Saint Joseph

Joseph(Hebrew:יוסף,romanized:Yosef;Greek:Ἰωσήφ,romanized:Ioséph) was a 1st-centuryJewishman ofNazarethwho, according to thecanonical Gospels, was married toMary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father ofJesus.
Joseph is venerated asSaint Josephin theCatholic Church,Eastern Orthodox Church,Oriental Orthodox Church,AnglicanismandLutheranism.In Catholic traditions, Joseph is regarded as thepatron saintof workers and is associated with variousfeast days. The month of March is dedicated to Saint Joseph.Pope Pius IXdeclared him to be both the patron and the protector of the Catholic Church, in addition to his patronages of the sick and of a holy death, due to the belief that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary. Joseph has become patron of variousdiocesesand places. Being a patron saint of virgins, he is venerated as "most chaste".A specific veneration is attributed to the pure and mostChaste Heart of Joseph.
Several venerated images of Saint Joseph have been granted a decree ofcanonical coronationby apontiff. Religiousiconographyoften depicts him withliliesorspikenard. With the present-day growth ofMariology, the theological field ofJosephologyhas also grown and since the 1950s centers for studying it have been formed.
ThePauline epistlesare the oldest extant Christian writings.These mention Jesus' mother (without naming her), but do not refer to his father. TheGospel of Mark, believed to be the first gospel to be written and with a date about two decades afterPaul, also does not mention Jesus' father.
The first appearance of Joseph is in the gospels ofMatthewandLuke, often dated from around 80–90 AD. Each contains agenealogy of Jesusshowing ancestry from KingDavid, but through different sons; Matthew follows the major royal line fromSolomon, while Luke traces another line back toNathan, another son of David andBathsheba. Consequently, all the names between David and Joseph are different.
Like the two differing genealogies, the infancy narratives appear only in Matthew and Luke and take different approaches to reconciling the requirement that theMessiahbe born inBethlehemwith the tradition that Jesus in fact came fromNazareth. In Matthew, Joseph obeys the direction of an angel to marry Mary. Following the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Joseph is told by an angel in a dream totake the family to Egyptto escape themassacre of the children of Bethlehemplanned by Herod, the ruler of theRoman province of Judea. Once Herod has died, an angel tells Joseph to return but to avoid Herod's son, and he takes his wife and the child to Nazareth inGalileeand settles there. Thus in Matthew, the infant Jesus, like Moses, is in peril from a cruel king, like Moses he has a (fore)father namedJosephwho goes down to Egypt, like the Old Testament Joseph this Joseph has a father named Jacob, and both Josephs receive important dreams foretelling their future.
In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph already lives in Nazareth, and Jesus is born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary have to travel there to be counted in a census. Subsequently, Jesus was born there. Luke's account makes no mention of him being visited by angels (Mary and various others instead receive similar visitations), the Massacre of the Innocents, or of the flight into Egypt.
The last time Joseph appears in person in any of the canonical Gospels is in the narrative of thePassovervisit to the Templein Jerusalem when Jesus is 12 years old, which is found only in Luke. No mention is made of him thereafter.The story emphasizes Jesus' awareness of his coming mission: here Jesus speaks to both Mary and Joseph of "my father," meaning God, but they fail to understand.
Joseph is not mentioned as being present at theWedding at Canaat the beginning of Jesus' mission, nor at thePassionat the end. If he had been present at theCrucifixion, he would under Jewish custom have been expected to take charge of Jesus' body, but this role is instead performed byJoseph of Arimathea. Nor would Jesus have entrusted his mother to the care ofJohn the Apostleif her husband had been alive.
While none of the Gospels mentions Joseph as present at any event during Jesus' adult ministry, thesynoptic Gospelsshare a scene in which the people of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, doubt Jesus' status as a prophet because they know his family. InMark6:3, they call Jesus "Mary's son" instead of naming his father. InMatthew, the townspeople call Jesus "thecarpenter'sson," again without naming his father.InLuke3:23 NIV: "Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,";or alternatively punctuated: "(ὡς ἐνομ. τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ) τοῦ Ἡλί, 'the son (as supposed of Joseph, but in reality) of Heli'".In Luke the tone of the contemporary people is positive, whereas in Mark and Matthew it is disparaging.This incident does not appear inJohn, but in a parallel story, the disbelieving neighbors refer to "Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know".
