lifesitenews--2020-03-19--BREAKING: Trump backs new coronavirus treatment using malaria drug

WASHINGTON , D.C. , March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― U.S. President Trump has just announced that the FDA has approved the use of a malaria drug to treat the Covid-19 coronavirus .
At a press conference today , the American president called the discovery a “ tremendous breakthrough ” .
“ [ It ’ s ] a drug called chloroquine , and some people would add to that ‘ hydroxy ’ , ” Trump explained .
“ Hydroxychloroquine .
Now this is a common malaria drug .
It ’ s also a drug used for [ serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as a malaria drug , and it ’ s been around for a long time , ” he continued .
“ We know that if things don ’ t go as planned , it ’ s not going to kill anyone .
… And it ’ s shown very , very encouraging early results.
” French researchers reported on March 17 that they had been able to treat successfully the Covid-19 coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin .
Trump said that chloroquine would be available “ almost immediately ” and would be available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDA “ incredible patriots ” and praised FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn .
“ I ’ d shake his hand , but I ’ m not supposed to do that , ” he joked .
At the beginning of his speech , Trump referred to the disease as “ the Chinese virus.
” He also appeared to blame the Communist Chinese government for covering up the initial outbreak in Wuhan when he said that “ if people had known about it , it could have been stopped right where it came from , China.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the pandemic is an “ Act of God ” , but stated that he does not believe this .
“ It ’ s just something that surprised the whole world , ” he said .
He noted that the “ whole world , almost , has been inflicted with this terrible virus.
” Trump also seemed optimistic about the development of a vaccine .
He said such a vaccine would have to be thoroughly tested to make sure it would not harm people in the long run .
He said his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get vaccines and therapies developed .
“ As you know , earlier this week we began the first clinical trial of a vaccine candidate for the virus , and it was launched in record time .
It was just a few weeks and that would have taken years to do , not so long ago.
” He warned , however , that clinical trials for vaccines take a long time to ensure that “ bad things ” do not go into people ’ s bodies .

Trump said that chloroquine would be available 'almost immediately' and would be available by prescription.
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― U.S. President Trump has just announced that the FDA has approved the use of a malaria drug to treat the Covid-19 coronavirus.
At a press conference today, the American president called the discovery a “tremendous breakthrough”.
“[It’s] a drug called chloroquine, and some people would add to that ‘hydroxy’,” Trump explained.
“Hydroxychloroquine. Now this is a common malaria drug. It’s also a drug used for [serious] arthritis. .. But it is known as a malaria drug, and it’s been around for a long time,” he continued.
“We know that if things don’t go as planned, it’s not going to kill anyone. … And it’s shown very, very encouraging early results.”
French researchers reported on March 17 that they had been able to treat successfully the Covid-19 coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
Trump said that chloroquine would be available “almost immediately” and would be available by prescription.
The president called the FDA “incredible patriots” and praised FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn.
“I’d shake his hand, but I’m not supposed to do that,” he joked.
Pres. Trump touts chloroquine, an old malaria drug, that doctors say may help treat novel coronavirus, claims it will be available “almost immediately.” Read more about chloroquine: https://t.co/cYt0fxdlfB pic.twitter.com/9oPsMSD3HV — ABC News (@ABC) March 19, 2020
At the beginning of his speech, Trump referred to the disease as “the Chinese virus.” He also appeared to blame the Communist Chinese government for covering up the initial outbreak in Wuhan when he said that “if people had known about it, it could have been stopped right where it came from, China.”
He acknowledged that some people believe that the pandemic is an “Act of God”, but stated that he does not believe this.
“It’s just something that surprised the whole world,” he said.
He noted that the “whole world, almost, has been inflicted with this terrible virus.”
Trump also seemed optimistic about the development of a vaccine. He said such a vaccine would have to be thoroughly tested to make sure it would not harm people in the long run. He said his administration had “slashed red tape” to get vaccines and therapies developed.
“As you know, earlier this week we began the first clinical trial of a vaccine candidate for the virus, and it was launched in record time. It was just a few weeks and that would have taken years to do, not so long ago.”
