

(Epist. Encyclical "Quanquam Pluries, August 15, 1899)

Pope Leo XIII having stated that St. Joseph came nearer than anyone else to the super-eminent dignity of the Mother of God, it follows that in glory he is above all the angels. Let us content ourselves with expressing the doctrine increasingly accepted by the Church by saying: Of all the saints, Joseph is the highest in heaven after Jesus and Mary. This is the initial reference for our study of His glories and privileges, confirmed in the messages that Jesus, Our Lady and St. Joseph himself have transmitted during these 15 years of apparitions here in the Amazon, where important messages are revealed that tell us about the importance of devotion to the Heart of St. Joseph, united to the devotion of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

"MY SON JESUS AND I, HIS MOTHER, DESIRE THAT THE WHOLE WORLD BE CONSECRATED TO THE MOST CHASTE HEART OF SAINT JOSEPH"

(Our Lady, November 30, 1998)

The Super-Eminence of Saint Joseph

What is the principle of this doctrine, which has been increasingly accepted for five centuries? The principle invoked, and more and more explicitly stated by St. Bernard, St. Bernardine of Siena, Isidore of Isolanis, Suarez and more recent authors, is a principle as simple as it is lofty; it was formulated by St. Thomas concerning the fullness of grace in Jesus and the holiness of Mary. It is expressed like this: an exceptional divine mission requires a proportionate holiness.

This principle explains why the holy soul of Joseph, being personally united with the Word at the source of all grace, received the fullness of grace, which should overflow upon us, according to the words of St. John (1:16): "We have all received from his fullness grace upon grace." This is why Mary, having been called to be the Mother of God, received from the instant of her conception an initial fullness of grace, which already exceeded the final grace of all the saints together. This same principle explains the preeminence of St. Joseph over any other saint.

"GOD WISHES THAT ST. JOSEPH BE GLORIFIED BY ALL MEN IN A SPECIAL WAY"

(Our Lady, November 26, 1997)

The Humility of Saint Joseph

Joseph's humility should be confirmed by the thought of the gratuitousness of His exceptional vocation. He would ask himself: Why did the Most High give his only Son to me, Joseph, to keep, and not to any other man from Judea, from Galilee, or from any region or from another century? It was only for the free pleasure of God, which is in itself his reason, and for which Joseph was freely preferred, chosen, predestined from all eternity before such or such other man, to whom the Lord could have granted the same gifts and a faithfulness in order to prepare for this exceptional mission. We see in this predestination a reflection of the gratuitousness of the predestination of Christ and Mary. The knowledge of the value of this grace and of its absolute gratuity, far from harming Joseph's humility, confirmed it. He thought in His heart: what do you have that you did not receive?

Joseph appears as the most humble of all the saints after Mary, more humble than any of the angels; and if He is the most humble, He is for that very reason the greatest of all, for, the virtues being connected, the depth of humility is proportioned to the elevation of charity, as the root of the tree is the deeper the higher the tree is:

"He among you all who is the least," Jesus said, "he will be the greatest" (Lk 9:48)

Possessing the greatest treasure, by an extraordinary grace of the Eternal Father, Joseph, far from boasting of His gifts or showing off His advantages, hides as much as He can from mortal eyes, peacefully enjoying with God the mystery that had been revealed to Him.

"THE PRIESTS WHO HAVE DEVOTION TO MY HEART AND SPREAD IT, WILL HAVE THE GRACE GRANTED BY GOD TO TOUCH THE MOST HARDENED HEARTS AND CONVERT THE MOST OBSTINATE SINNERS"

(Saint Joseph in March 8, 1998 to Edson)

In the past, devotions and consecration to the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph were very widespread. St. John Eudes was the one who promoted this devotion to the three united hearts. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. Later, Saint Anthony Mary Claret spread everywhere the devotion and consecration to the Heart of Mary.

The apparitions of Fatima, already in the 20th century, reinforced this devotion. Our Lady herself showed, during one of the six apparitions, Her Heart surrounded by thorns, asking for reparation. She returned with the Child Jesus in 1925, in the convent of Pontevedra, in Spain, and asked Sister Lucia that the world be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart and to practice the devotion on the five first Saturdays of the month.

However, already in the 18th century, the Discalced Carmelites of St. Teresa of Avila promoted devotion and consecration (slavery) to the Heart of St. Joseph. In that century the devotion to the three united hearts was notably increased, and as a testimony to this there exist, besides books and brotherhoods, even shrines dedicated to the three united hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

It is also worth mentioning that in the last apparition of Fatima, on October 13, 1917, at the moment of the famous "miracle of the sun", the confidants Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta saw the Holy Family blessing the world.

Today, with Their apparitions in the cities of Manaus and Itapiranga, Jesus and Mary are once again recommending devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph, as a channel of graces for families all over the world. When Pope John Paul II launched his Apostolic Exhortation in his Encyclical Redemptoris Custos (Defender of the Redeemer, on August 15, 1989), speaking about the person of St. Joseph, his vocation and mission to be the Defender of Jesus and of his Church, there had not yet occurred in the history of the Catholic Church an apparition of Jesus or of the Virgin Mary that spoke about devotion to the Most Sacred Heart and its union to Their Most Holy Hearts.

In the Encyclical, though, as we saw earlier, the Pope, mentioning the opinion of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, speaks to us about the constant "indivisible union of minds, in the union of hearts and in the consensus, elements which were verified through the holy marriage of Joseph with his spouse Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit." The Pope further states: "St. Joseph, after Mary, was the person who participated most in the mystery of the Incarnation." It was Pope Pius IX who declared St. Joseph the Universal Patron of the Catholic Church (on December 8, 1870).

Now that we are approaching the new millennium, we have many reasons to invoke the protection of St. Joseph. May He keep away from us the plague of errors and vices. May He help us in the fight against the power of darkness and, as He helped Mary and Jesus, defend us from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity. Let us try to be more sensitive to the things of God and learn from St. Joseph to serve the economy of salvation.

St. Joseph is the exemplary teacher in the service of Jesus' saving mission. He shows us the way of the saving covenant in this end of the millennium in which the fullness of time that is part of the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation of the Word continues to be realized ever more.

"May St. Joseph obtain for all the blessing of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." This statement of the Pope made on August 15, 1989, practically hastened these new times of graces and blessings for the Church and the world, because a few days later on September 1 of that same year God began to perform His divine work in the Amazon in silence preparing Edson and his mother Maria do Carmo, through graces and particular gifts for the apparitions of Our Lady that were to occur in the years to come.

At that time Edson knew nothing of what the Pope had declared to the Church in the year 1989, because he was still very young, only almost 17 years old, but it was God's own desire that this devotion be revealed to him to spread it to the world. Not that he was any better than the others.

In fact, Edson always thought of himself as the most insignificant of all, often remembering the words his own father used to say to him in the past when he had difficulty with his studies and did not do well in school exams: "This boy will be useless. He does not try hard and does not care about anything. He will never be anyone in life!" He said this because he thought Edson did not study, did not try hard or that he was lazy, but Edson did not do well in school because studies for him were always very complicated and difficult to understand. All his studies were great suffering, because he did not understand things very well, especially exact subjects. To this day he is amazed and surprised at how he managed to finish high school.

God allowed all this so that he would never become conceited and "being the chosen one" to speak about his messages and about the glories and virtues of St. Joseph in the millennium that was ending and in the new millennium that was to begin, he should always be humble and recognize his nothingness, because all he knows is purely God's grace and not his own merit. Thus God fulfilled the Pope's wish: Saint Joseph truly came to help the Church and the world, obtaining for us the blessings of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, with devotion to His Most Chaste Heart.

"AS IN THE HOLY TRINITY OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT THE THREE PERSONS HAVE ONLY ONE HEART, SO IN THE TRINITY OF JESUS, MARY, JOSEPH, THE THREE HEARTS FORM ONLY ONE HEART"

(St. John Eudes)

The Virginity of Saint Joseph

Several times we can find in the messages received from Jesus and the Virgin, the term 'virginal', regarding the person of St. Joseph. How can we understand these messages that tell us about His virginity and purity? Some Eastern Fathers, taking into account the apocryphal writings, accepted the hypothesis of Joseph's previous marriage; in this case, the Lord's brothers would be His half-brothers.

This solution, which seems to put everything in order, does nothing more than add contradictions and doubts rather than resolve them. If Joseph had children from a previous marriage, which would be legitimate, these children would be, by right, His privileged heirs. The first of these children would be David's heir, not Jesus. In this case, the Davidic descent of the Messiah would be ruined in its foundations. Some opponents of the Church wanted to see - as many still maintain today - in the brothers and sisters of the Savior the proof that Joseph and Mary had other children after the birth of Jesus.

St. Jerome, particularly devoted to the study of the Sacred Scriptures, reacted vigorously against such an assumption. In his treatise against Elvid, he writes: "What do you say? That Mary did not remain a Virgin? Now I affirm much more than you deny. I affirm that not only did Mary remain a Virgin, but also St. Joseph remained a virgin, so that from a virginal marriage a virgin son was born... He remained a virgin with the Virgin who deserved to be called the father of the Lord" (Ad. Hel.19)

He also showed that the problem of brothers and sisters is easily solved without resorting to the hypothesis of a previous marriage of St. Joseph. To put in doubt the virginity of Mary and Joseph, he also quotes a verse from Matthew: "He took his spouse into his home. But he did not know her until the day she bore a son. And he called his name Jesus" (Mt. 1:25), which some interpret to imply that this would imply that they had married at a later date. Such an argument proves nothing, because the expression "did not know her until the day" does not have the time-limited meaning that is intended and does not exclude the state of permanent virginity of the two.

Thus, it was said that Micol, David's spouse, "had no children until she died" (2 Sam 6:23). Must it then be concluded that she had no children afterwards? Jesus tells us that He will be with us "until the end of the world" (Mt 28:20). Does that mean that He will not be with us afterwards?

The reason for the perpetual virginity of Mary and Joseph is clearly indicated to us from the beginning of the first centuries by the Church. St. Epiphanius once said: "Joseph and Mary were both perfectly righteous. When Joseph understood that the child conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit, He could not dare, after a great intervention of God, to have more intimate contact with Her who had merited to bring in Her womb the one whom heaven and earth cannot contain in their glory" (Haer. 3,78,8).