Joseph appears in Luke as the father of Jesus and in a "variant reading in Matthew".MatthewandLukeboth contain agenealogy of Jesusshowing his ancestry fromDavid, but through different sons; Matthew follows the major royal line fromSolomon, while Luke traces another line back toNathan, another son of David andBathsheba. Consequently, all the names between David and Joseph are different. According to Matthew 1:16 "Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary",while according to Luke 3:23, Joseph is said to be "the son ofHeli".
The variances between the genealogies given in Matthew and Luke are explained in a number of ways. One possibility is that Matthew's genealogy traces Jesus' legal descent, according toJewish law, through Joseph; while Luke's genealogy traces his actual physical descent through Mary.Another possibility proposed byJulius Africanusis that both Joseph and his father were the sons of Levirate marriages.A third explanation proposed byAugustine of Hippois that Joseph was adopted, and his two genealogies trace Joseph's lineage through his biological and adopted families.
In the Gospels, Joseph's occupation is mentioned only once. TheGospel of Matthewasks about Jesus:
Joseph's description as a "tekton" (τέκτων) has been traditionally translated into English as "carpenter", but is a rather general word (from the same root that gives us "technical", "technology")that could cover makers of objects in various materials.The Greek term evokes an artisan with wood in general, or an artisan in iron or stone.But the specific association with woodworking is a constant inEarly Christiantradition;Justin Martyr(died c. 165) wrote that Jesus madeyokesandploughs, and there are similar early references.
Other scholars have argued thattektoncould equally mean a highly skilled craftsman in wood or the more prestigious metal, perhaps running a workshop with several employees, and noted sources recording the shortage of skilled artisans at the time.Géza Vermeshas stated that the terms 'carpenter' and 'son of a carpenter' are used in the JewishTalmudto signify a very learned man, and he suggests that a description of Joseph as 'naggar' (a carpenter) could indicate that he was considered wise and highly literate in the Torah.At the time of Joseph, Nazareth was an obscure village inGalilee, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) from the Holy City ofJerusalem, and is barely mentioned in surviving non-Christian texts and documents.Archaeologyover most of the site is made impossible by subsequent building, but from what has been excavated and tombs in the area around the village, it is estimated that the population was at most about 400.It was, however, only about 6 kilometers from the city ofSepphoris, which was destroyed and depopulated by the Romans in 4 BC, and thereafter was expensively rebuilt. Analysis of the landscape and other evidence suggest that in Joseph's lifetime Nazareth was "oriented toward" the nearby city,which had an overwhelmingly Jewish population although with many signs ofHellenization,and historians have speculated that Joseph and later Jesus too might have traveled daily to work on the rebuilding. Specifically the large theatre in the city has been suggested, although this has aroused much controversy over dating and other issues.Other scholars see Joseph and Jesus as the general village craftsmen, working in wood, stone, and metal on a wide variety of jobs.
The name "Joseph" is found almost exclusively in the genealogies and the infancy narratives.
The canonical gospels created a problem: they stated clearly that Mary conceives Jesus virginally, and Joseph is not his father; however, Jesus was described unambiguously by John and Matthew as "Joseph's son" and "the carpenter's son", and Joseph's paternity was essential to establish Jesus'Davidic descent. The theological situation was complicated by the gospel references to"brothers and sisters" of Jesus,who may have been: (1) the sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph; (2) sons ofMary, the wife of Clopasand sister of Mary the mother of Jesus; or (3) sons of Joseph by a former marriage.
Modern positions on the question of the relationship between Joseph and the Virgin Mary vary. TheEastern Orthodox Church, which names Joseph's first wife asSalome, holds that Joseph was a widower and betrothed to Mary,and that references to Jesus' "brothers" were children of Joseph from a previous marriage. A popular position held by many Catholics, derived from the writings ofJerome, is that Joseph was the husband of Mary, but that references to Jesus' "brothers" should be understood to mean cousins. Such usage is prevalent throughout history, and occurs elsewhere in the Bible.Abraham's nephew Lot (Genesis 11:26-28) was referred to as his brother (Genesis 14:14), as wasJacob's uncle Laban (Genesis 29:15). Jesus himself frequently used the word "brother" as a generic term for one's fellow man. This custom has continued into modern times, with close friends, colleagues, and fellow churchgoers often called "brothers and sisters." Generally, most Protestants read "brothers and sisters" of Jesus as referring specifically to children born of Mary. The doctrine of theperpetual virginity of Marymeans among other things that Joseph and Mary never had sexual relations.
The termkiddushin, which refers to the first part of a two-part marriage, is frequently translated as "betrothal". Couples who fulfill the requirements of thekiddushinare married, until death or divorce.
