St. Joseph the Carpenter
We don’t know much about the foster father of Jesus. But from scripture we do know that by birth, he was a member of the royal family of David. He was living humbly as a carpenter when God chose him to be the spouse of the Virgin Mother and Jesus’ earthly guardian.
Because Joseph was so faithful and obedient to God, he did all God asked of him. When he became aware that Mary was with child, he had decided to not take her into his home and to divorce her until God’s Angel bade him to do differently in a dream. When he awoke, St. Joseph did as God asked. When an Angle told him he should take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to protect Jesus from King Herod, Joseph obeyed without hesitation despite the many inconveniences and sufferings the new family would encounter during an unplanned and long journey through deserts and unfamiliar places. And once again he moved his family, this time back to Israel, when God’s Angle bid him to do so.
His love for and desire to protect Jesus was obvious. Not only did he leave his home when he learned that Jesus’ life was threatened, when he brought his family back to Israel, he settled in the obscure town of Nazareth. When Jesus stayed behind at the temple, Joseph with his wife Mary searched for Him for three days “with great anxiety”
Since Saint Joseph is not mentioned again in the New Testament after the finding of the child Jesus in the Temple, it is believed he died before the marriage feast of Cana and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Undoubtedly he would have been blessed with the presence of Jesus and Mary at his death, praying beside him, assisting and comforting him in his last moments; therefore he is invoked for the great grace of a happy death and the spiritual presence of Jesus in that hour.
Because he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth, St. Joseph is the patron of the dying. He is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice. There are two feast days celebrated in honor of Joseph.
- • March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary
• May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