Thus, Jesus himself is the first reason for the virginity of Mary and Joseph. St. Epiphanius adds: "If in our days of today, virgins obtain from Jesus the strength to preserve themselves and keep themselves pure, with how much greater reason must we attribute this fidelity to Joseph and Mary!"

The Incarnate Word is the reason for being and the sustenance of the virginity not only of Mary and Joseph, but also of all those men and women who consecrate themselves to the service of the Lord. The same needs to be said about conjugal chastity: Christian marriage is not a beautiful ceremony that passes away, but it is a sacrament, that is, a sign of the sanctifying presence of Jesus Christ. Marriage and virginity are oriented toward the great mystery of the Son of God who came to betroth our human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

"HAIL JOSEPH, SON OF DAVID , A JUST AND VIRGINAL MAN, WISDOM IS WITH THEE..."

In the message of January 7, 2008, Jesus Himself dictated to Edson the Hail Joseph prayer, added with some words:

Hail Joseph, son of David, just and virginal man, Wisdom is with thee, blessed art thou amongst all men and blessed is Jesus, the fruit of Mary, thy faithful spouse. Saint Joseph, worthy Father and Protector of Jesus Christ and the Holy Church, pray for us sinners and obtain for us from God the Divine Wisdom, now and at the hour of our death. Amen!

And then Jesus said to Edson:

Jesus: "In this way you honor My virginal Father Joseph even more, glorifying and exalting His holy name as Protector of the Holy Church and intercessor who obtains for you the necessary graces from My Divine Heart for your salvation for your bodily and spiritual needs, as well as the Divine Wisdom which many men need today, in these times, to be just and holy, loving justice, for Wisdom will never enter the wicked soul, nor will it dwell in the body subject to sin."

"In this way I want to show the world and the Church how pure and holy My Father Joseph was in My eyes, in the eyes of My Father in heaven and before the Holy Spirit, who chose Him for such a great mission. The Holy Trinity wrapped St. Joseph with its blessing and grace and sanctified Him already as a baby in the womb of His mother Rachel, through the Holy Spirit, the sanctifier of souls."

"Spread this message of Mine to the Church and to the world and be a just, chaste, prudent, strong, obedient, faithful and patient child, full of love who welcomes God's graces just as My beloved Father Joseph did throughout His life. Imitate his virtues, the virtues of My virginal Father Joseph, and you and all others who hear and live this message will grow in grace and holiness. I bless you and the whole Church: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

With this message Jesus wants to show us three things, with the words added in the Hail Joseph prayer:

The term "son of David", to which Tribe of Israel St. Joseph belongs and of which He reigns as Patriarch, in addition to the Davidic descent that should be given to Jesus;

"virginal", showing the Church and the world the virginity of St. Joseph. Hence we understand that if St. Joseph has a chaste Heart then he is pure and virginal in his whole being: of mind, body, heart and soul.

As Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mt 5:8), St. Joseph not only saw, but touched, embraced and kissed the One whom heaven and earth cannot contain, covering Him with His protective mantle and defending Him against every evil and danger.

"Protector of the Holy Church", St. Joseph was declared by Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1870, as Patron and Universal Protector of the Catholic Church. Jesus recalled this event in the same message of January 7, 2008:

Jesus: "The Church has declared Him as Patron and Protector and it is My will that it be so and that all men have recourse to this Son of David and righteous man who is My virginal Father."

"ST. JOSEPH... OBTAIN FOR US FROM GOD DIVINE WISDOM..."

We will now speak of the gift of knowledge, which as St. Gregory tells us, destroys the fast of ignorance. The Holy Spirit derives three things from the gift of knowledge: he defends the faith, he comes to the aid of piety, he preserves sound and upright reason in the midst of so many lost and perverse reasons. These three acts originate in the judgment that forms science. The gift of knowledge is manifested in the intelligence, but it comes from the charity that exists in the will and makes us judge correctly the realities placed between us and God. This excellence of judgment enables us to see the errors of the philosophers, and provides us with the means to combat them. In this way we help pious men and support those who are not. "These acts come from science as from a noble cause, of which the main effect is judgment" (Isolanis).

It occurs to us to recall what St. Augustine says of science, which is the Sacred Doctrine: "Through science the sound faith, that which leads to the beatitudes, is produced, nourished, fortified and defended." And further: "The object of science is the defense of faith against the wicked, in order to sustain faithful souls. Science, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and Sacred Doctrine, having the same end, judge the same object, but one does it by inspiration and the other by conquered knowledge." (City of God, 14).

With these observations we see that St. Joseph had the gift of knowledge in an eminent degree, inferior only to that of the Blessed Virgin. In fact, He not only defended the faith, but also the Author of the faith, which He nourished, and was the predecessor of the world. Joseph protected the Queen of heaven and earth from innumerable dangers, sustained and nourished Her with the fruit of His work. To live in a way that conformed to the piety of Christ and His Mother, He lived a healthy faith, in the midst of a corrupted people.

Surely Joseph was a man of deep spirit and vast intelligence, and illuminated by divine light. He had higher notions when it came to sensible things, the nature of the soul, morals and angels, in regard to those notions that the greatest theologians and the wisest philosophers never possessed. He saw the Angels that appeared to Him in His dreams. Thus He knew at the same time the causes and effects of the knowledge that reached His soul with the graces that were transmitted to Him through Christ.

We have no doubt that after the public conversation between Jesus and the doctors of the Temple, Joseph also kept in His heart, as did Mary, the questions that concerned divine things, and that He received unspeakable teachings. His spirit rose to the highest contemplation and His heart was wholly devoted to the study of wisdom. His soul was as if irrigated by this fountain, this well of living water that flows abundantly from Lebanon. In it was formed a fountain of living water crystal clear to eternal life. It would be short-sighted to doubt that St. Joseph was not a man of high spirit: He himself lived for many years with wisdom in person and received from Jesus a very deep knowledge.

"THE DEVOUT SOULS OF MY VIRGINAL FATHER JOSEPH WILL BENEFIT FROM THE BEATIFIC VISION OF THE HOLY TRINITY AND WILL HAVE A PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE ONE AND TRIUNE GOD"

(Jesus on March 10, 1998)

The Youth of Fatherhood

In a certain Christian mythology that is familiar to us, the Father is represented as a choleric old man. It would be a jealous God of the Old Testament, who "punishes the fault of the fathers on their children and their children's children to the third and fourth generation" (Ex 34:7). He resembles more the pagan god Jupiter than the Creator God, "slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness" (Ex 34:6; cf. Ps 103:8). This iconography makes us contemplate an angry old man, frustrated of our love. But how old is Joseph? We could answer that he is eternally young or that he is ageless. But if we make reference to human fatherhood, we should note that he is a very young father, between the ages of twenty-five and thirty.

How can we imagine the marriage between the Virgin, who would have been sixteen at the time, and an old man who was already over fifty? According to Hebrew Law it is a shame for a nineteen year old boy not to be married yet. The Talmud (rabbinical literature that relates the oral Law and comments on the written Hebrew Law), moreover, states that a man without a spouse is not more than half a man. In the apparitions that occurred in Manaus and in Itapiranga to Edson and Maria do Carmo, the Spouse of the Virgin Mary appears to them with a very young face. Never before in the history of the Church has there been such a singular fact: the occurrence of such long apparitions of St. Joseph where He still presents himself in a youthful and beautiful aspect, as if he wanted to show us and give us answers to so many questions that have arisen over the years concerning his person or his relationship with the Virgin Mary or with Jesus.

Edson had many revelations about the moments of family intimacy that St. Joseph had with Jesus or with Our Lady. These visions were often portrayed in the drawings he made where he shows us the Spouse of the Virgin as a young father and spouse, in His 25 to 28 years of age more or less, taking holy care of His duties as a father and spouse in the Holy Family of Nazareth. We can see, therefore, that St. Joseph, when He married the Immaculate Virgin, was not of an advanced age as one may believe, but was a young man in the vigor of His physical and natural aptitudes who knew how to live a holy and chaste marriage at the side of the Pure Virgin and of Jesus, Purity Incarnate; to teach all men and women, young or children, that it is possible in our present times, surrounded by worldly ideas, impurity and the unbridled pursuit of pleasure, to live a holy and pure marriage united especially to the infinite love of God, consecrating and sanctifying oneself in Jesus, the supreme Purity. Isn't this a precious answer for our difficult time that so many families and couples are going through, that so many cardinals, bishops and priests and many faithful were waiting to hear, and that was answered and shown in the apparitions that took place in Itapiranga, in the Amazon?

Is the resurrection of St. Joseph and his assumption a pious exaggeration, a mystical vision rich in teachings for the spiritual life, or, instead, the future of a theology concerning St. Joseph, where the Church will be able to recognize the revelation of an ancient intuition of a type of assumption of the saint? We can retain that the latter hypothesis is not without a future, starting from the exegesis of St. Thomas Aquinas on the Gospel of Matthew to arrive at an enlightened opinion, full of the courage of the Holy Spirit, of Bishop St. Francis de Sales.

What does chapter 27 of Matthew's Gospel teach us? Let us try to dwell as much as possible on the text word for word: "Then the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two, from top to bottom, the earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs were opened and many bodies of the departed saints were raised. And coming out of the tombs after the resurrection of Jesus, they entered the Holy City and were seen by many." Matthew is the only one to narrate this strange episode, which adds nothing new to the testimony of those who had seen the risen Christ, witnesses which, united to that of the Holy Spirit, is the basis of our Christian faith. Here the Evangelist testifies to a reality of another order.

Some of the Lord's friends, "many", says verse 52, can be associated with His resurrection before His second coming in glory. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the final trumpet, the trumpet will sound, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed." The apostle, in the eschatological fervor that reigned at the time of the Second Temple and the Church of origin, expects this event to be almost an echo, close in time, to the resurrection that took place on the third day.

Already in the episode of the Transfiguration, which announces the passion, we see Elijah and Moses appear: the first was carried by a chariot of fire, the second expired in the kiss of God on Mount Nebo. Exactly like Enoch, these announce God's definitive victory over death, because God does not want His friends to know corruption. St. Francis de Sales says: "What else should we add if not that we should absolutely not doubt the fact that this glorious saint has had much credit in heaven with the One who chose Him so much as to elevate Him in soul and body; we should take much account of the fact that we have on earth no relic of St. Joseph and that no one can doubt this truth; indeed, how could this grace be denied to St. Joseph by the One who was so obedient to Him in the course of His earthly life?"