The New Testament has no mention of Joseph's death, but he is never mentioned after the story of finding Jesus in the temple when Jesus was 12.
This is in contrast with some eastern traditions that made Joseph out to be 90 years old, a tradition intended to protect Mary's perpetual virginity. In the original Greek the words used to describe Joseph describe him as middle-aged.This fits with Joseph's duties and aligns with the saints who said he was 33 when he married Mary.
Mauro Gagliardi presents a hypothesis that Joseph wasassumed into Heavenwith body and soul because he belongs to the few saints who left no bodily relics.
TheGospel of James(also known as the Protoevangelium of James), written about 150 AD, presents Joseph as an old man chosen by God to watch over the Virgin. Jesus' brothers are presented as Joseph's children by an earlier marriage.
TheHistory of Joseph the Carpenter, written in the 5th century and framed as a biography of Joseph dictated by Jesus, describes how Joseph, aged 90, a widower with four sons and two daughters, is given charge of the twelve-year-old Mary, who then lives in his household raising his youngest son James the Less (the supposed author of the Protoevangelium) until she is ready to be married at age 14½. Joseph's death aged 111, attended by angels and asserting theperpetual virginity of Mary, takes up approximately half the story.
According to the bishop of Salamis,Epiphanius, in his workThe Panarion(AD 374–375) Joseph became the father ofJamesand his three brothers (Joses,Simeon,Judah) and two sisters (a Salome and a Maryor a Salome and an Anna) with James being the eldest sibling. James and his siblings were not children of Mary but were Joseph's children from a previous marriage. After Joseph's first wife died, many years later when he was eighty, "he took Mary (mother of Jesus)".
Eusebius of Caesarearelates in hisChurch History(Book III, ch. 11) that "Hegesippusrecords thatClopaswas a brother of Joseph and an uncle of Jesus."Epiphaniusadds that Joseph and Cleopas were brothers, sons of "Jacob, surnamed Panther."
Origenquotes theGreek philosopherand opponent ofearly ChristianityCelsus(from his workOn the True Doctrine, c. 178 AD) as controversially asserting that Joseph left Mary upon learning of her pregnancy: "...when she was pregnant she was turned out of doors by the carpenter to whom she had been betrothed, as having been guilty of adultery, and that she bore a child to a certain soldier namedPantera."Origen, however, argues that Celsus's claim was a fabricated story.
The earliest records of a formal devotional following for Saint Joseph date to the year 800 and references to him asNutritor Domini(educator/guardian of the Lord) began to appear in the 9th century, and continued growing to the 14th century.Thomas Aquinasdiscussed the necessity of the presence of Saint Joseph in the plan of the Incarnation for if Mary had not been married, the Jews would have stoned her and that in his youth Jesus needed the care and protection of a human father.
In the 15th century, major steps were taken byBernardine of Siena, Pierre d'Ailly, andJean Gerson.Gerson wroteConsideration sur Saint Josephand preached sermons on Saint Joseph at theCouncil of Constance.In 1889Pope Leo XIIIissued the encyclicalQuamquam pluriesin which he urged Catholics to pray to Saint Joseph, as the patron of the church in view of the challenges facing the church. Likewise, Leo stated that Saint Joseph "set himself to protect with a mighty love and a daily solicitude his spouse and the Divine Infant; regularly by his work he earned what was necessary for the one and the other for nourishment and clothing"
Josephology, thetheologicalstudy of Saint Joseph, is one of the most recent theological disciplines.In 1989, on the occasion of the centenary ofQuamquam pluriesPopeJohn Paul IIissuedRedemptoris Custos(Guardian of the Redeemer), which presented Saint Joseph's role in the plan of redemption, as part of the "redemption documents" issued by John Paul II such asRedemptoris Materto which it refers.
Together with theBlessed Virgin Maryand theChild Jesus, Joseph is one of the three members of theHoly Family; since he only appears in the birth narratives of the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as a child when with him. The formal veneration of the Holy Family began in the 17th century byFrançois de Laval.
In 1962,Pope John XXIIIinserted the name of Joseph in theCanon of the Mass, immediately after that of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 2013,Pope Francishad his name added to the three otherEucharistic Prayers.
