John Baptist de La Salle had a special love for St. Joseph, so much so that in his last will and testament he named St. Joseph as the Patron and Protector of our Institute.
Another indication of our Founder's devotion is that the very first seal of the Institute depicts St. Joseph with the Child Jesus.
In his meditation for the Feast of St. Joseph, La Salle explains the main reasons why he considered love for St. Joseph so important. First, St. Joseph was !¡±a just man!ÆØ that is !¡±holy in every way!ÆØ and therefore fully fit to care for and guide the son of God. Second, he obeyed God's will perfectly. !¡±He did not hesitate a single instant!ÆØ to do what God required. Finally, he cared for the child Jesus and protected him from all harm.
"Take St. Joseph as your model since he is your patron. You have been made responsible for your students just as St. Joseph was made responsible by God for the Saviour of the world."
We are, then, to treat our students in the same way Joseph treated Jesus. A tall order indeed!
The original prayers of the Brothers included a Litany to St. Joseph and had this concluding prayer:
"O God, who in your unfathomable Providence was pleased to choose blessed Joseph for the husband of your most holy Mother, grant that we may deserve to have as our advocate in heaven him whom on earth we revere as our protector, you who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen."
Note: When the Brothers first arrived in Hong Kong in 1875, they took over a small school called St. Saviour's but promptly renamed it St. Joseph's College. I suspect they did so in honour of the Patron and Protector of our Institute.
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