He warned, however, that clinical trials for vaccines take a long time to ensure that “bad things” do not go into people’s bodies.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-19--Porn industry trade group asks smut producers to ‘cancel all shoots’ due to coronavirus

March 18 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — In the United States , the coronavirus pandemic is colliding with another epidemic of longer standing and with a deeper infection rate : pornography .
The Free Speech Coalition , an organization that usually promotes the spread of pornography , “ is calling for a voluntary shutdown of all adult entertainment productions in the United States and Canada ” due to the coronavirus .
“ In accordance with the recent order from the Governor of the State of California to close all ‘ non-essential businesses , ’ and similar orders from other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada , we ask that producers cancel all shoots through March 31 , and recommend that performers immediately stop filming with partners who are not a part of their household , ” the organization stated Sunday .
Just two days earlier , the so-called Free Speech Coalition had maintained that “ with the wide variety of production , including self-produced and custom content , and the lack of a specific COVID-19 risk to performers , we are not yet issuing a blanket ban.
” Michelle L. Blanc , executive director of the Free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not “ take this decision lightly.
” “ We understand that , for many performers , producers , and crew , the economic impact this will have is potentially devastating , ” she added .
The Free Speech Coalition “ is currently working on a plan ” to help pornographers and people getting paid to commit sexual acts on camera “ survive this crisis .
We are talking with our members at all levels to find solutions and resources to lessen the impact.
” This is not the first time that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of a non-sexually transmitted disease .
“ The industry last issued a one-week moratorium in 2018 , after an adult male porn performer tested positive for HIV ( he was later found to have contracted the virus off-set ) , ” Rolling Stone reported .
Jonathon van Maren , communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform , told LifeSiteNews , “ It is a small blessing that this evil industry has been forced by the coronavirus to temporarily halt its production of poison.
” “ However , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ users are at risk of falling back into their addiction from being trapped indoors for such a long period of time , ” cautioned van Maren , who speaks at colleges and high schools on a variety of issues , including pornography .
“ It ’ s important that we support each other and keep each other accountable during this pandemic.
” Jennifer Roback Morse , founder and president of the Ruth Institute , pointed out that not producing pornography for a few weeks would hardly affect the industry .
“ Wow .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down their $ 16.9 billion per year business for 2 weeks .
This is nothing more than them going on vacation or a spring break .
Big deal , ” she remarked to LifeSiteNews .
The porn industry has been using the coronavirus epidemic to gain customers .
One porn producer , CamSoda , offered passengers quarantined on two cruise ships due to the coronavirus outbreak free access to salacious videos .
The company framed the move as an attempt to combat boredom among the 7,300 passengers stuck on the ships .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ premium ” pornographic video content for free to all Italians .
“ Italians can receive free premium porn content from a giant hub for Internet smut after Pornhub announced they will open their vaults of videos to the entire country , ” the New York Post wrote .
According to Vice , PornHub is currently featuring “ coronavirus porn.
” As LifeSiteNews reported , PornHub was caught hosting 58 videos of a 15-year-old girl who was a victim of human-trafficking .
She was repeatedly raped on camera .
Additionally , the girl was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ male abductor .
Jennifer Roback Morse explained that she was “ not impressed ” with the porn industry ’ s claims “ about how ‘ clean ’ they are .
They test the performers for STI ’ s regularly.
” “ American slaveholders used to brag , ” as well , she said .
They would say , “ We take care of our slaves when they are sick and old .
You Northern businessmen just throw away sick and old workers.
” “ Slavery and pornography are both affronts to human dignity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute emphasized .
“ You can not put enough regulatory band-aids on these economic practices to make them into morally legitimate industries.
” A petition launched by LifeSiteNews demanding that authorities shut down the most famous provider of pornography , has gained almost 55,000 signatures .
Readers can still sign and share the petition .

'It is a small blessing that this evil industry has been forced by the coronavirus to temporarily halt its production of poison.'
March 18, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is colliding with another epidemic of longer standing and with a deeper infection rate: pornography.
The Free Speech Coalition, an organization that usually promotes the spread of pornography, “is calling for a voluntary shutdown of all adult entertainment productions in the United States and Canada” due to the coronavirus.
