St. Joseph

God in His Wisdom chose St. Joseph a descendant of the house of David to be the most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph was a just man, who worked as a carpenter to look after Mary and the holy infant Jesus. ^[1] (The Holy Family)

Joseph of Nazareth, often known as "St. Joseph," was the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus Christ. His life is known primarily through the early chapters of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, and a rich oral tradition. He was of the house and lineage of King David, with his family home in Bethlehem. After his betrothal to Mary, he learned that she was pregnant. He was going to put her away quietly but was visited by an angel in a vision that told him to continue with the marriage and that the child conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. Joseph brought his family down for the census ordered by Augustus Caesar and fled into Egypt with his family when Jesus' life was in danger due to an edict by King Herod to kill all the newborn children in Bethlehem. Only returning to Bethlehem after Herod had passed away.

According to Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3, Joseph was a tekton, which means a mechanic in general and a carpenter in particular. The oral tradition, accepted since the earliest times, was that Joseph was indeed a carpenter by trade, and it is likely that Jesus initially followed in his footsteps.

It is assumed that Joseph was deceased by the time of Jesus's preaching and Passion, as there is no mention of him after Jesus' childhood. It was common for a husband to be substantially older than a wife and for women to live longer than men. Catholics and Eastern Orthodox believe that Mary remained a virgin. Many other denominations interpret the lack of scripture confirming this in conjunction with Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3, and John 2:12 to refer to other biological children.^[2][3]

Roman Catholicism[edit]

Feast: 19 March

In the Roman Catholic Church, he is the patron saint of workers and of several places.

Prayer to St. Joseph[edit]

Guardian of virgins and Father, Holy Joseph, to whose faithful care Christ Jesus, innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of Virgins, were committed: I pray and beseech Thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that free from all uncleanness, and with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body, you make me ever more chastely familiar with Jesus and Mary, all the days of life. Amen.

Remember us, O Blessed Joseph, and aid us by your powerful intercession with Him who allowed himself to be called your son; make also gracious to us your most Blessed Virgin Spouse, the Mother of Him, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

External links[edit]

• St. Joseph NNDB.
• St. Joseph Catholic Encyclopedia.

References[edit]

1. ↑ Saint Joseph The Work of God Apostolate
2. ↑ People's New Testament - 1889 (public domain) on John 2:12
3. ↑ Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (public domain) on Mark 6:3 - "The fair interpretation of this passage is, that these were the sons and daughters of Joseph and Mary. The people in the neighborhood thought so, and spoke of them as such."