'The Holy Cloak Prayer' of St. Joseph - Some intersting notes I found in the web!

 

And as the Blessed Mother told Venerable Drageda: "You must see to it that you continually increase your love and devotion to this great saint. In all your necessities, you must avail yourself of his protection; under all circumstances, you must encourage as many people as possible toward this devotion, for indeed, whatever my devoted spouse requests of Heaven, the Almighty will grant on earth."

He to whom the tree belongs has a right to its fruit -- and so in that simple message is the anointing. He who clothed Jesus now seeks to spread his cloak over us.

It is natural and worthy that as the Blessed Joseph ministered to all the needs of the family at Nazareth and girt it about with his protection, he should now cover with the cloak of his heavenly patronage, and defend, the Church of Jesus Christ. - Pope Leo XIII, Quamquam Pluries
http://princeofthechurch.yolasite.com/holy-cloak-of-st-joseph.php

St Joseph who is always present mystically with Jesus and Mary in every holy hour. In the Old Testament times he was mystically present represented by the Cloud and Our Lady by the fire when the Divine Son as the Divine Word spoke out of the midst of the Divine Manifestation of God in cloud, smoke and fire. The God of Sinai is this Divine Son. The same one that gave us the Torah himself took on flesh and came as a man and then as God and Man he also became the Eucharistic bread and wine for us.

Joseph in eternity was also one of the four cherubim in the Garden of Eden- who were represented in the Temple by the two golden cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant and the two large olive wood cherubim that stood in the holy of holies either side of the Ark. The two on the Ark represent Jesus and Mary. Joseph is represented by the male olive wood cherubim.

Wednesday is the traditional Catholic day in honour of St Joseph which is linked to the fourth day of the Creation week where the two great lights appear. This of course makes us think of the vision of the Patriarch Joseph of the sun, moon and stars. There are of course many valid interpretations at the mystical level of reading scriptures. For example the Sun can represent the Divine Will. It can also represent the Messiah son of Joseph who is “the sun of righteousness who rises with healing in his wings”. Symbolised as a created mystical Sun it can represent Joseph himself. Joseph is so surrounded by the rays of the uncreated Mystical Sun that he becomes the created mystical Sun or icon of the Divine Sun. As Abba (Daddy/Father) to Jesus he is the created icon of the Father. It is in this manner that joseph is referred to as the Shadow of the Father.
The wonderful little prayer book entitled “The Holy Cloak in honour of St Joseph” has a beautiful prayer that says:
“O Glorious Patriarch St Joseph, prostrate, before you and your Divine Son, Jesus, I offer you with heartfelt devotion, this precious treasury of prayers, being ever mindful of the numerous virtues which adorned your sacred person. In you, O glorious patriarch, was fulfilled the dream of your precursor the first Joseph, who indeed seemed to have been sent by god to prepare the way for your presence on this Earth. In fact, not only were you surrounded by the shining splendour of the rays of the Divine Sun, but you were splendidly reflected in the brilliant light of the mystic moon, the Blessed Virgin Mary. O glorious Patriarch, if the example of the ancient Jacob, who personally went to congratulate his favourite son, who was exalted on the throne of Egypt, served to bring all his progeny there, should not the example of Jesus and Mary, who honoured you with their greatest respect and trust, serve to bring me, your devoted servant, to present you with this precious cloak in your honour...”

The full glories of St Joseph were not to be fully unveiled until the latter days according to St Isadore of Seville in the 8th century. St Joseph is the hidden saint. The new Testament calls him a Tzadik (A righteous man)- he is the hidden Tzadik who is the foster-father of the ultimate Tzadik the Messiah son of Joseph who would come riding on a donkey. The concept of Joseph ha Tzadik and the Hidden Tzadik as well as the Messiah son of Joseph is rich in Jewish mystical tradition. Joseph is present with us in each holy hour leading us in adoration with Our Lady to their Divine Son.

http://perpetualadoration13.blogspot.in/2010/12/st-joseph-and-perpetual-adoration.html