By the way, in the lives of the saints, one never speaks of a vision, but of an apparition, such as the Cotignac, an apparition that the Church has recognized as such. The apparition presupposes a corporeal reality, as the Dictionary of Catholic Theology points out: "The apparition is of a different kind from vision, which does not necessarily imply the real existence of the object perceived, while the apparition presupposes it." This, therefore, differs from purely spiritual vision, such as the intuitive vision of God on the part of the blessed, and from the merely imaginary visions that can take place in dreams or in the conditions of ecstasy or rapture. This is a vision that is manifested in the external senses. This is called apparition in relation to the object that appears to the senses, and vision, in relation to those who perceive the object that appears. Angels can appear physically, eating or drinking, because these represent God Himself, the Father or the Trinity, which could not be perceived by the senses. The angel who physically fought with Jacob was none other than Christ himself, and Jacob, who became Israel, claims to have seen God's face. These angelic manifestations are almost connected to the Old Covenant and announce the Incarnation of God.

The death of St. Joseph was a privileged death; like that of the Blessed Virgin: it was as St. Francis de Sales tells us, a death of love (Treatise on the Love of God, I.VII, chap.XIII). He maintains that the resurrections after the resurrection of the Lord were definitive, and that Joseph entered heaven body and soul. The assumption of St. Joseph is not yet a dogma of faith, but we can take into account all these indications that help us to better understand this reality that is more and more acceptable. Saint Bernardine of Siena told us: "My brothers, I assure you that Saint Joseph is in heaven in body and soul, resplendent with glory".

Would this not be one of the reasons for the devotion to his Most Chaste Heart? To help us understand this fact of his assumption to heaven in body and soul? When the apparitions of Our Lady took place in Fatima the Church had not yet declared to the world the dogma of the Assumption, which was pronounced only a few years later on November 1, 1950, by Pope Pius XII. At Fatima, Our Lady showed the Church and the world her Immaculate Heart. Now, if the Mother of God who was in heaven had a heart, then we conclude that she also had a glorious body. We can then, based on this hypothesis, affirm that Saint Joseph, who showed his Most Chaste Heart to Edson, is also in heaven in body and soul, which was confirmed several times by Jesus and Mary, during the apparitions that occurred in Manaus and Itapiranga.

Jesus revealed to him that one day the Church will recognize this great glory that His virginal father Joseph received from the Holy Trinity, with His Assumption, and that this truth will be proclaimed and celebrated all over the world, magnifying the name of Saint Joseph. Many times during the apparitions, Edson can touch St. Joseph and feel Him as a living person who has a body. This has happened several times and continues to happen today. We can take into consideration what Isidore Isolani, a Dominican at the beginning of the 16th century, just at the moment when St. Teresa of Avila was born, announced a true prophecy about the mystery and glory of St. Joseph:

Jesus: "The Lord, to honor His name, wishes to place St. Joseph as head and patron, head of the Church Militant. Before the day of the future judgment, all peoples will know, venerate and adore the name of the Lord for the magnificent gifts He wished to make in St. Joseph, gifts that had been hidden for a long time. Then St. Joseph's name will abound over all the goods of the earth. Churches will be built in his honor. The peoples of the earth will celebrate His feasts and make vows to Him, because the Lord will open the ears of their minds and great men will recognize the inner gifts that God has hidden in St. Joseph and will find a precious treasure that could not be found in any patriarch of the Old Testament. All this will occur above all thanks to the suggestions that the holy angels will give. St. Joseph from heaven will grant many graces to the people who invoke Him, and He Himself, surrounded continuously by the majesty of His glory, will ask nothing in return for any mortal. The name of St. Joseph will be placed with great honor in the calendar of the saints, and will no longer be the last, but the first, because an important and venerated feast should be instituted for Him. The Vicar of Jesus on earth, following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, will order that the feast of the adoptive Father of Jesus Christ, of the Spouse of the Queen of the world, of such a holy man, be celebrated in all the Church Militant. And so He who was always exalted in the heavens, will never be diminished on earth." (Summa de donis sancti Joseph, 1522) and the author adds that all these discoveries will be sources of great joy for the Church.

Our Lady: "Saint Joseph is one of the great saints before God. Many still do not know how to give Him the veneration He deserves, they do not understand that He was a very important instrument in the saving work of My Son Jesus." (Our Lady on December 25, 1996).

Joseph, the Lord’s Righteous One

The Gospel, in Mt 1:19, tells us, "Joseph, her spouse, being righteous." This is how St. Joseph is presented to us by the evangelist Matthew. The Hebrew term for "the just" is sadiq, a key word in Jewish ethics, which designates both justice and charity (sedaqà) and which recalls the truth, inseparable from each other. The term sadiq designates in the Bible the just and devout man attached to the commandments of God (Cf. Psalm 92:13).

Consequently, this appellation is used to designate the great spiritual leaders and the founders of the various communities of Hassidim - fervent Hebrews - such as Baal Shem Tov or Rabbi Nahmam di Braslav in the XVIII century. Looking at the tradition of Israel we can ask ourselves: what kind of righteous, of sadiq was St. Joseph. The Talmud tells us: Five things are one sixtieth of one thing: they are fire, honey, Shabbat, sleep and dream. Fire is one sixtieth part of hell; honey, one sixtieth part of manna; Shabbat, one sixtieth part of the world to come; sleep, one sixtieth part of death; dream, one sixtieth part of prophecy, and the sadiq, the righteous, is one sixtieth part of the messiah!

The righteous one participates in the redemption of the world. What characterizes Him is His personal performance, his responsibility before the world. In the Hebrew mentality, the just man, the sadiq, is the one who recognizes the absolute foundation of the Law and its moral value. The religious man who is personally in continuous contact with God's absolute through love is called hassid, fervent, faithful out of generosity; but when this man teaches, elevates the people through the irradiation of his presence and through the integrity of his path, he becomes a sadiq (just man), a faithful one in which generosity, through the efficacy of his work, enlightens the people in the orthodoxy of his fidelity and his love.

Saint Joseph is without any doubt the man of shalom (from the root shin-lamed-mem), of the just peace, that is shalem, of the fullness, of the happiness of a soul united in God, which brings in itself the perfect fulfillment. Joseph is called righteous because with all His heart turned to God, with all His soul oriented by Him, and with all His strength He embraced integrity, chose authentic fidelity. Just the fact that St. Joseph was called righteous implies that He exercised an important public and social role. This Hebrew term allows us to surmise that He exerted considerable spiritual influence on the Jewish community of Nazareth and, since he was a sadiq, His teaching was sought after by the people who considered Him a type of model of adherence to God from which they could consult and take as an example of their integrity in Torah and service to God.

Saint Joseph, the sadiq, the righteous, the son of Jacob, of the Tribe of Judah, was certainly not that old man, that the pious images of the early centuries wanted to present to us that mute and reserved Joseph, dressed up as a candid and handsome proletarian, who is nothing but a naive caricature. Yoseph, Joseph, the sadiq, the righteous one, is instead a practicing Hebrew. The spirituality and faithfulness that He inherited from His father Jacob, and which He will in turn pass on to the child Jesus entrusted to Him, is a precisely Pharisee spirituality, founded on love for God and neighbor through the loving observance of the Torah and the Commandments.

From His father Jacob, eight days after His birth, at the time of the circumcision that made Him enter into Abraham's covenant, He receives His name Yoseph, which in Hebrew means "one who gathers, who adds, who grows". At an early age, He is educated first by His mother, who transmits to Him the sound of words, the melodies of prayers and the principles of the alphabet of Her language, and then, at the age of five, by His father, who introduces Him to learning Torah. As the Talmud says: "At the age of five one is ready for the scriptures; at ten for the Mishna; at thirteen for the Commandments; at fifteen for the Talmud; at eighteen for the bridal baldachchino" (Avot, 5,2).

Religious teaching was practiced in two ways: in the family, which is called the little sanctuary, and in the school, a room attached to the Synagogue which later, in central Europe, had received the name of Heder and which designates the religious elementary school where every Hebrew child had to attend before he could enter the Talmudic school. In the Hebrew tradition, each father had the responsibility, through the initiation of his own children into Torah knowledge, to make them solid rings in the unbroken chain that was to transmit intact the religious heritage from generation to generation.

The Commandment: "These words which I command you today be in your heart! You shall inculcate them to your children, and you shall speak of them sitting in your house and walking in your path, lying down and standing" (Deut. 6:6-7), was taken very seriously and was part of the Shêmá Israel prayer pronounced in the morning and evening. By the age of 13, Joseph had reached His religious prime and was to be ready to perform all the religious commitments of the adults, to whom He was submissive; to be able to take upon Himself the judgment of the Torah and its 613 mistsvot (commandments) and to become an effective member of the community of Israel, responsible for His actions before God. This ceremony is called Bar Mistsva, or seha "son of the mistsva" or "son of the precept", i.e. "bound to the observance of the Commandments". (Frére EPHRAIM, Jésus juif pratiquant, cit., p. 205/Ibid., p. 45).

The Union of the Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

As is evident from the Gospel texts, Mary's marriage is the legal foundation of Joseph's paternity. It was to guarantee paternal protection to Jesus that God chose Joseph as Mary's spouse. Therefore, Joseph's paternity - a relationship that puts him as close as possible to Christ, the term of every election and predestination (Cf. Rm 8:28- 29) - passes through the marriage with Mary, that is, through the family. The Evangelists, while clearly stating that Jesus was conceived by the work of the Holy Spirit and that in that marriage virginity was preserved, call Joseph the spouse of Mary and Mary the spouse of Joseph. Mary's son is also Joseph's son, by virtue of the marriage bond that unites them:

By reason of that faithful marriage, both deserved to be called the parents of Christ, not only the Mother, but also the one who was His father, in the same way that He was the spouse of the Mother, one and the other through the mind and not the flesh. In analyzing the nature of marriage, both St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas constantly situate it in the indivisible union of the minds, in the union of the hearts and in the consensus; elements which, in that marriage, were verified in an exemplary manner The Savior began the work of salvation with this virginal and holy union, in which his omnipotent will to purify and sanctify the family, which is the sanctuary of human love and the cradle of life, is manifested.