19 March, Saint Joseph's Day, has been the principalfeast dayof Saint Joseph inWestern Christianitysince the 10th century, and is celebrated by Catholics,Anglicans,Lutherans, and other denominations.InEastern Orthodoxy, the feast day of Saint Joseph is celebrated on 26 December (Synaxis of the Mother of God andflight of the Holy Family into Egypt),the First Sunday after theNativity of Christ, on 19 March and on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before theNativity) and on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (Sunday before theNativity), when he is commemorated together with otherancestors of Jesus.In the Catholic Church, the Feast of Saint Joseph (19 March) is asolemnity(first class if using theTridentine calendar), and is transferred to another date if impeded (i.e., 19 March falling on Sunday or in Holy Week).
Joseph isrememberedin theChurch of Englandand theEpiscopal Churchon 19 March.
Popular customs among Christians of various liturgical traditions observing Saint Joseph's Day are attendingMassor theDivine Service, wearing red-coloured clothing, carrying driedfava beansthat have beenblessed, and assemblinghome altarsdedicated to Saint Joseph.
InSicily, where Saint Joseph is regarded by many as theirpatron saint, and in manyItalian-Americancommunities, thanks are given to Saint Joseph (San GiuseppeinItalian) for preventing a famine in Sicily during theMiddle Ages. According to legend, there was a severe drought at the time, and the people prayed for their patron saint to bring them rain. They promised that if God answered their prayers through Joseph's intercession, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint. Thefava beanwas the crop which saved the population from starvation and is a traditional part of Saint Joseph's Day altars and traditions. Giving food to the needy is a Saint Joseph's Day custom. In some communities it is traditional to wear red clothing and eat a Neapolitan pastry known as azeppola(created in 1840 by Don Pasquale Pinatauro in Naples) on Saint Joseph's Day.Maccu di San Giuseppeis a traditional Sicilian dish that consists of various ingredients andmaccuthat is prepared on this day.Maccu is a foodstuff and soup that dates toancienttimes which is prepared with fava beans as a primary ingredient.
Upon a typical Saint Joseph's Day altar, people place flowers, limes, candles, wine, fava beans, specially prepared cakes, breads, cookies, other meatless dishes, andzeppole. Foods are traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent sawdust since Joseph was a carpenter. Because the feast occurs during Lent, traditionally no meat was allowed on the celebration table. The altar usually has three tiers, to represent the Trinity.
In 1870,Pope Pius IXdeclared Joseph patron of theUniversal Churchand instituted another feast, a solemnity to be held on the third Sunday of Eastertide. Pope Pius X, in order to restore the celebration of Sundays, moved this feast to the Wednesday in the second week after Easter, and gave it anoctave. In 1955, PopePius XIIintroduced in its place the feast ofSaint Joseph the Workeron 1 May in theGeneral Roman Calendaras an ecclesiasical counterpart to theInternational Workers' Dayon the same day.This reflects Saint Joseph's status as patron of workers. Pius XII established the feast both to honor Saint Joseph, and to make people aware of the dignity of human work.
TheEspousals of the Blessed Virgin Maryis observed in some liturgical calendars (e. g. that of theOblates of Saint Joseph) on 23 January.
Pope Francis on 8 December 2020, released theapostolic letterPatris cordeon the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the declaration by Pius IX, on 8 December 1870, of Saint Joseph as patron of the Universal Church; for the same reason he declared aYear of Saint Joseph, from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021.
Pope Pius IXproclaimed Saint Joseph the patron of the Universal Church in 1870. Having died in the "arms of Jesus and Mary" according to Catholic tradition, he is considered the model of the pious believer who receives grace at the moment of death, in other words, the patron of a happy death.
Saint Joseph is well known as the patron saint of fathers, both families and virgins, workers, especially carpenters, expecting mothers and unborn children. Among many others, he is the patron saint of attorneys and barristers, emigrants, travelers and house hunters. He is invoked against hesitation and for the grace of a holy death.
Many cities, towns, and locations are named after Saint Joseph. According to theNational Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, theSpanishform,San Jose, is the most common place name in the world. Probably the most-recognized San Joses areSan José, Costa Rica, andSan Jose, California, United States, given their name bySpanish colonists. Joseph is the patron saint of theNew Worldand of many countries (Austria– especially venerated inCarinthia,Styria, andTyrol,Croatia– proclaimed as a patron saint ofKingdom of CroatiabyCroatian Saboron 9 June 1687) and of several main cities (Karlovac), dioceses and administrative regions (Karlovac Countyin Croatia).
Many churches, monasteries and other institutions are dedicated to Saint Joseph.Saint Joseph's Oratoryis the largest church in Canada, with the largest dome of its kind in the world after that ofSaint Peter's BasilicainRome. Elsewhere in the world churches named after the saint may be known as those ofSan Giuseppe, e.g.San Giuseppe dei Teatini,San José, e.g.Metropolitan Cathedral of San JoséorSão José, e.g. inPorto Alegre, Brazil.
