(The Art of Union by John of Fano, first printed in 1536)

"A trustworthy Observant friar told me, that two friars of that Order were in a ship going to Flanders, with about three hundred people on board, when there was eight days of great storm. One of the friars was a preacher and very devoted to St. Joseph, to whom he recommended himself with all his heart. Finally, the ship sank with all on board. The friar and his companion found themselves in the sea on a plank. They were three days on the plank, one on either side. They continued to recommend themselves to St. Joseph with the greatest faith. On the third day a very handsome youth appeared and greeting them with a happy face he said: 'God will help you brothers; do not fear'. Having said this, all three of them together with the plank found themselves on shore.

Kneeling down the friars then thanked the young man with great devotion. Then the preacher said: 'O most noble young man, I ask you for the love of God that you tell me who you are'. He replied: 'I am St. Joseph, the most worthy husband of the most blessed Mother of God, to whom you recommended yourselves so strongly. I was sent by the most kind Lord to save you. Know that if it had not been so, you would have been drowned with all the others. Know also that just as we three, that is the most kind Son of God, his sweetest Mother and I, lived together till my death, so we are now in Paradise one in soul and body, above the glory of all the others, since I rose with Christ, as Scripture says: many bodies of the saints rose with him etc. Recently I asked the Divine Infinite Clemency that whoever recites daily for a whole year seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys in honour of the seven sorrows that I suffered in the world, will obtain all graces from God, because this is just'.

Then the brother said: 'O most noble husband of the Mother of God, I beg you tell me what those seven sorrows were.' St. Joseph replied: 'Willingly'.

'The first was when, shortly after I had married the most blessed Virgin, observing some signs of her pregnancy, not knowing the secret mystery of the Incarnation and not thinking that she would ever have children, I experienced such sorrow that tongue could not describe it. I loved her so much and did not wish to accuse her because she would have been stoned. It seemed intolerable to me to accept her as she was. She could see that I did not regard her favorably. She did not want to tell me anything, not knowing whether it was God's will that I be told and she did nothing but cry. In the end it pleased the Lord to have me understand the truth, by sending his angel.

The second was when on the night of the Nativity of the Son of God I found myself in the stable without any human assistance. Although I accepted seeing the Son of God with great desire and once I had seen him had great consolation, still I experienced great sorrow in not being able to honour that most noble birth as it deserved.

The third was when he was circumcised on the eighth day. I saw that poor most innocent little boy cry and he looked at his Mother, as little boys do, almost calling for help, and she could not offer it, because the law had to be observed. She cried and we all cried out of compassion, thus this was a great sorrow for me.

The fourth was when on the fortieth day, having completed the period of purification, when we had spent so much time in discomfort, we were happy and contented to have the company of the most noble Son of God, and entering the Temple, Holy Simeon said to his Mother that the sword of his Passion would pierce her heart. Then she began to cry, and I cried too wounded by immense sorrow thinking that that poor little boy was so recently born and yet there was already talk of his Passion.

The fifth was when I had to flee into Egypt, being poor with a young wife, considering the difficulties of the dangerous journey and fearing that the little boy would be taken and killed and thus I experienced very great and inexpressible sorrow.

The sixth was when on the return from Egypt, when the little boy was so big we could not carry him, nor could he walk, so that we experienced great anxiety and fatigue on that journey. Then the sorrow was rekindled when we heard that Archaelaus reigned in place of Herod his father. I experienced great fear and sorrow.

The seventh was when he had reached twelve years of age and stayed in Jerusalem and we lost him for three days. This sorrow was greater than all the others.' Having said these things St. Joseph disappeared."

At some point the devotion evolved to include the corresponding joys Joseph experienced with these sorrows.