Section 4 | Rule 5: Concerning the Two Methods the Evil Spirits will Use Against the Custos Indebtedness to His Wife

Regarding the fact that the Custos

receives his fatherhood and office of charitable authority (Greek: oikodespotes) through his wife and therefore is indebted to her, let the Custos be aware that the evil spirits will tempt him regarding this truth in two primary ways. First, they will tempt the Custos to believe that he is so indebted to his wife for the gift of his vocation that he relinquishes his charitable authority to her. Let the Custos be aware that although St. Joseph is indebted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is full of grace, the most fair, pure, and resplendent of all creatures, God nevertheless confirmed Joseph’s spiritual authority as Custos and Head of the Holy Family (all divine directives regarding the Holy Family were transmitted through the angel of God to Joseph); a divinely appointed authority which he did not mitigate, relinquish, or diminish.

Second, the evil spirits tempt the Custos to resent or reject his wife, her motherhood, that is the very means by which he has received his call. It is possible that a man, after encountering the demands of the role and responsibility of the Custos, subconsciously or even consciously lays blame upon his wife for his situation, and desires to be free of her. Though St. Joseph encountered many hardships because of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s God-given mission, he did not become embittered or resentful of the Holy Virgin Mary; but rather he used his authority to exalt and honor her.

Devin Schadt | Executive Director of the Fathers of St. Joseph

Ite ad Joseph