St Joseph was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
His feast day is celebrated on March 19 every year in the Catholic Church.
He is the Patron Saint of ( See Saint Joseph Patronage)
| Saint Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Date of Birth | 1st Century BC |
| Country of Birth | Bethlehem in Judea, Roman Empire |
| Profession | A carpenter, Stoneworker and Builder |
| Place of Work | Israel, Palestine, Egypt |
| Date of Death | 1st Century AD before the Passion of Christ |
| Place of Death | Nazareth, Galilee |
| Feast Day | March 19, May 1 |
| Patron Saint of | St Joseph Patronage |
Who is St Joseph?
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke have mentioned the genealogy of Saint Joseph. They confirm that he was born of the royal family of David.
Despite being from the royal family, St Joseph lived in humility as a normal carpenter. He was a just man; innocent and pure, prudent and a lover of silence, faithful and obedient to divine calls.
This probably was what made God to chose him to become the foster-father and guardian of our Lord Jesus Christ and the spouse of His Virgin Mother Mary.
When St Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant with baby Jesus, he feared to take her as his wife and therefore planned to leave her secretly without exposing her to public ridicule.
But the Angel Gabriel, in a dream, told him; “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21
After he heard the message from the angel, all doubts vanished and accepted to take full responsibility for Mary and the unborn child.
After the birth of Jesus Christ, When King Herod sought the life of the newborn king, the angel of the Lord told Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with the Child and His Mother.
St Joseph did not hesitate but did as he was told. He fled to the desert where he faced many inconveniences and sufferings bearing in mind that he had left his other family members behind and here was a delicate newborn child and a very young mother.
He did not offer excuses and never got tired of taking care of his young family. He had to do the will of God unconditionally.
These are perfect examples to show why St Joseph was chosen by God to be the guardian of Jesus, rear Him in the best way and prepare Him for His public ministry.
After three years in Egypt, St Joseph heard that King Herod the Great had died. He decided to go back to Judea. When he arrived in Judea, he heard that Herod Archelaus had succeeded his father in that part of the country.
St Joseph feared that Herod Archelaus would follow in the bad and torturous footsteps of his father, therefore, being directed by God in another vision, he went to live in Nazareth, Galilee the dominion of Herod Antipas.
In another incident, in the twelfth year of Jesus Christ’s age, St Joseph and his family along with others went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
After the feast was over, it was time to return home to Nazareth. Joseph and Mary, thinking that Jesus was with them, journeyed back home together with their friends and neighbours. They traveled on for a whole day before they discovered that He was not with them.
St Joseph and Mary began searching for Him but when He was nowhere to be found they returned to Jerusalem.
They searched for Jesus for three days but finally, they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the learned doctors of the law, listening and asking them questions. Jesus earned a lot of admiration from all that heard Him.
When St Joseph and His Mother Mary saw Him, this conversation ensued: Mary asked Jesus, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” – Luke 2:48-49
From this encounter, no further mention of St Joseph is made in the Bible. He may have died before Jesus started His public ministry.
Where and When was Saint Joseph Born?
St Joseph was born in Bethlehem in Judea, Roman Empire and according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Apocryphal Date for St Joseph’s birth is 90 BC
When and Where did Saint Joseph Die? How old was he when he died?
The apocryphal date of Saint Joseph’s death is July 20, AD 18 in Nazareth, Galilee, Israel, before the Passion of Christ. No formal mention of his age is found in the Bible.
It is only mentioned that he was advanced in age when he was betrothed to Mary. But the Apocryphal age at the time of death is 111. Saint Joseph died of natural causes.
Who Were the Parents of St Joseph?
The Gospel of Matthew says that Jacob was Saint Joseph’s father (Matthew 1:16). In the Gospel of Luke, Heli is listed as the father of Joseph (Luke 3:23).
What is the Lineage of Saint Joseph?
The lineage of St Joseph is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. Both trace the lineage from Solomon and Nathan the sons of King David and Bathsheba.
King David had four sons with Bathsheba namely Nathan, Shammuah, Shobab and Solomon. This is why in both Gospels the names between David and Joseph are different.
Matthew follows the lineage from King Solomon and that is why he says in Matthew 1:16, “Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah”.