In Itapiranga, Jesus, Mary and Joseph spoke to Edson many times about the devotion of their three Hearts united in love. This union of their Most Holy Hearts can be understood in the conclusion formulated by St. John Eudes in the 17th century: "Mary and Jesus form one heart, a truth valid from the fact that Jesus' entire physical being was formed in Mary and, on the other hand, the purity of their love is without equal. But Mary and Joseph form in themselves one heart, because in this way two beings of exceptional purity, courage, depth are united by the conjugal bond of marriage, in which deep sense in the beginning is the unity of a communion. Thus, the double masterpiece of the Holy Spirit is verified, in effect, perfectly simple, harmonious and unified: God spoke once and twice I heard (Psalm 62:12): we perceive two works where there is only one." The primary consequence, at the heart of this episode in the Temple, is in the Heart of the Virgin, the perfect union of the Hearts of Jesus and Joseph.

Here are the messages:

On November 20, 1995, the Blessed Virgin said:

Our Lady: "Always pray to St. Joseph. He defends and protects you always from the attacks of Satan. Saint Joseph is a great saint before God, because He achieves everything through His intercession before the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity showered Him with numerous graces so that He could carry out the task of being the protector of the child God in this world. And today, Saint Joseph is in the glory of heaven with the Holy Trinity praying for you, for the eternal salvation of each one of you and so that you can understand well the calls of your Heavenly Mother."

On December 25, 1996, once again the Virgin spoke to Edson regarding St. Joseph:

Our Lady: "Beloved children, in your lives and in your families always ask for the protection of my beloved and most chaste spouse Joseph. Saint Joseph is one of the great saints before God. Many still do not know how to give Him the veneration He deserves. They do not understand that He was a very important instrument in the saving work of My Son Jesus. If it were not for Saint Joseph, what would become of Me and My Son Jesus in the persecution suffered by Herod? Think, children, how much My most chaste spouse had to suffer in order to be able to support the Savior of the world and give Him at least a dignified life at His Heavenly Mother's side. May all fathers and mothers entrust all their children and their families to the protection of Saint Joseph."

On December 25, 1996, Edson had the first apparition of the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. This took place in his home, in Manaus. It was at 9:00 pm, a Wednesday. "I was praying the rosary and when I finished it, I was surprised by a great light that illuminated the living room of my house. I had a very beautiful vision of Our Lady and St. Joseph, who had the Child Jesus in their arms. The three appeared dressed in robes of the purest gold, which tended to be light colored, and showed me their most holy hearts. It was the first time that I had seen the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.

"The Child Jesus and Our Lady showed me Their Most Holy Hearts and pointed, indicating with both hands to the Heart of St. Joseph, which was surrounded by 12 white lilies, and I saw that the cross of Christ and the 'M' of Mary were imprinted within them in the form of wounds. I understood by an inner light, that the 12 lilies represent the purity and holiness of St. Joseph, who was always pure, chaste, and lived holiness to the highest degree in His heart, body, mind, in short, in His entire being. The 12 lilies also represent the 12 Tribes of Israel, of which St. Joseph reigns as patriarch. The Cross and the 'M' of Mary engraved on St. Joseph's heart signify that He loved and imitated Jesus and Mary with all His heart and in depth. And they are in the form of wounds because St. Joseph shared the sufferings of Jesus and Mary, with Their pains suffered in heart and soul, also participating in the mystery of redemption."

"During the apparition, I saw rays of light coming out of the Hearts of the Child Jesus and of Our Lady, going toward the Heart of St. Joseph, and from there, these rays were directed to the world. These rays represent the one and triune love of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, just as the Holy Trinity is one and triune in love. The rays coming from the Hearts of Jesus and Our Lady and reflecting in the Heart of St. Joseph also signify that this Most Chaste Heart imitated Jesus and Mary in everything and received all the graces and virtues from Them both. For, Jesus and Mary shared everything with St. Joseph and denied Him nothing in gratitude for the favors and services tributed to the two of them."

"And now, in an extraordinary way and in divine retribution for so much help, Jesus and Mary, ask that beside the devotion of Their two most holy hearts, the devotion to the Heart of the one They loved so much on earth and that They now love eternally in heaven: Saint Joseph, be glorified and added. The rays that come from the Heart of St. Joseph and are directed to the world are all the graces, blessings and virtues, as well as all the pure and holy love that He received from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and that St. Joseph now pours out on all those who invoke His help and honor his Most Chaste Heart."

"This one and triune devotion of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, united in one love, glorifies the Holy Trinity, one and triune, which poured out its graces and blessings in depth on the Holy Family of Nazareth. It is Jesus and the Blessed Virgin who ask that this devotion be put into practice, so that the Holy Spirit may perform the second Pentecost as soon as possible, thus spreading over the world His graces, His most pure light and His fire of love, giving it new life, sanctifying families, making them similar to the Holy Family of Nazareth. The Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph, in these last times, comes to defend the Church and families against every evil and danger. And also to make the devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary more widespread and rooted in the hearts of men."

"Just as he defended Jesus and Mary from the persecutions suffered by their enemies while they were still living on earth, Saint Joseph will defend devotion to their Most Holy Hearts and will help the Church and families in their most urgent and current needs. With the devotion to this pure and chaste heart, God our Lord is asking the cooperation of St. Joseph in these last times. He will now defend all those who appeal to His Most Chaste Heart. He will lead countless souls to God. He will destroy with the graces of His Heart all the evil that is found in the hearts of men, and will cause those who invoke His most holy name and heart to reach a high degree of holiness."

On June 6, 1997, Jesus gave him a message that he was to forward to the Pope and notify the whole Church:

Jesus: "I wish that the first Wednesday after the feast of My Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary be considered the feast of the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph." This request was reiterated three times to signify that it was His ardent wish.

On November 23, 1997 Edson had an unusual apparition at Itapiranga: He saw Jesus accompanied by Our Lady and Saint Joseph. The Virgin was on the right side and Saint Joseph was on the left side. All three were seated on beautiful thrones. What struck him most was that the three had three beautiful crowns on their heads. Jesus then said to him:

Jesus: "Love always My Blessed Mother, Queen of heaven and earth, and My virginal father, St. Joseph, whom I have established as father and protector of the world and of Holy Church."

On November 26, 1997, Our Lady made this statement:

Our Lady: "My son, I tell you that in the apparitions to come expect the visit of My most chaste spouse St. Joseph, who sent by My Son Jesus, will give you particular messages and others that will be destined for the people. Jesus sends Him so that all My children throughout the world may understand the great glories and marvels that God accomplishes in their lives through His intercession." On this same day in the month of November, Our Lady manifested to me the desire that I become an apostle of devotion to Saint Joseph:

Our Lady: "God wishes that Saint Joseph be glorified by all men in a special way, because His person, in these last times, is important for the salvation of the Holy Church and all mankind. I tell you, My children: finally Our Three Hearts will triumph!"

On November 27, 1997, Jesus spoke to me about the power and glory of the name of St. Joseph:

Jesus: "I want each of My children throughout the world to have devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of My virginal father St. Joseph. This Most Chaste Heart will guide countless souls to Me. Let all men know that it is enough to invoke the most holy name of My virginal father Joseph to make all hell tremble and drive all the demons to flight. In heaven, all the saints and all the angels praise Saint Joseph, because I have destined for Him great power and glory."

In the first days of March of the year 1998, St. Joseph appeared to me a few times, when I was sick with hepatitis. As I could not make much effort I had the apparitions in the room where I slept. During these meetings with the spouse of the Blessed Mother I received ten messages. In these messages were revealed 10 comforting promises for the devotees of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph. Eight of them are from St. Joseph, one from Our Lady, and one, the last one, from Jesus. It is worth mentioning that during the apparitions I did not write anything down: I entered into dialogue with Saint Joseph and only after the apparition was over did I asked a friend to write down what had been communicated to me. I would tell her word for word and she would write it down. This is how the messages were compiled and written down. No one can say that these messages could have been a figment of my imagination or written down later, since they were communicated at that moment to the person who was supposed to write them down, and they show a very deep content concerning the person of St. Joseph that is beyond my knowledge.

In the second half of the same year, I had other apparitions destined for the Church and particularly for the Pope. "In recent times I have received from Jesus, our Lord, and from the Virgin Mary, His Mother, some important revelations about Saint Joseph. It is the will and request of Jesus and the Virgin that the entire world be consecrated to the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph, so that He may pour out His graces and blessings for the benefit of the entire Holy Church and the entire world. With this consecration God our Lord wants to glorify Saint Joseph, so that He may, united to the hearts of Jesus and Mary, be our intercessor and protector in difficult times for the Church and the world, avoiding so many evils that may soon afflict the world."

Finally, on November 27, 1998, in Brescia, Italy, I received the following message:

Our Lady: "My dear son, tell the Pope and the Holy Church about this message. My Son Jesus and I, His Mother, desire that the whole world be consecrated to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. May they hear this appeal! With this consecration so many evils for the Church will be avoided. May the Church recognize this dignity that God gives to My most chaste Spouse. May this desire be realized as soon as possible. Jesus wishes to triumph together with My Immaculate Heart and with the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph."

When will the ecclesiastical authority welcome the Lord's request and begin to foster devotion to the saint that Jesus and Mary loved and love so much? In reading the 10 messages of March 1998, we are struck by the requests of Jesus and Our Lady:

• 10 promises are made for those who have devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.
• It is the desire of Jesus and Mary that the world be consecrated to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.
• The devotion to the three Hearts should be seen as a unitary devotion.
• On every first Wednesday of the month the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph pours out countless graces on those who have recourse to His intercession.
• The first Wednesday after the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary be recognized as the feast of the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph.
• St. Joseph be declared the model and protector of all families.

Will the Church recognize these two novelties: the virginity of St. Joseph and devotion to His Most Chaste Heart?

The Promises

Inside the messages are, encrusted, some jewels that are the 10 promises. The wish of the three is that these promises be spread for the benefit of the whole Church. Here are the promises summarized:

1

Saint Joseph: "I promise all those who honor this Most Chaste Heart of Mine and do good works here on earth in favor of the most needy, especially the sick and dying, for whom I am like a consolation and protector, to receive at the last moment of their lives the grace of a good death."