“In accordance with the recent order from the Governor of the State of California to close all ‘non-essential businesses,’ and similar orders from other government officials throughout the United States and Canada, we ask that producers cancel all shoots through March 31, and recommend that performers immediately stop filming with partners who are not a part of their household,” the organization stated Sunday.
Just two days earlier, the so-called Free Speech Coalition had maintained that “with the wide variety of production, including self-produced and custom content, and the lack of a specific COVID-19 risk to performers, we are not yet issuing a blanket ban.”
Michelle L. Blanc, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, explained that her organization does not “take this decision lightly.”
“We understand that, for many performers, producers, and crew, the economic impact this will have is potentially devastating,” she added. The Free Speech Coalition “is currently working on a plan” to help pornographers and people getting paid to commit sexual acts on camera “survive this crisis. We are talking with our members at all levels to find solutions and resources to lessen the impact.”
This is not the first time that the porn industry shut down in order to prevent the spread of a non-sexually transmitted disease.
“The industry last issued a one-week moratorium in 2018, after an adult male porn performer tested positive for HIV (he was later found to have contracted the virus off-set),” Rolling Stone reported.
Jonathon van Maren, communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, told LifeSiteNews, “It is a small blessing that this evil industry has been forced by the coronavirus to temporarily halt its production of poison.”
“However, I am concerned that the many former porn users are at risk of falling back into their addiction from being trapped indoors for such a long period of time,” cautioned van Maren, who speaks at colleges and high schools on a variety of issues, including pornography.
“It’s important that we support each other and keep each other accountable during this pandemic.”
Jennifer Roback Morse, founder and president of the Ruth Institute, pointed out that not producing pornography for a few weeks would hardly affect the industry.
“Wow. That is really decent of them to shut down their $16.9 billion per year business for 2 weeks. This is nothing more than them going on vacation or a spring break. Big deal,” she remarked to LifeSiteNews.
The porn industry has been using the coronavirus epidemic to gain customers.
One porn producer, CamSoda, offered passengers quarantined on two cruise ships due to the coronavirus outbreak free access to salacious videos. The company framed the move as an attempt to combat boredom among the 7,300 passengers stuck on the ships.
Later, Pornhub decided to offer “premium” pornographic video content for free to all Italians.
“Italians can receive free premium porn content from a giant hub for Internet smut after Pornhub announced they will open their vaults of videos to the entire country,” the New York Post wrote.
According to Vice, PornHub is currently featuring “coronavirus porn.”
As LifeSiteNews reported, PornHub was caught hosting 58 videos of a 15-year-old girl who was a victim of human-trafficking. She was repeatedly raped on camera. Additionally, the girl was forced to have an abortion by her male abductor.
Jennifer Roback Morse explained that she was “not impressed” with the porn industry’s claims “about how ‘clean’ they are. They test the performers for STI’s regularly.”
“American slaveholders used to brag,” as well, she said. They would say, “We take care of our slaves when they are sick and old. You Northern businessmen just throw away sick and old workers.”
“Slavery and pornography are both affronts to human dignity,” the president of the Ruth Institute emphasized. “You cannot put enough regulatory band-aids on these economic practices to make them into morally legitimate industries.”
A petition launched by LifeSiteNews demanding that authorities shut down the most famous provider of pornography, has gained almost 55,000 signatures. Readers can still sign and share the petition.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-19--Why Saint Joseph is the most perfect icon of Marian consecration

March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The month of March is dedicated to the great figure of St. Joseph .
In this reflection , I would like to highlight especially the mystery of the relationship between St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary .
I would say that this is the very source of the whole mystery concerning St. Joseph and the way he comes into play in the New Testament and in the Church .
If we look attentively at his life , all takes place through Mary .
Joseph starts to be known as the husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , and because of this spousal relationship — to be investigated in its spiritual depth — he is introduced into the mystery of Christ and becomes his foster father .
All through Mary .
Let us take a moment to look at the Gospel of St. Matthew ( 1:18–19 ) where Joseph of Nazareth is presented first as the husband of Mary and then as a “ just man ” : “ Now the generation of Christ was in this wise .
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found with child , of the Holy Ghost .
Whereupon Joseph her husband , being a just man , and not willing publicly to expose her , was minded to put her away privately.
” Here we understand that Mary and Joseph were espoused when Mary was found with a baby , although they did not live together yet .