TheSisters of St. Josephwere founded as an order in 1650 and have about 14,013 members worldwide. In 1871, theJosephite Fathersof the Catholic Church were created under the patronage of Joseph, intending to work with the poor. The first Josephites in America re-devoted their part of the order to ministry within the newly emancipated African American community. TheOblates of St. Josephwere founded in 1878 byJoseph Marello. In 1999 their Shrine of Saint Joseph the Guardian of the Redeemer was named after the Apostolic exhortationRedemptoris Custos.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, during thefeast dayof Saint Joseph the following hymn is chanted:
In the Catholic tradition, just as there are prayers for theSeven Joys of MaryandSeven Sorrows of Mary, there are also prayers for the seven joys and seven sorrows of Saint Joseph. Furthermore, there is anovenaprayed before the feast of Saint Joseph on 19 March. Saint Joseph is frequently invoked for employment, daily protection, vocation, happy marriage, and a happy death.
Multiple venerated Catholics have described their devotion to Saint Joseph and his intercession.Francis de Salesincluded Saint Joseph along withVirgin Maryas saints to be invoked during prayers in his 1609 book,Introduction to the Devout Life.Teresa of Ávilaattributed her recovery of health to Saint Joseph and recommended him as an advocate.Therese of Lisieuxstated that she prayed daily to "Saint Joseph, Father and Protector of Virgins" and felt protected from danger as a result.Pope Pius Xcomposed a prayer to Saint Joseph which begins:
There is a Catholic tradition that burying a statuette of Saint Joseph on the grounds of a home will help to sell or buya house.;this tradition became so popular through the World Wide Web that some American realtors bought them by the gross.
St. Joseph's role in the Catholic church is summarized by the German theologian Friedrich Justus Knecht:
In mosaics in the basilica ofSanta Maria Maggiore(432-40) Joseph is portrayed young, bearded and dressed as a Roman of status.Joseph is shown mostly with a beard, not only in keeping with Jewish custom, but also because – although the Gospel accounts do not give his age – later legends tend to present him as an old man at the time of his wedding to Mary. Earlier writers thought the traditional imagery necessary to support belief in Mary's perpetual virginity.Jean Gersonnonetheless favoured showing him as a younger man.
In recent centuries – in step with a growing interest in Joseph's role in Gospel exegesis – he himself has become a focal figure in representations of the Holy Family. He is now often portrayed as a younger or even youthful man (perhaps especially inProtestantdepictions), whether going about his work as a carpenter, or participating actively in the daily life of Mary and Jesus as an equal and openly affectionate member.Art critic and self proclaimed atheistWaldemar Januszczakhowever emphasises the preponderance of Joseph's representation as an old man, and sees this as the need.
However Carolyn Wilson challenges the long-held view that pre-Tridentine images were often intended to demean him.According to Charlene Villaseñor Black, "Seventeenth-century Spanish and Mexican artists reconceptualized Joseph as an important figure, ... representing him as the youthful, physically robust, diligent head of the Holy Family."InBartolomé Esteban Murillo'sThe Heavenly and Earthly Trinities, Saint Joseph is given the same prominence as the Virgin as they are both part of the "Earthly Trinity" and Jesus lays his hands on both of them.
Full cycles of his life are rare in the Middle Ages, although the scenes from theLife of the VirginorLife of Christwhere he is present are far more often seen. TheMérode Altarpieceof about 1425, where he has a panel to himself, working as a carpenter who fashions mousetraps – a rare depiction of Saint Joseph being present in the context of theAnnunciation. The fact that Saint Joseph makes mousetraps is attributed to an interpretation byAugustine of Hippo, according to which Jesus Christ is the mousetrap for the devil.
Some statues of Joseph depict his staff as topped with flowers, recalling the non-canonical Gospel of James's account of how Mary's spouse was chosen by collecting the walking sticks of widowers in Palestine, and Joseph's alone bursting into flower, thus identifying him as divinely chosen.TheGolden Legend, which derives its account from the much olderGospel of Pseudo-Matthew, tells a similar story, although it notes that all marriageable men of the Davidic line and not only widowers were ordered by theHigh Priestto present their rods at theTemple. SeveralEastern OrthodoxNativityiconsshow Joseph tempted by theDevil(depicted as an old man with furled wings) to break off his betrothal, and how he resists that temptation. There are some paintings with him wearing aJewish hat.