Luke traces the lineage from Nathan and therefore, in Luke 3:23, he says, “He was the son, as was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli.”
One possibility or explanation of this variance is that Matthew’s genealogy gives the legal descent of Jesus, according to Jewish law, through Joseph; while Luke’s genealogy gives the actual physical descent of Jesus through Mary.
St Joseph the Worker Feast Day – May 1
St Joseph, the chaste husband of Mary, and foster father of Jesus was a carpenter but not wealthy. He was very compassionate and obedient to the will of God who, after instructions from God, loved, provided, and protected Jesus and Mary.
Jesus learned to be a carpenter from his father Joseph during his early years when he worked together with his hardworking father side by side.
Pope Pius XII, in 1955, established the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1 to foster deep devotion to St Joseph, make people aware of the dignity of human work, and also to counter the communist-led May day celebration on the same date.
Saint Joseph, the hard and dedicated worker, is a good example to the rest of mankind, that we should fulfill the God-given duty of work because work is holy and is the reason why God created us in the first place. To serve Him through work.
In Which Churches is Saint Joseph Venerated?
St Joseph is venerated in all Christian churches that venerate saints
Feast Days
Saint Joseph’s Day is celebrated on March 19 every year. It is the principal feast day of Saint Joseph since the 10th century in Western Christianity.
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates this as a solemnity. It is transferred to another date if 19 March falls on a Sunday or in Holy Week.
St Joseph was declared the patron of the Universal Church in 1870 by Pope Pius IX. He instituted another feast to be held in his honour on Wednesday in the second week after Easter. It was a solemnity with an octave.
In the 1955 General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII, this feast was replaced with the Feast of “Saint Joseph the Worker”. It was to be celebrated on May 1 as an Optional Memorial.
Since it falls on the same day as Labour Day or International Workers’ Day, it mirrors Joseph’s status as the patron saint of workers.
Saint Joseph Prayers and Devotions
In the Catholic Church, there are several prayers that are dedicated to St Joseph. Several saints have sought the intercessions of Saint Joseph and their wishes were answered.
- St Francis de Sales – included Saint Joseph along with Virgin Mary as saints to be invoked during prayers in his Introduction to the Devout Life
- Saint Teresa of Avila – She sought the intercessions of St Joseph and she recovered from her sickness. She recommended him as an advocate
- Saint Therese of Lisieux – For a period of time, she prayed every day to “Saint Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins” and consequently, she felt safe and protected from danger.
- Pope Saint Pius X – He composed a prayer to Saint Joseph
These are the Prayers to Saint Joseph
- Prayer to Saint Joseph after the Rosary
- St Joseph Novena Prayers
- To St. Joseph for Protection
- Prayer to St. Joseph by Pope St Pius X
- Prayer to Saint Joseph to Know One’s Vocation
- Prayer to Saint Joseph Patron of the Universal Church
- Prayer To Saint Joseph For The Whole Church
- Prayer to Saint Joseph for Success in Work
- Prayer to Saint Joseph for Sanctification of Labour
- Prayer to Saint Joseph for a Happy Death
- Memorare to Saint Joseph
- Farmer’s Prayer to Saint Joseph
- Consecration to Saint Joseph (Of Children By Their Parents)
- A Parent’s Prayer to Saint Joseph
- A Devotion in Honour of the Seven Sorrows and Joys of Saint Joseph
St Joseph FAQs
St Joseph was born in Bethlehem in Judea, Roman Empire
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Apocryphal Date for St Joseph’s birth is 90 BC
The Apocryphal Date of Saint Joseph’s death is July 20, AD 18 in Nazareth. Before the Passion of Christ
No formal mention of his age is found in the Bible. It is only mentioned that he was advanced in age when she was betrothed to Mary. But the Apocryphal age at the time of death is 111
Nazareth, Galilee, Israel
Saint Joseph died of natural causes.
The Gospel of Matthew says that Jacob was Saint Joseph’s father (Matthew 1:16). In the Gospel of Luke, Heli is listed as the father of Joseph (Luke 3:23)
The St Joseph’s Day is celebrated on March 19 and on May 1 as feast of St Joseph the Worker
He is the patron saint of the Universal Church and others – See Saint Joseph Patronage
Related Links
Powered By SEO Experts
Follow @ReadingCatholic