In fact , the Jewish espousal had two moments : the celebration of the marriage as a legal union and the cohabitation that normally took place after one year .
Also St. Luke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joseph was espoused to Mary : “ The Angel was sent to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph , of the house of David : and the virgin ’ s name was Mary.
” By this blessed and unique espousal with Mary also the relationship of St. Joseph with Jesus is shaped .
Joseph comes into a personal contact with Jesus through Our Lady , when he is the one who gives the name “ Jesus ” to the son of Mary ( cf .
Matt .
1:21 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adoration of the shepherds , who came with haste to see the sign of God , Joseph is found between Mary and Jesus : “ They found Mary and Joseph , and the infant lying in the manger , ” says the Gospel ( Lk .
2:16 ) , as to point to the Christian path that leads to fully discover who that Baby is — from Mary to Jesus .
Through the espousal with Mary , Joseph can embrace Jesus and hold Him in his arms .
Joseph is therefore the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him the ancient motto starts : to Jesus through Mary .
Let us reflect more on the unique and virginal espousal of St. Joseph with Mary , the very key to understanding the figure of the Carpenter of Nazareth as the first type of Marian consecration .
The espousal of St. Joseph to Mary was extraordinary .
When we consider this great mystery , we should be able to transcend the natural meaning of the nuptials and go deeper into its spiritual aspect .
This marriage was thoroughly spiritual .
In the account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quoted , about Joseph being espoused to Mary but not yet cohabiting with her , we can discover something more .
It is that while Joseph was already united to Mary — initially and only lawfully — he was not fully united to her , something that we can read in the light of being not consecrated to her yet , since cohabitation was meant to be virginal and chaste for the reason that we will see shortly .
The marriage with Mary should be considered under two higher aspects : the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be read rather as consecration to her , a full donation of himself to Mary .
Consummation here gets a new and spiritual meaning , foretelling what Jesus would choose in his marriage with the Church on the Cross .
As for Jesus crucified , the gift of oneself is “ consummated ” in his love “ to the end ” — total love until death .
So it is with St. Joseph .
His total love to Mary is consummated in his sacrifice : he gave himself up until death for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take part in Jesus ’ s redemption .
But this consecration to Mary came to pass after the angel ’ s revelation , when Joseph had the full knowledge of who Mary was and whose Son was the One in her womb .
Joseph is ready to take Mary unto him and through her to look after Jesus .
Now let us see all this in the light of the further account of St. Matthew ’ s Gospel ( 1:20–24 ) , where we read : “ But while he thought on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord appeared to him in his sleep , saying : Joseph , son of David , fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife , for that which is conceived in her , is of the Holy Ghost .
And she shall bring forth a son : and thou shalt call his name Jesus .
For he shall save his people from their sins .
Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet , saying : Behold a virgin shall be with child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they shall call his name Emmanuel , which being interpreted is , God with us .
And Joseph rising up from sleep , did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him , and took unto him his wife.
” Here we should focus , above all , on the last sentence of the pericope , which in the original reads : “ kai parélaben tèn gunaîka autou ” ( “ took unto him his wife ” ) .
The verb para-lambano , to take , has basically two meanings : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join to oneself or 2 ) to receive something transmitted .
The verb is the same as the one that occurs in St. John ’ s Gospel ( 19:27 ) to describe the taking or receiving of Our Lady into St. John ’ s life : “ And from that hour , the disciple took her to his own ” ( the original reads : “ élaben o mathetès autèn eis ta ídia ” ) .
Hence , we can easily conclude that also Joseph , and before anyone else , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was instructed by the Holy Spirit about Mary and the Baby ( echoing the instruction of Our Lord on the Cross to the beloved disciple ) , took Mary unto him .
From that moment of the full and perfect marriage with Mary , he gave himself completely to her so as to come through her into Jesus ’ s mystery and to participate actively in the work of redemption .
One last point needs to be elucidated in order to have a full picture of St. Joseph ’ s marriage with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fact that the espousal was virginal is of great importance .
This can prove that Joseph gave himself completely to Mary in the second period of the marriage , understood rather as a spiritual consummation of that union .
The Gospel , while highlighting the reception of Mary by Joseph into his life , says also that Joseph “ knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn son ” ( Matt .