2

Saint Joseph: "I promise all the faithful who honor this most Chaste Heart of Mine with faith and love the grace to live in holy purity of soul and body and the strength and means necessary to overcome all the attacks and temptations of the devil. I Myself will protect them as a precious part of Mine."

3

Saint Joseph: "I promise to intercede before God for all those who will have recourse to Me by honoring this Heart of Mine , the grace to be able to solve the most difficult problems and the most urgent needs which in the eyes of men seem impossible but which, through My intercession with God, will become possible."

4

Saint Joseph: "I promise all those who have confidence in this pure and chaste Heart of mine, honoring it devoutly, the grace of being consoled by Me in their greatest afflictions of the soul and in the danger of damnation, when, by misfortune, they lose divine grace because of their grave sins. To these sinners who have recourse to Me I promise the graces of My Heart for a purpose of amendment, repentance and sincere contrition of their sins."

5

Saint Joseph: "To all those who honor this Heart of Mine and have full confidence in Me and in My intercession I promise that they will not be helpless in the difficulties and trials of life, for I will ask the Lord to help them with His divine providence in both material and spiritual problems."

6

Saint Joseph: "The fathers and mothers who consecrate themselves to My Heart, as well as their families, will have My help both in their afflictions and problems and also in the upbringing and education of their children, for just as I raised the Son of the Most High in His holy divine laws, so will I help all fathers and mothers who consecrate their children to Me, to raise them lovingly in God's holy laws so that they will find the sure way to salvation."

7

Saint Joseph: "Tell all those who honor this most Chaste Heart of Mine that they will receive the grace of My protection for all evils and dangers. Those who give themselves to Me will not be struck down by misfortunes, wars, famine, pestilence and other calamities, but will have My Heart as a safe haven of protection. Here, in My Heart, all will be protected against divine justice in the days to come. Those who consecrate themselves to My Heart by honoring it will be seen by My Son Jesus with eyes of mercy, for Jesus will pour out His love and bring to the glory of His kingdom all those whom I place within My Heart."

8

Saint Joseph: "All those who propagate the devotion to My Heart and practice it with love and with their hearts be sure to have their names engraved on it, just as the cross of My Son Jesus and the 'M' of Mary are engraved in the form of wounds. This is also true for all the priests that I love with predilection. The priests who have devotion to My Heart and spread it will have the grace granted by God to touch the most hardened hearts and convert the most obstinate sinners."

9

Our Lady: "The Eternal Father, this night, permits me to reveal to you the promise of My Immaculate Heart to all those who will devoutly honor and have love for the heart of My spouse, Joseph. Tell all those, My son, who honor His Most Chaste Heart that they will benefit from My maternal presence in their lives in a special way, for I will be beside every son of Mine and every daughter of Mine helping and comforting them with My Mother's Heart, as I have helped and comforted My most chaste spouse Joseph in this world. And whatever they ask their hearts for with confidence, I promise to intercede before the Eternal Father, My divine Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit, obtaining from the Lord the grace to reach perfect sanctity and to imitate My spouse Joseph in the virtues thus reaching the perfection of love as He lived."

10

Jesus Christ: "All those who honor the Most Chaste Heart of My virginal father Joseph, will receive the grace that on the last day of their lives, at the hour of death, they will overcome the hoaxes of the enemy of salvation, receiving the victory and reward deserved in the kingdom of My Heavenly Father. Those who honor this Most Chaste Heart devoutly in this world, be assured of receiving a great glory in heaven, a grace that will not be granted to those who do not honor it as I ask. The souls devoted to My virginal father Joseph will benefit from the beatific vision of the Blessed Trinity and will have a profound knowledge of the one and triune God, the thrice Holy One, and will also enjoy the presence of My heavenly Mother and My virginal father Joseph in the kingdom of heaven, as of My heavenly wonders reserved for all of them from all eternity."

Other Messages

On March 29, 2002, Edson was in Macéio-AL, at the house of his friends. In the morning, while he was praying to Saint Joseph, the latter appeared to him very beautiful, showing His Most Chaste Heart. He appeared just as Edson was praying the Hail Joseph prayer, which he had been praying in His honor for some time. Looking at Edson, with a beautiful smile, Saint Joseph communicated to him the following message:

Saint Joseph: "Spread this prayer to all people. Through this prayer the Lord wishes to make My name better known and loved, and wishes to grant, through it, many graces to all those who honor Me by reciting it. Those who say this prayer will receive many graces from Heaven. Through it, I will be invoked more and more throughout the world, and I will be able, through My Heart that will be loved and honored, to grant many graces to sinners who need divine help. It is important that this prayer be known by everyone. Let it reach everywhere, so that all may be benefited by God, through it. This is His most holy will, and I reveal it to you at this moment..."

As St. Joseph spoke these words, He blessed Edson who comments:

"He made many rays of golden-colored light gush out from His Most Chaste Heart, which went towards me and invaded my entire being, leaving an indescribable joy and peace in my innermost being. I felt all submerged in the presence of God and I understood so many things that were revealed in my heart about this devotion and about my future life, about my mission. I am not worthy of such great graces and I thanked God deeply for having chosen me to make the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph known to the world. Who am I for such a mission? Nothing, but I want to remain a nothing so that God can do everything! Thus, I understood that there are six ways to honor the Heart of St. Joseph:

★ ★ ★ First ★ ★ ★

The image of His Most Chaste Heart, a request made in the apparition of December 25, 1996, where Jesus and Our Lady revealed the Heart of St. Joseph to the world. The original picture of the three united Hearts is in the residence of the Confidants, in Manaus, and several copies of this picture are being spread in many places where devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph is growing more and more;

Picture representing the apparition of the three united Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, which occurred in Manaus, in the Dom Pedro neighborhood, on December 25, 1996.

★ ★ ★ Second ★ ★ ★

Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph, request made by Jesus on June 6, 1997, on the Feast of his Sacred Heart, according to a message transmitted, where He communicated His will to us: "I desire that the first Wednesday after the Feast of My Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary be considered the Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph."

★ ★ ★ Third ★ ★ ★

Chaplet of the seven sorrows and joys of St. Joseph, which should now be recited with the prayer that Jesus himself and St. Joseph asked us to recite, so that we may be benefited by His intercession, invoking His most holy and powerful name, which makes all hell tremble and puts all demons to flight, as was revealed by Jesus in an apparition.

Seven Sorrows and Joys Chaplet of St. Joseph

★ ★ ★ Fourth ★ ★ ★

The Scapular of St. Joseph was revealed to Edson during two apparitions: the first one on July 14, 2000, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Aylesford (England), the same place where the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock, revealing to him the Scapular of the Order of Mount Carmel; the second one in Sciacca (Italy) on July 16, 2001, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the same year of the 750th anniversary of the delivery of the Scapular to St. Simon by Our Lady, according to tradition. It represents the sign of protection and fidelity to the Heart of St. Joseph, who wishes to lead us to God and to holiness, mainly by reminding us to imitate His virtues and perfections regarding purity, obedience, silence and humility, strengthening us in faith and love for Jesus and the Holy Virgin. St. Joseph will defend those who wear this scapular as His property and will give countless graces from His Most Chaste Heart to those who are tempted against purity, and will protect them against the assaults of the devil and every evil. It is good that young people wear it, because they are the most attacked by the devil. Fathers and mothers should recommend it to their children to wear it, because Saint Joseph wishes to help them, granting them His help and protection, just as He guided and protected Jesus in this world.

★ ★ ★ Fifth ★ ★ ★

Spreading devotion to the Heart of Saint Joseph accompanied by good works of charity and assistance to people in need, in a special way to the sick and dying, according to Saint Joseph's requests in His promises revealed in March 1998.

★ ★ ★ Sixth ★ ★ ★

The first Wednesday of the month should be remembered as day of special grace, where St. Joseph pours out torrents of extraordinary graces on all those who have recourse to His intercession, honoring His Most Chaste Heart. Jesus personally promised that these same devotees will receive great glory in Heaven, a grace that will not be granted to those who do not honor Him as he asked.

"May the Lord always be glorified, adored and loved!"

On February 4, 2003 at Brescia

Saint Joseph: "Glorified always be the Holy Name of the Lord! I have many graces to pour out and grant to men. The world is in great need of the Lord's mercy. I come from heaven to help them in whatever the Lord permits Me. The Lord God wants the world to know My privileges, virtues and graces, as the great dignity and glory that He has granted Me. I am favorable and benevolent to all those who invoke My holy name and who have recourse to My Chaste Heart. How can men refuse such great help? ..."

"No, do not move away from Me, but come closer My children, because the Lord favors with graces and blessings the one who makes known My name and imitates My holy virtues. The people of Manaus are being graced with so many graces granted by Me. I constantly intercede to the Lord, asking His favors for all of you. Have confidence. God does not abandon you in your moments of trials and afflictions. He more than ever comes to the aid of His children in need. How can God not remember His weakest and smallest children? The Lord is benevolent and generous to all those who seek Him with simplicity, constancy, and love."

"My child, never say: I am not worthy. This I know, that you are not worthy of the graces you have received, for it is the Lord who disposes and gives everything to you, but I want you to always say:"

Thank You Lord, for in my littleness You have found the way and the means to accomplish Your work and Your will. And in my nothingness to the possibility of doing everything You want. Help me to be faithful to Your grace and give me Your strength, so that I can, without ever looking back, walk with great strides on the path to sanctity. Amen!

"Imitate My virtues, follow the path guided by My Heart. If you only knew and understood how much the Lord loves you. Your mission is great. Do not be discouraged. The enemy tries to destroy you and to take you away from the path that the Lord points out to you, because he knows that if you fulfill the will of the Most High, his kingdom of darkness will be ruined and destroyed, because through the glorification of My name and My Heart, many souls will be saved and will return to the Lord. People will appear at the right time, who, prepared and chosen by Me, will help you to accomplish the Lord's work. Look forward to it!..."

"I am going ahead of you, preparing the way. Do not worry. As I have told you, I want only good availability, obedience and a constant love for the Lord. Satan will not be able to destroy the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in Itapiranga nor ruin her work in the hearts of her children, because I will defend them and help all those who entrust themselves to My protection. Itapiranga will be as the Lord wishes. It will not be men who will prevent the Lord's work from spreading, because the Lord is the Almighty, and before Him all will fall to the ground."

