A story for every day...
An apparition.
A Carmelite religious from the convent of Perpignan found himself violently assailed by the most distressing temptations during a whole night, by those temptations that saint Paul experienced and which made him ask for death. The anguish of the holy young man was at its height and continued until the morning. Finally, God had mercy on him and restored calm to his soul. The next day, when he had to go out in the company of the Prior, he saw a venerable old man of superhuman appearance coming to meet him. This old man stopped him and said these extraordinary words: “Father, you have sustained, but with great difficulty, a very glorious struggle during the whole night. Why didn’t you remember saint Joseph? Why didn’t you have recourse to him in this trial? You should at least have recited a prayer in his honor, so that he could come and fight the devil with you.” The religious, surprised to see the secrets of his heart discovered in this way, was about to reply, but the old man disappeared after giving this lesson, from which the religious profited, and which may also be very useful to us.
No one doubts the power of the Blessed Virgin and the eagerness she shows to help all those who ask for Her protection in temptations. The power of saint Joseph is also great; his zeal is the same, and if the effects are rarer, it is because he is very little invoked.