1:25 ) .
The word “ until ” does not mean that after the birth of Jesus , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are several examples in the Bible where “ until ” clearly does not imply a change afterward .
We can recall among others the words of the Messianic Psalm ( 109 [ 110 ] :1 ) : “ The Lord said to my Lord : sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.
” Obviously , Christ won ’ t reign at the right hand of the Father only until his enemies are defeated .
Also when Jesus promised to his apostle to be with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( Matt .
28:20 ) , He did not mean to be with them no more after the Parousia .
Instead , with the temporal preposition “ until , ” the Evangelist wishes to say Joseph and Mary , unlike an ordinary Jewish couple , did not consummate their marriage on their wedding night .
This is because Mary had taken a vow of virginity , as it clearly appears in her response to the Angel : “ I know not man ” ( Lk .
1:34 ) .
All this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather , it was a vow of abstinence according to the book of Numbers 30 that Joseph had accepted .
To bring this reflection to a close , let us imagine what it meant practically for St. Joseph to receive Mary unto him so that everyone can have in this great patriarch a model of consecration to Mary .
It was for St. Joseph to share all his life , thoughts , wills , goods with Mary in order to please Jesus and to do God ’ s will ; to be virginally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conformed to the obedience of Jesus to the Father ; to love Mary with all his chaste heart so that he could always be vigilant in his ministry as the keeper of Christ and the servant of the redemption ; and finally to remain devotedly in the presence of Mary so as to be always in the presence of Jesus .
To know who Mary is was for Joseph to know who God is , where He abides .
Consecration to Our Lady , as St. Joseph firstly and most perfectly did , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaste disposition of heart .
As we love Our Lady with a pure heart — with the pure heart of St. Joseph — in response , she welcomes us under her mantle of purity , so as to be secure from all snares of impurity and wretchedness in the world .
May St. Joseph be more known as the patriarch of love to Jesus through Mary and for his role of mystical spouse of Mary .

March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The month of March is dedicated to the great figure of St. Joseph. In this reflection, I would like to highlight especially the mystery of the relationship between St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I would say that this is the very source of the whole mystery concerning St. Joseph and the way he comes into play in the New Testament and in the Church. If we look attentively at his life, all takes place through Mary. Joseph starts to be known as the husband of Mary (see Matt. 1:16), and because of this spousal relationship — to be investigated in its spiritual depth — he is introduced into the mystery of Christ and becomes his foster father. All through Mary.
Let us take a moment to look at the Gospel of St. Matthew (1:18–19) where Joseph of Nazareth is presented first as the husband of Mary and then as a “just man”: “Now the generation of Christ was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately.” Here we understand that Mary and Joseph were espoused when Mary was found with a baby, although they did not live together yet. In fact, the Jewish espousal had two moments: the celebration of the marriage as a legal union and the cohabitation that normally took place after one year. Also St. Luke (1:27) takes into account that Joseph was espoused to Mary: “The Angel was sent to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin’s name was Mary.”
By this blessed and unique espousal with Mary also the relationship of St. Joseph with Jesus is shaped. Joseph comes into a personal contact with Jesus through Our Lady, when he is the one who gives the name “Jesus” to the son of Mary (cf. Matt. 1:21). Also at the moment of the adoration of the shepherds, who came with haste to see the sign of God, Joseph is found between Mary and Jesus: “They found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger,” says the Gospel (Lk. 2:16), as to point to the Christian path that leads to fully discover who that Baby is — from Mary to Jesus. Through the espousal with Mary, Joseph can embrace Jesus and hold Him in his arms. Joseph is therefore the most perfect icon of Marian consecration. With him the ancient motto starts: to Jesus through Mary.
Let us reflect more on the unique and virginal espousal of St. Joseph with Mary, the very key to understanding the figure of the Carpenter of Nazareth as the first type of Marian consecration.
