E.A. Bucchianeri ~ Author ~ Official Site

The First and Second Joseph

From the Beloved Son of Jacob to the Guardian of the Redeemer

“Devotion to Saint Joseph is one of the choicest graces that God can give to a soul, for it is tantamount to revealing the entire treasury of Our Lord’s graces.”

~ Saint Peter Julian Eymard

Long before Saint Joseph was entrusted with the protection of Jesus and Mary, another Joseph appears in Scripture: the beloved son of Jacob, sold into Egypt and raised by Divine Providence to a position of extraordinary authority.

In The First and the Second Joseph, Fr. Marin de Boylesve, S.J. presents thirty-one meditations exploring how the life and mission of Joseph in the Old Testament foreshadowed the hidden greatness of Saint Joseph in the New.

The first Joseph was given charge over the treasures and grain of Egypt, preserving countless lives during famine. The second Joseph was entrusted with Heaven’s greatest treasures—Jesus Christ and His Immaculate Mother—and continues to exercise a powerful patronage over the Church and those who seek his assistance.

Through these remarkable parallels, Fr. de Boylesve reveals the dignity, virtues, and spiritual authority of the humble son of David whom God chose to stand at the head of the Holy Family.

Two Josephs — One Divine Providence

The comparison between the two Josephs is an example of biblical typology: persons and events in the Old Testament prepare for and foreshadow their greater fulfilment in the New.

Both Josephs were just men tested through suffering. Both received divine guidance through dreams, were taken into Egypt, guarded what had been entrusted to them, and became instruments through whom God preserved His people.

Yet the greatness of the first Joseph serves only as a prelude to that of the second. Saint Joseph received no worldly throne or public acclaim; nevertheless, he was appointed guardian of the Redeemer, spouse of the Blessed Virgin, head of the Holy Family, and patron of the Universal Church.

Fr. de Boylesve makes these scriptural connections accessible and spiritually fruitful, helping readers discover why the traditional invitation “Go to Joseph” possesses an even deeper meaning for Christians.

The Powerful Intercession of Saint Joseph

The second part of the book presents accounts traditionally attributed to Saint Joseph’s assistance. These include conversions, protection from danger, healings, help in temporal difficulties, the preservation of religious communities, and consolation for the dying.

These stories do more than record extraordinary favours. They encourage the reader to approach Saint Joseph with confidence in spiritual needs, family concerns, work, illness, uncertainty, and every situation requiring the protection of a faithful father.

Inside This Edition

This edition includes:

Thirty-one meditations comparing the two Josephs of Scripture

An accessible exploration of biblical typology

Reflections on Saint Joseph’s dignity, virtues, and heavenly patronage

Accounts of conversions attributed to his intercession

Testimonies concerning protection, healing, and temporal assistance

Accounts of Saint Joseph’s care for the dying

Thirty-three sacred illustrations and explanatory annotations

A biography of Fr. Marin de Boylesve, S.J.

Traditional Prayers and Devotions

The additional material includes:

The Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows of Saint Joseph

A novena and chaplet in his honour

The Memorare to Saint Joseph

An Act of Consecration to Saint Joseph

Prayers for purity, confidence, and assistance in great necessity

Prayers to Saint Joseph for the dying and the souls in Purgatory

Prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker by Pope Saint Pius X

Short prayers to the Holy Family

An account of an apparition of Saint Joseph to the Breton stigmatist Marie-Julie Jahenny

A Deeper Encounter with Saint Joseph

The First and the Second Joseph is especially suited to readers who already possess some devotion to Saint Joseph and wish to understand more fully his place in Scripture and the divine plan.

Combining biblical meditation, traditional devotion, and accounts of his intercession, this collection invites readers not merely to admire Saint Joseph, but to entrust themselves more confidently to his paternal protection.

“Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you.”

~ Genesis 41:55