“Art has a unique way of juxtaposing words and images that lead a viewer to contemplate the truth that is conveyed by the art, beyond its mere surface appearance.”

Do you need prayers to help you against the temptations and snares of the demons? Ask Saint Joseph for help.

The Terror of Demons

In the latter part of the 19thcentury, seeds were sown that would bear fruit over the next hundred years. The Church saw in these seeds an attack on the dignity of husbands as workers and fathers. In response, The Church looked to Saint Joseph as a model for Christian men.

In 1909 Pope Pius X approved The Litany of Saint Joseph for public and private use. A litany is a prayer of supplication, it is a prayer that asks for prayers. There are only six litanies approved by the Church, three are directed to Our Lord, Jesus, one to the Blessed Virgin Mary, one to all the saints, and one to Saint Joseph.

The litany of Saint Joseph has twenty five invocations expressing the virtues and dignities of the beloved spouse. One of the most intriguing is “terror of demons.”

We know very little about this righteous man, but we do know some things. We know he was tempted.

The Artist as Teacher

Among the many roles the artist may take on, that of teacher is perhaps the most often overlooked. Art, in all its forms, has a unique way of juxtaposing words and images that lead a viewer to contemplate the truth that is conveyed by the art, beyond its mere surface appearance.

Sacred art has been particularly adept at this. It has had to teach deep theological truths through imagery alone, in deference to a largely illiterate society. And while in our time, the majority of people are able to read, many choose not to. They opt instead for quick sound bites and easy to understand visuals such as info-graphics.

And so it is left to the arts to catechize people as it once did so long ago. The Nativity provides an excellent example.

The Image of the Nativity

Many of us have nativity scenes in our homes during the Advent and Christmas season. We have a vision of a peaceful manger, surrounded by adoring shepherds, common folk, and maybe a few sheep, a donkey and an ox. The entire scene is lit by the divine light of the Christ child. But this vision is very different from the oldest imagery we have of the Nativity of the Lord.

In the earliest pictures Mary does not look lovingly at her son, she looks away toward Joseph who is removed some distance from the scene. Joseph is usually in the lower corner of the icon, depicted as somewhat despondent. Nearby an old man whispers into his ear. The old man is the devil, a demon in disguise, seeking to tempt Joseph into disbelief, whispering to him, “this is not the son of God, your wife has betrayed you.”

One of the things we know with absolute certainty is that Joseph was a righteous man. That means that Joseph walked in the ways of God, he trusted God implicitly in every aspect of his life.

According to ancient Jewish custom, to be betrothed, was to essentially be married. The ceremony was a formality. When Joseph became aware of Mary’s pregnancy, he had several options. He could have brought her before the village court but he was unwilling to expose her to shame. He considered divorcing her quietly to avoid humiliating her in public. His third option, accepting the child as his own and bringing Mary into his house seemed to be out of the question. This was Joseph’s crisis of faith and the demons of temptation were hard at work.

But consider the type of man he must have been. To him was entrusted the Mother of God and the Son of God. Twice the Lord speaks to him in a dream and upon waking he does not hesitate to comply.

Joseph is the model of the pure man, pure of heart and pure of spirit. To him God has entrusted the safety of the pinnacle of all creation. Faced with such holiness how could the demons hope to tempt him to doubt?

The world we live in is very much like the one Joseph of Nazareth lived in. The predominant culture is a pagan one. It is motivated by power and materialism, the pursuit of pleasure, and self indulgence. It is a culture that has lost its connection to the divine and so has lost its way, spiraling downward into fear and despair.

In such a world filled with chaos, Joseph was called to protect the dignity of his wife in a society that could not understand why he would not simply abandon her to the law.

But as a righteous man Joseph would have been aware of the history of his people, a cycle of cleaving to, and falling away from, God. His faithfulness to God's covenant brought him an interior peace in the midst of a world that was constantly awash in storm.

All fathers know the feeling of holding their child in their arms for the first time. The entire world changes in a tiny heartbeat. In Joseph's case, the demons never had a chance.

The Church, born of the water and blood that flowed from the side of Jesus, and nourished by the prayers and love of Our Lady, seeks comfort and protection from the snares of the devil, in the arms of Saint Joseph, the Terror of Demons.

A Painter Teaches Better By His Pictures.

Saint Gregory Nazianzus, a Doctor of the Church once said “Either teach not, or teach by your way of life. Lest with one hand you draw them, and with the other repel them.You will entreat less by speech, doing what is needed;The painter teacheth better by his pictures.” His point was that if we do not teach by our way of life, by what we do with our gifts, then it would be better not to teach at all. If you do what you must do, what you are called to do, this will be the most effective way to teach. Just as the painter teaches more through his paintings than through his words.

Pax vobiscum
4th Sunday in Advent

Pontifex University is an online university offering a Master’s Degree in Sacred Arts. For more information visit the website at www.pontifex.university

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual “hero’s journey” that is part of every person’s life. He maintains a blog at www.DeaconLawrence.org and can be reached at Lawrence@deaconlawrence.com