"Pray for priests. Always continue to pray for priests, for they will be greatly charged by God. How many infidelities and sins on the part of priests. How many offenses directed to the Lord, because of priests unfaithful to their vocation, especially in your city. It is very important to pray for the sanctification of the clergy, because the Lord is very grieved with His ministers. And what can be said about religious congregations? It is an epidemic of endless infidelity! ... How could they fall so low and get to such a terrible state! ... Pray for the light and grace of the Holy Spirit for the clergy and religious congregations, because the devil is doing more and more damage to the Lord's chosen souls. You, pray for them, and God through your prayers will help them to regain divine grace."

"You will come closer and closer to the outcasts and those with deep teachings, but even to these the Lord God, through you, will teach them and remind them of the true knowledge and wisdom of heaven. Always remain simple, humble and obedient in everything, and God will speak through you to the wise and learned. Remember your dreams: they are a vision of the future time. Of that which will occur one day and that which the Lord has prepared for you to fulfill. God will enlighten you and guide you. Courage. Now I bless you: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On August 13, 2003 at Medjugorje

Edson was in Medjugorje with his Italian friends, staying at St. Joseph's House. Our Lady appeared accompanied by St. Joseph, who had the Child Jesus in his arms. On this day, the Virgin gave him the following message:

Our Lady: "Peace be with you! Dear children, today I come again from Heaven to bless you because I love you and I wish to lead you all to My Son Jesus. I wish to invite you to conversion, prayer and peace. Ask for God's mercy on the world so that His blessing may descend powerfully from Heaven upon all families. Jesus wants you to return to Him. I am here to help you and assist you in everything. Pray to Him and you will receive great graces from the Lord through His intercession. St. Joseph is a great intercessor in Heaven and He obtains everything before God, because the Lord has appointed Him on earth for a great mission. I invite you all again: open your hearts to God and you will find peace. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Saint Joseph looking at me said:

Saint Joseph: "I am here to grant you many graces, because this is the will of the Lord."

On October 14, 2003 at Brescia

On this day, after the prayer, the apparition of Jesus, the Virgin and Saint Joseph took place. First I saw Jesus, all luminous, spreading rays from His Sacred Heart. He was with His hands open as if to bless us. Jesus said to me:

Jesus: "I will save the world through My Mother and St. Joseph."

Soon afterwards, I saw another scene: the Blessed Virgin appeared holding in Her hands a globe, which represented the world. Behind the Virgin was a cross. She also had in Her hands the rosary which was over the world. Around Her head the twelve stars, sign of Her heavenly royalty and Lady of heaven and earth. The Virgin looking at me, but as if to say a message to all mankind said:

Our Lady: "I ask for God's mercy for the world."

After this vision, I had another: St. Joseph now appeared with His Most Chaste Heart radiating rays of light over the world. Saint Joseph had His arms open as if to tell us that we should all go to Him to receive all the graces we need from God, that He welcomes us and will help us to receive them. I also understood it as if He wanted to embrace all humanity and bless it ever more. The rays coming out of His Heart illuminated the world and left it golden in color. In each ray that came out of His Heart I understood that they were great graces that He wishes to grant to men who will have recourse to His intercession.

Saint Joseph said:

Saint Joseph: "I will help the world with the graces of My Heart."

Then I heard many voices, I knew they were the angels, who said:

Holy Angels: "St. Joseph, save the Holy Church and the world!"

They repeated this supplication several times. Then I saw all three together: Jesus, the Virgin and St. Joseph who blessed us as They did the whole world. Jesus spoke some personal things to me and then They slowly went up until they disappeared.

On March 17, 2004 at Brescia

That night Saint Joseph appeared. He gave me the following message:

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus be with you all! Today I bless you and tell you that the Almighty looks at you with love and blesses you by enriching you with His grace. Be grateful to God that He loves you with an everlasting and great love that has no end and no limit. I tell you that the Lord of Peace will grant you many graces on My feast day. I will ask Him for a special grace for each one. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 15, 2004 at Mozzo

Jesus: "My peace be with you, together with the blessing of My Blessed Mother and My Beloved Father Joseph! Today I bless you and tell you that I am here with My Mother and Father Joseph to give you My love, My peace, and My graces. He who listens to My Mother walks the path that leads to salvation. He who invokes My Father Joseph and honors His Most Chaste Heart will shine in Paradise for all eternity and will receive a great reward from My hands."

"My son, to understand the mystery of Our United Most Holy Hearts you must meditate and go deeper and deeper into this love of Ours. It is love that has United Our hearts into one, and it is only through love that your hearts will be united to Ours by being one with us. Love, love, love, and so the rays of love from Our Hearts will scorch and illuminate your whole soul. I wish unity and love lived deeply in every family. The families that unite with Our United Hearts will benefit from the graces and protection of heaven. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 16, 2004 at Tavernola

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus be with you! I am the Just One of the Lord and the one who watches over each one of you. Pray that the light of God always enlightens you. Pray for the strength to endure with faith the trials of life and overcome them. Pray that God's blessing will always be with you and your families. God sends Me again today to bless you. Try to draw close to the Heart of My Divine Son and He will be generous in granting you many graces. My Son, always spread devotion to My Heart."

"See My Heart: it is on fire with love for the salvation of souls. How many graces He wishes to grant to all of you, graces that My Lord allows Me to give to all those who embrace with faith and love the devotion to My Most Chaste Heart. Tell everyone about this devotion. Prepare yourselves worthily for the birth of Jesus. On the day of the birth of My Beloved Son, the Lord willed that My Heart be revealed to the world. All those who ask for My intercession I will grant many graces and give My help."

"The Lord wanted to make My name and My Most Chaste Heart known and loved on the day of His birth, because it was precisely on that day that I contemplated Him for the first time and My Heart rejoiced with great joy. At that moment My Heart was flooded with the grace of the Almighty who inflamed it with His Divine Love. How much joy I felt when I saw My Son Jesus that the Most High allowed Me to be His protector and defender. May His Holy Name be blessed now and forever for all eternity and among all peoples for the great mercy He has for His sons and daughters."

"Son, My Heart today pours out many blessings upon all who are here. Tell everyone that I love them and that I am attentive to the voice of their supplications. I present tonight to the Almighty the requests of each one. I bless you, as I bless all those who honor Me and ask for My help: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 17, 2004

Saint Joseph: "Peace be with you all! Today I come again from heaven to bless you. God wants all of you to know how to live in love and peace, and to be witnesses of His presence to your brothers and sisters. Ask for My help in everything, and I will come to your rescue. Pray, thank the Lord for all that He grants you, and know how to be patient in the trials of life. The trials that God allows you to go through in this world will serve to purify and sanctify you. I bless you one by one as God permits Me. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 18, 2004

Saint Joseph: "Peace be with you! My son, today I come again from heaven to grant you the graces of the Lord. Tell everyone that I love them and that I wish to protect their families. My Lord allows Me to be generous and allows Me to intercede before His throne for all of you. Pray, have faith and the graces of heaven will be in abundance. I bless this house and this family and I say that I will pray much for you to Jesus. I bless you and tell you that I have you under My protective mantle. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 19, 2004

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus be with you all! My son, this evening the Lord again sends Me from heaven to bless you. I am the Lord's Faithful One, the one who intercedes before the Lord for you and your families. God desires the sanctification of families, but for this to happen they must live in unity, prayer and conversion every day. A person who is not united to God cannot do God's will. Ask God for the grace of faith and faithfulness. Many do not believe today and are without faith because they have been blinded by the ideas of the world, becoming cold toward God. Pray and the Lord will grant you the grace of faith. I bless you: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 21, 2004

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus be with you! My son, today I wish again to bestow the graces of My Heart on all families so that they may be converted and live in peace. God always wants to help you in your needs, but you must believe, always open your hearts and live a life of prayer. Pray, pray, pray, and open your hearts to the Lord. Today, I welcome you into My Heart and present you to the Lord. Fear nothing. God is the one who is Almighty and before Him everything and everyone gives glory to Him and must submit to His power. Do not fear the one who wishes to do you harm, the enemy of salvation, but put yourselves in God's hands and He will deliver you from every evil and guide you along the path of peace. I bless you: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 22, 2004

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus be with you and with all who are here! My son, how much good I wish for men. I wish to help them live their Christian commitments faithfully, and I want to give them My blessing. God sends Me from heaven to be the protector of the Church and the protector of your families. I want to place them all under My protective mantle. Jesus wants to make Me better known and loved in the world and wants everyone to approach My Heart and honor it. Whoever asks for My help, I promise to intercede before His throne for their needs. God invites you to peace. Pray for peace and pray a lot for the Holy Father. Prepare yourselves, prepare yourselves, prepare yourselves for the great change that is going to take place in the world. Pray and have faith. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 23, 2004

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus be with you all! My son, once again I wish to bless you and tell you that God desires your happiness. Convert yourselves and so your lives will be filled with peace, love and graces from heaven. Jesus is the one who can give you peace. Ask Him for peace. He is the one who wants to inflame your hearts with His divine love this Christmas. Today I tell you that I also want to inflame you with the rays that come from My Heart. God has prepared My Heart to be a new source of grace for the world. God desires the salvation of your families. Pray, pray, pray. Today I am once again interceding for you before Him. I love you and tell you that I am always beside you and accompany you with My prayer. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On December 24, 2004

Saint Joseph: "The peace of the Lord be with you! My son, once again I wish to give you My blessing and My love. The Lord God sends Me here to tell you that this is the time for conversion, prayer, and your sincere return to Him. People have not yet found peace because they have not accepted the message that Jesus brought to the world. Men live only in wars, in violence, because they have banished God from their lives. Return to God, welcome His divine words, live them, and His light will shine on you and your families."