The espousal of St. Joseph to Mary was extraordinary. When we consider this great mystery, we should be able to transcend the natural meaning of the nuptials and go deeper into its spiritual aspect. This marriage was thoroughly spiritual. In the account of St. Matthew (1:18–19) above quoted, about Joseph being espoused to Mary but not yet cohabiting with her, we can discover something more. It is that while Joseph was already united to Mary — initially and only lawfully — he was not fully united to her, something that we can read in the light of being not consecrated to her yet, since cohabitation was meant to be virginal and chaste for the reason that we will see shortly. The marriage with Mary should be considered under two higher aspects: the initial marital union, and its consummation, to be read rather as consecration to her, a full donation of himself to Mary. Consummation here gets a new and spiritual meaning, foretelling what Jesus would choose in his marriage with the Church on the Cross. As for Jesus crucified, the gift of oneself is “consummated” in his love “to the end” — total love until death. So it is with St. Joseph. His total love to Mary is consummated in his sacrifice: he gave himself up until death for being one with Mary so as to take part in Jesus’s redemption. But this consecration to Mary came to pass after the angel’s revelation, when Joseph had the full knowledge of who Mary was and whose Son was the One in her womb. Joseph is ready to take Mary unto him and through her to look after Jesus.
Now let us see all this in the light of the further account of St. Matthew’s Gospel (1:20–24), where we read: “But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.”
Here we should focus, above all, on the last sentence of the pericope, which in the original reads: “kai parélaben tèn gunaîka autou” (“took unto him his wife”). The verb para-lambano, to take, has basically two meanings: 1) to take with oneself, to join to oneself or 2) to receive something transmitted. The verb is the same as the one that occurs in St. John’s Gospel (19:27) to describe the taking or receiving of Our Lady into St. John’s life: “And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own” (the original reads: “élaben o mathetès autèn eis ta ídia”). Hence, we can easily conclude that also Joseph, and before anyone else, from that hour, the hour in which he was instructed by the Holy Spirit about Mary and the Baby (echoing the instruction of Our Lord on the Cross to the beloved disciple), took Mary unto him. From that moment of the full and perfect marriage with Mary, he gave himself completely to her so as to come through her into Jesus’s mystery and to participate actively in the work of redemption.
One last point needs to be elucidated in order to have a full picture of St. Joseph’s marriage with Mary as his consecration to her. The fact that the espousal was virginal is of great importance. This can prove that Joseph gave himself completely to Mary in the second period of the marriage, understood rather as a spiritual consummation of that union. The Gospel, while highlighting the reception of Mary by Joseph into his life, says also that Joseph “knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn son” (Matt. 1:25). The word “until” does not mean that after the birth of Jesus, they had normal marital relations. In fact, there are several examples in the Bible where “until” clearly does not imply a change afterward. We can recall among others the words of the Messianic Psalm (109 [110]:1): “The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” Obviously, Christ won’t reign at the right hand of the Father only until his enemies are defeated. Also when Jesus promised to his apostle to be with them “until the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20), He did not mean to be with them no more after the Parousia. Instead, with the temporal preposition “until,” the Evangelist wishes to say Joseph and Mary, unlike an ordinary Jewish couple, did not consummate their marriage on their wedding night. This is because Mary had taken a vow of virginity, as it clearly appears in her response to the Angel: “I know not man” (Lk. 1:34). All this was not unknown to the Jewish custom; rather, it was a vow of abstinence according to the book of Numbers 30 that Joseph had accepted.
To bring this reflection to a close, let us imagine what it meant practically for St. Joseph to receive Mary unto him so that everyone can have in this great patriarch a model of consecration to Mary. It was for St. Joseph to share all his life, thoughts, wills, goods with Mary in order to please Jesus and to do God’s will; to be virginally devoted to Mary in order to be conformed to the obedience of Jesus to the Father; to love Mary with all his chaste heart so that he could always be vigilant in his ministry as the keeper of Christ and the servant of the redemption; and finally to remain devotedly in the presence of Mary so as to be always in the presence of Jesus. To know who Mary is was for Joseph to know who God is, where He abides.
Consecration to Our Lady, as St. Joseph firstly and most perfectly did, should always aim at getting a Josephine chaste disposition of heart. As we love Our Lady with a pure heart — with the pure heart of St. Joseph — in response, she welcomes us under her mantle of purity, so as to be secure from all snares of impurity and wretchedness in the world. May St. Joseph be more known as the patriarch of love to Jesus through Mary and for his role of mystical spouse of Mary.
Share