By Rev Fr David Olusi
“Satan and his cohort of fallen angels had no success in seducing Joseph. He checked his temper, he refrained from idle speech and he was righteous in his dealings with his neighbors. Because Joseph was close to the compassionate Almighty, he was enabled to overcome the vicious onslaught of Lucifer and his vindictive companions.
Those who turn to Saint Joseph for his powerful intercession and good example do much to keep Satan and the other wholly corrupt devils at bay. In this sense, Joseph is the Terror of Demons because when the friends of Jesus avail themselves of his salutary influence, Saint Joseph is for them a sure protection against the oppressive wiles of the Prince of Darkness.” – Msgr. Charles MMangan
“Why is Joseph so calm? Why are the demons terrified?”
“Our first clue is Mary. In Genesis 3:15, Yahweh promises to put enmity (total separation) between mother of the promised messiah and the serpent. This separation is complete because of Mary’s Immaculate Conception–she is not subject to Original Sin in any way. Joseph is her husband, her beloved groom, and their marital union and his virtue places him apart from demonic influence. It is part of Sacred Tradition that Joseph, although born into Original Sin, led a sinless life.
But evil shrinks from Joseph for a related reason. He is pure. Joseph is pure of body. Pure of heart. Pure of intention. Pure and sinless because he battled Original Sin. This is just our armchair theological speculation, (as usual) but we’re coming to believe that demons cannot “see” a man who is pure. All demons know is force, lies, degradation, and filth. That is their world, and they want to make our lives just as ugly. Their sin blinds them, just as sin blinds us mortals.
We are afraid not of the dark, actually, but rather the dangers which the darkness does not allow us to see. The demons can’t “see” Joseph because he is pure. Purity makes him invisible, just as pure water is perfectly clear. Evil spirits don’t know when, how, or from which direction Joseph is going to hammer them. Joseph’s job, when Christ was a child and up to this very day, is to protect the Holy Family, and through our baptisms, we are part of his family. So Joseph protects us. He will calmly raise his hand and keep the demons away, if you but ask him.”
St. Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us.