"My son, since I was a child, when the Lord gave Me the use of reason, I have worshiped Him with My life and with My whole being, glorified Him and blessed His Holy Name. In this way the Eternal Father was enriching My life with His graces and making My Most Chaste Heart His vessel of graces. The Eternal Father was always present in My life and His divine presence became stronger every day that I grew up. He was preparing Me with new blessings and graces so that I would be worthy to have at My side the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of His Divine Son. The Father entrusted Me with a great mission and was revealing His designs to Me little by little. Little by little I was opening My Heart to His divine design. When I was young He made Me feel the ardent desire to consecrate My purity and My body to Him. Thus consecrating My virginity to Him, My Heart was being enriched with the most holy graces, because it had to be the protector of the two great signs of purity in the world: Jesus and Mary. Pray, pray, pray, and the Eternal Father through His Divine Son will grant you peace. I bless you: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On February 1, 2006

Our Lady: "Peace be with you! Dear children, today I bless you united to My Son Jesus and St. Joseph. God loves you and desires your return to Him. Try each day to live in a spirit of prayer, even by making the smallest prayer so that your souls may be illuminated by God's grace. Pray, pray, pray and God will grant you many graces. God is happy with your presence and with the purpose you make to make My most chaste Spouse Joseph better known. Saint Joseph is obtaining for you and your families thousands of graces. Have recourse to Him and His intercession by imitating His virtues and example of life. Thank you for the prayers you offer to the Lord tonight. Once again I tell you to pray the rosary, as well as the rosary of the seven sorrows and joys of Saint Joseph. Through prayer God will transform your lives and your families. Where this image (*) of My Most Chaste Spouse with My Son enters, God will pour out His blessing and His peace. God wants to accomplish great things in your midst and in your families. Believe, believe, believe, and you will receive great graces. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

(*) The image of Saint Joseph that was blessed during the apparition tonight.

On June 28, 2006

Our Lady: "Peace be with you! Dear children, My Son Jesus and I desire that you honor and love the Most Chaste Heart of My virginal spouse Joseph tonight. This Heart will unite you more and more to Our Most Holy Hearts. Ask St. Joseph for the grace of faith, fidelity and obedience, so that you can live the messages of My Divine Son Jesus and Mine with love. I want to tell you this night to pray for your brothers and sisters who have strayed from God's ways. Know that Satan sings victory over these souls considering them his. Pray for your brethren who are blinded by him, that they may see in time the danger they are in for straying from God. Ask for graces from the Heart of Saint Joseph for many sinners, so that they may be converted, and God will grant them these graces. I bless you: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Saint Joseph: "Peace be with you and your families! Little children, today I bless you with a special blessing. I thank you for your prayers and for being here in this place blessed by Our holy presence. My Divine Son allows Me to be your intercessor in your greatest difficulties. Do not let yourselves be discouraged before the trials that arise in your lives, but with confidence surrender yourselves with love to Our Most Holy Hearts. I am always interceding before the Most High great graces for all the devotees of My Most Chaste Heart and for all those who make Me better known and loved. In a particular way I am asking My Son Jesus tonight for great graces for the conversion of you and your families. Pray, pray, pray. God has great projects to accomplish here in the Amazon. The Amazon is marked for a great event. For those who are faithful and remain united to God, they will receive great happiness in their hearts, for having listened to the messages from My spouse, the Blessed Virgin. Pray for the realization of God's plans here in the Amazon. God today gives you His love. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On June 20, 2007
Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of Joseph

Saint Joseph: "Peace be with you! My children, I am the Blessed Spouse of the Blessed Virgin, the Righteous One of the Lord. I come this night with My Divine Son to grant the graces that God allows Me to distribute with all those who honor and celebrate My Most Chaste Heart. My Heart exults with joy this night, to see you gathered here in prayer. I tell you little children, that those who seek My help and intercession will not be forsaken by Me. I desire to lead all people to Jesus and Mary. These are times of great grace. I love you and I tell you to make your lives an offering of love to God, just as I offered My life to Him from the earliest childhood."

"Children, pray for those who live in the darkness of sin. How many souls destroyed in sin. The devil is enraged and wants to show his shameful face in Brazil with violence and hatred. Pray to stop him by fasting and praying, because if you do not listen to this appeal of Mine, you will see sad things happening in your country. God has already communicated so many messages to you. Don't be cold and selfish by not listening to Him through the Blessed Virgin's messages, and now, through this message of Mine. Receive the calls from heaven in your hearts, My children. How many priests in darkness, because they do not pray and are not faithful to God. Many priests' sermons today do not touch the hearts of the faithful, converting them, because many have their souls rotten in sin."

"Those who are in sin cannot receive God's grace and light to enlighten others. Jesus said: can a blind man guide another blind man? No, dear children. If you want to be light to your brothers, first convert and repent of your sins, and then the grace of God will embrace you. My Heart loves God and the Virgin very much. If you want to belong to the Lord and the Virgin, approach My Heart and I will teach you to love Them. I bless you all, and your families with My blessing, the blessing of peace and love, united to My Son: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On September 8, 2007

Our Lady: "Peace be with you! My son, tell your brethren to pray, that all may be God's, for the time for conversion is coming to an end. Men do not listen to Me and continue offending the Lord with grave sins. Do penance, fasting for your rebellious brethren, for your conversion and the conversion of all of them, so God will have mercy on you and the world. Today I came from heaven with My Son Jesus and My spouse Joseph. Today we want you to see this."

At this moment I saw the birth of St. Joseph. This scene was very beautiful. St. Joseph was a little baby in the arms of His mother Rachel and His father Jacob. The whole heaven was in celebration. There were numerous angels around the house. I felt in my heart a great joy without end. It was as if I had been transported to that moment, as if I was living it now in my life. I knew that the Virgin and Jesus must come later, for the birth of St. Joseph was foreshadowing the coming of the Mother of the Savior and the Prince of Peace into the world. Soon after this vision disappeared and I was shown another scene:

I saw St. Joseph at the age of more or less five or six years. He was at the door of His house, and in the street some soldiers were passing by, carrying a captive man. These soldiers were treating this poor man very badly, punching him, dragging him along the street, pulling his hair, beating him violently on the back with a stick. This scene shocked St. Joseph as a child very much, and also me, who saw all this. This image remained imprinted in His mind and all through the night He remained in prayer asking God for the poor dying and suffering man. In His prayers St. Joseph asked God to send the Prince of Peace to the world, the one His father Jacob told Him in His teachings should come to deliver the people of Israel. He prayed, prayed, prayed insistently that His prayers were very pleasing to God.

The other day, Saint Joseph boy went to where the imprisoned man was. This man was a few minutes away from His home. He was to be taken to another city that day. St. Joseph could not get close to the poor man because the soldiers would not let Him, but a few steps away from Him He looked at the poor man. The man when He saw St. Joseph felt very touched in His soul and felt a great peace and serenity. Practically all the pain He had been feeling, caused by the mistreatment He had received from the soldiers was gone. Just by looking at St. Joseph He was able to have the comfort and could die in the peace of God.

I understood through this vision that already from a young age God was preparing St. Joseph to be our comforter and intercessor in the hour of our afflictions and death. Just as He obtained comfort for this poor man in the vision, so He will obtain for us the grace of God for those who are devoted to Him and spread His devotion.

Then this vision disappeared and I was shown another scene. St. Joseph appeared already as an adolescent. He must have been 14. He felt at this time a great joy in His heart, something very strong that attracted Him more and more to God. In fact, God made St. Joseph feel in His heart the presence of Mary, who had already been conceived in the womb of Her mother St. Anne, but He did not understand why. This fact remained unknown to Him, but Mary's presence in the world made Him stronger in faith and a man of prayer and of God.

When the Virgin was born was the time when He decided to consecrate His virginity to God. St. Joseph went to the temple in Jerusalem with His parents and there before the altar of the Lord He made His vows of purity to God without His parents knowing it. It was something that welled up from deep within His most Chaste Heart and that He kept as a beautiful secret between Himself and the Most High. In fact, God had already set His eyes on St. Joseph and had already designated Him from the beginning for such a great mission, to be Mary's spouse and the adoptive father of His Beloved Son. St. Joseph was gradually being prepared for this mission. After having seen all this, the vision disappeared. And Our Lady said to me:

Our Lady: "...Make more known My spouse Joseph. He is a great intercessor before God in your greatest difficulties and afflictions. Whoever has recourse to Him and to His Most Chaste Heart will obtain from the Lord great graces for his conversion and sanctification, as well as the grace of salvation, for the Lord looks with love on all those who honor St. Joseph as He wishes."

"Tell this to everyone. Tell them not to waste time, for these are times of great graces, before the great calamities come upon the world. We love you, We three, and We are always on your side to help you. Pray, pray, pray. Let us help you. We want your happiness and that each one of you may receive the glory of heaven and the eternal reward."

Then St. Joseph gave me this message:

St. Joseph: "Those who do not detach themselves from the world will be taken along with the sufferings that will come on earth and then to eternal sufferings, because they have not welcomed God's call to conversion. Convert, convert, convert!"

Then the Child Jesus spoke:

Child Jesus: "Do not waste time so that you will not cry later. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On October 4, 2007

Today the Church celebrates St. Francis of Assisi. I was alone in a certain place when suddenly I heard the voice of Saint Joseph speaking to me. I did not expect this and this fact surprised me a lot. He said to me:

Saint Joseph: "Today, I wish to tell you this message that speaks about My birth. I want you to understand how important you are in God's plan, and that you have been chosen by God and Me to be under My protection to spread everywhere My name and devotion to My Heart. I was born in the month that counting the month of the Virgin's birth forward is three, and counting the month of Christ's birth backward is three. To signify the Holy Trinity and our Three Hearts united in love."

"The day, the one that adding the two numbers gives nine, which represents the first nine Wednesdays of the month and that one of the numbers being unique recalls the number of My sorrows and joys. Also, the sum of the first days of August before the birth of the Virgin and the final days of the months after My birth and the birth of Christ is fourteen, which was the age at which the Immaculate Virgin married Me and is the number of years older than She was when I married Her, for I was only fourteen years older when She was this age."

I was surprised by this message from St. Joseph and I took a calendar and started to count and I saw that it was the month of October: August + September + October = 3 months and December + November + October = 3 months. I was even more surprised when I saw that the day it indicated to me was October 27, the day I was born. I didn't want to fool myself or let people think that I was trying to draw attention to myself, but everything He said was right: adding the two numbers 2+7=9 (the first nine wednesdays of the month). I even thought of the number 18: 1+8=9, but St. Joseph had said that one of the numbers represented the number of his pains and joys, so it could only be the number 7 of the 27th. The number of days before the Virgin's birth in the month of August: 4...plus the final days after October 27: 4...plus the final days of the month of December after Jesus' birth: 6...adding them all up gives 14, the age the Virgin married St. Joseph as He Himself told me.

A question came to me to ask him: ...But St. Joseph and the number two of the 27th? He smiling very kindly answered me:

Saint Joseph: "They represent the two people I loved most in this world when I lived on earth: Jesus and Mary, whom I imitated, honored, protected and from whom I received many graces and blessings."

I could not expect to hear St. Joseph, nor could I have imagined such a message. Everything was being revealed at that moment in a few minutes. And he told me at the beginning of the message to understand that I had been chosen by God and for him and that I was under his protection, that is, that I was born on the day of his birth. He told me other things as well:

Saint Joseph: "You when you were younger you had prophetic dreams and sometimes presently you have them, just as I had and was warned by the Angel of the Lord in dreams. This grace was granted to you through My intercession before God, because I chose you to speak of My love to men. You had your first apparitions when you were 21 years old, the same age I was when I first contemplated My spouse the Blessed Virgin in prayer in a vision granted by the Lord. What great joy I felt in My Heart when I saw her in that beautiful vision. I thought it was an angelic being, someone who was already in heaven in the glory of the Lord, but it was a vision that God was granting Me so that My Heart would be filled with love for the one who would one day be My spouse, but I didn't understand at that moment. This vision gave Me great consolation and a great strength to sacrifice Myself more for the love of God and to grow in the spirit of prayer and in faith, because it was the time when the Lord called My parents to the glory of His kingdom and when I was left alone in My house taking care of My carpenter's trade and My duties towards the Lord."

On January 7, 2008 at Brescia

Jesus: "My peace be with you! I am the King of heaven and earth and I come to you, My son, in your littleness and misery to reveal My divine desires to you. Today you have prayed with great fervor the prayer that My beloved Father Joseph pointed out to you long ago. My Father, humble among all men who have ever existed, is the one who is great and blessed, whom the heavens acclaim and give Him all the honors and glories, because He has grown in grace and holiness at My side and at the side of My beloved Mother Mary. I have told you that you must love and honor Him with all your heart, for in so doing you will give glory and honor to My Heart, which is united to the Heart of Mary and the Heart of Joseph in love."

"The Church has declared Him as Patron and protector, and it is My will that it should be so, and that all men should have recourse to this son of David and righteous man who is My Virginal Father. Therefore, My son, I wish that you honor Him even more when you pray the Hail Joseph prayer in His honor and that you teach all men of good will, faithful and obedient children of the Church. Pray the prayer from today onwards in this way:"

Hail Joseph, son of David, just and virginal man, Wisdom is with thee, blessed art thou amongst all men and blessed is Jesus, the fruit of Mary, thy faithful spouse. Saint Joseph, worthy Father and Protector of Jesus Christ and the Holy Church, pray for us sinners and obtain for us from God the Divine Wisdom, now and at the hour of our death. Amen!

"In this way you honor My virginal Father Joseph even more, glorifying and exalting His holy name as Protector of the Holy Church and intercessor who obtains for you the necessary graces from My Divine Heart for your salvation for your bodily and spiritual needs, as well as the Divine Wisdom that many men need today, in these times, to be just and holy, loving justice, because Wisdom will never enter the perverse soul, nor will it dwell in the body subject to sin."

"In this way I want to show the world and the Church how pure and holy My Father Joseph was in My eyes, in the eyes of My Father in heaven, and before the Holy Spirit, who chose Him for such a great mission. The Holy Trinity wrapped St. Joseph with its blessing and grace and sanctified Him already as a baby in the womb of His mother Rachel, through the Holy Spirit, the sanctifier of souls."

"Spread this message of Mine to the Church and to the world and be a just, chaste, prudent, strong, obedient, faithful and patient son, full of love who welcomes God's graces just as My beloved Father Joseph did throughout His life. Imitate His virtues, the virtues of My virginal Father Joseph, and you and all others who hear and live this message will grow in grace and holiness. I bless you and the whole Church: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

With this message Jesus wants to show us three things, with the words added in the Hail Joseph prayer:

1. the term "son of David" : from which Tribe of Israel St. Joseph belonged and of which he reigns as Patriarch, in addition to the Davidic descent that should be given to Jesus,
2. virginal : showing the Church and the world the virginity of St. Joseph. Hence we understand that if St. Joseph has a chaste Heart then He is pure and virginal in His whole being: of mind, body, heart and soul. As Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mt 5:8) - St. Joseph not only saw, but touched, embraced and kissed the one whom heaven and earth cannot contain, covering Him with His protective mantle and defending Him against every evil and danger.
3. Protector of the Holy Church : St. Joseph was declared by Pope Pius IX, on December 8, 1870, as Patron and Universal Protector of the Catholic Church.

Jesus recalled this event in the same message of January 7, 2008: "The Church has declared Him as Patron and Protector and it is My will that it be so and that all men have recourse to this Son of David and just man who is My virginal Father."

On January 7, 2008 at Brescia

Saint Joseph: "Peace to you all, the peace of Jesus! My son, today the Lord sends Me here to bless you. His name is holy and may He always be glorified, adored and loved. May all people bless the name of the Lord, which is thrice Holy. He sends Me here to fill you with His blessings and divine graces, through My Most Chaste Heart."

"Today the Lord once again exalts My name and wants Me to be better known and loved. Thank the Lord for having sent Me here. He loves you deeply and wants to make you saints for His kingdom of love and peace. Be God's by sanctifying your lives in His divine love and living immersed in this great love. God wants to help you in everything. Trust in Him and He will work great wonders in your lives. Pray, pray, pray, so that in prayer and in silence your hearts may all be God's. I bless you. I bless you: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

On January 23, 2008
Feast of the Wedding of Mary Most Holy and Saint Joseph

Our Lady: "Peace be with you! Dear children, I come from heaven tonight to invite you to pray for families and for all spouses. Holy families are God's families, where He reigns with His love. Families in sin are families without God's grace and without life. Pray that many families will rise to God's grace, leaving the path of sin. You cannot imagine how many families are destroyed in sin every day. Their number is so great that it crushes My Heart in pain. Pray for the sanctification of unfaithful spouses. How many offend God gravely with sins of infidelity, impurity and adultery. God can no longer bear so many sins, and great calamities and punishments will come upon unfaithful husbands and wives: they will suffer for what they have sinned, and the evil that will come cannot be stopped. Do many penances, because the plague that will come will quickly spread, and many will be its victims. I beg you all: accept My appeals, because they are serious, and return to God. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

(*) The Feast of the Marriage of Mary Most Holy with Saint Joseph spread in France, at the beginning of the 15th century, through the merits of Giovanni Gersone (1363-1429), a great devotee of Saint Joseph. Adopted by many religious orders, it spread everywhere, preferably fixed on January 23. Benedict XIII introduced it in the Papal State in 1725.

Another one, who deserves to be remembered and who contributed much to this devotion, was St. Gaspar Bertoni, who, in Verona, dedicated a major altar of the Church of the Stigmata to the Holy Spouses Mary and Joseph, celebrating their wedding feast with solemnity since 1823, a tradition always preserved by the Stigmatines. His first biographer wrote: "Thus having had the principal merit of propagating in Verona and of rooting in hearts the devotion to St. Joseph, he was also the author of the veneration of the holiest of spouses, almost as a presage until then that his spiritual children would have in the most holy spouses their most valid protectors."

On June 4, 2008
Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph: "The peace of Jesus to all of you, dear children! My son, see My Heart how it is filled with love for mankind. Tell your brothers and sisters that I desire to protect and bless them. Tell them to take refuge in My Most Chaste Heart. It is Jesus who desires this. My Divine Son has once again sent Me here in the Amazon. The Amazon has been blessed with My presence in a special way. I asked My Son that My Heart be revealed to the world here. What God has accomplished here and continues to accomplish is something great. I say this to your brethren. If you knew how precious this place is in the eyes of God you would not waste so many graces. I desire to help you to do the Lord's will."

"I really want true devotees and not people who do not live their faith or who live it only in appearances. I want sons and daughters who witness in the world the love of Christ and live it deeply in their lives. Be true. Free yourselves from the world to be all of God. Imitate My virtues so that God's grace may envelop you. Be faithful to the calls of God, for when God speaks He wants to be heard. Do not close your hearts to His call, to His voice, but be obedient, obedient, obedient. Be humble and you will obtain everything from the Heart of Jesus."

"Pray for the bewildered world. The world is destroying itself in sin, because it has abandoned God. Bring your brethren back to the right path by being generous in prayer and sacrifice. Do not complain about your crosses. Do not hurt your brethren with harsh words, because of your selfishness. Know how to love and serve everyone and be patient, for he who is patient will go to heaven. I have already given you so many graces, now distribute these graces to your brethren, by witnessing God's messages to them. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

October 27, 2008
Message of the Holy Family

Today the Holy Family appeared: Our Lady, Saint Joseph holding the Child Jesus in His arms. All three with beautiful crowns of golden light on Their heads, dressed also in golden garments. They blessed all those present at the apparition and all humanity. Our Lady was the one who spoke first at Jesus' command:

Our Lady: "Peace be with you! Dear children, today heaven is celebrating. Rejoice the day of the birth of My Spouse Joseph. Pray to understand that you need to be holy and righteous, just as My spouse Joseph was in this world. Little children, have a humble heart, free from all pride. Each time you live with all your strength and faith in humility, love and unity, you are becoming like our Most Holy Hearts that are full of so many graces. Little children, God invites you to conversion. Your conversion must happen now, not later. Come back, come back while there is still time. God waits for your return to Him, because He loves you very much. I bless you, united to My Son Jesus and St. Joseph: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Saint Joseph: "My son, tell your brethren that I bless them. All those who give themselves with trust under My protection I intercede before Jesus. Pray for humanity that is further away from God than ever before. With prayer lead all men to the path of goodness and conversion. I say to all: he who has faith and believes let him believe more and more. He who still doubts and stops on his way to God, let him hurry, because time is already too short to have doubts and uncertainties. Hurry up. Come back to God soon. I bless you and help you with My intercession with God. I bless you all: in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!"

Jesus Child: "My Heart loves My Mother Mary and My Father Joseph very much. Do you want to be Mine? Love Them both and you will become Mine. Hurry up!"