Posted on 03/19/2005 2:04:28 PM PST by NYer
Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.
We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55). He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).
Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.
We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).
We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-2 3).
We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)
We know Joseph respected God. He followed God's commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus' birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.
Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus' public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.
Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus' public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.
Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.
We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
There is much we wish we could know about Joseph -- where and when he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died. But Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was -- "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18). In His Footsteps:
Joseph was foster father to Jesus. There are many children separated from families and parents who need foster parents. Please consider contacting your local Catholic Charities or Division of Family Services about becoming a foster parent. Prayer:
Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted son. Amen
MORE THAN PATRON OF HOMES, IT'S TIME FOR ST. JOSEPH TO GAIN HIGHEST OF RECOGNITION [Fatherhood}
(Saint) Joseph the Patriarch: A Reflection on the Solemnity of St. Joseph
How I Rediscovered a "Neglected" Saint: Work of Art Inspires Young Man to Rediscover St. Joseph
The Importance of Devotion to St. Joseph
St. Francis de Sales on St. Joseph (Some Excerpts for St. Joseph's Day 2004)
St. Joseph: REDEMPTORIS CUSTOS (Guardian Of The Redeemer)
St. Joseph's Humility (By St. Francis de Sales)
March 19 - Feast of St. Joseph - Husband of Mary - Intercessor of civil leaders
The God who is revealed in the Old Testament has two main characteristics. First, and most important, is the revelation that, despite the fact that God is totally the Other, totally beyond all time and space, yet the Divine One freely chooses to be personally close to us and is our God.
This personal characteristic of creating, sustaining and nurturing is often called Divine Providence. God does not just create, then leave us all on our own. No, the Loving One is always there: to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Many people prefer superstitiously to think of the good things that happen in their lives as "good luck." To those who have faith, these good happenings are sure signs of a loving Presence who only wishes good for us, who wills life and happiness for us.
Maronite Catholics recognize the loving hand of God in the care that Joseph gave to Jesus and Mary. In the prayer for the pre-Christmas Sunday of the Revelation to Joseph, this providential reflection of God's care may be readily seen:
Is there any lofty place like yours,
O honorable and righteous Joseph?
You served as their constant companion both day and night.
You carried on your arm the One who carries the whole world,
and you supported the One who supports all people.
O innocent and righteous Joseph,
we now petition you with the clouds of incense that we raise:
intercede for us (and especially Terri Schiavo) with the Lord,
whom you served throughout your life.
Implore Him to watch over us (and Terri) in this world
and to keep us from the misfortunes of soul and body.
The story of the angel's visit to Joseph reflects this theme of God's providential care for us in another way. The angel in this Gospel, as in other places in the Bible, symbolizes the way God communicates with human beings for their good. Syriac Tradition - as other traditions - sees angels as messengers who do God's bidding. In praying for the civil leaders whose task it is to look after us, the third intercession in the Anaphora of the Twelve Apostles states:
Remember, O Lord, our civil leaders,
who watch over your people, the flock
saved by your name.
In your mercy, forgive them, assist them,
and send your angels to protect them.
Please take a moment to post your prayers for Terri Schiavo. May the angels carry your prayers to our Lord God and Savior.
Prayer to St. Joseph for Terri Schaivo
Good St. Joseph,
Guardian of our Lady and the child Jesus,
Patron of women, children, and husbands,
Patron of the whole church,
you who are there for us calmly,
in times of trouble,
patron saint of a holy death,
on today your feast day,
we ask you to especially watch down on our most vunderable sister,
Terri Schaivo,
intercede for her with your son Jesus,
comfort her as the pangs of hunger and thirst grow stronger,
pray for strength for those who are working so hard to save her,
pray for healing and softening in those hearts trying to kill her,
pray that all who watch her vigil
will learn the realities of the evilness of human-caused suffering,
and how life is a gift from God in heaven.
St. Joseph,
quietly you worked to protect and raise Jesus as a child,
quietly, you work tirelessly in heaven
as you watch over your son's church,
never was it known that any who turned to you were left unaided.
Pray for us, good St. Joseph,
now, and at the hour of our death, Amen
Ping!
Thanks. I have been asking St. Joseph for his intercession in this matter.
What an absoluely beautiful prayer! May Terri feel it in her heart and KNOW that we are with her and her family during this time of turmoil and injustice. May the angels comfort her in these hours of misery.
You picked the right man! Of all the weeks to remove Terri's feeding tube, the judge chose the holiest one of the year. Terri serves as an inspiration to all of us as we suffer through the passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
(The only other heartless person I ever met chose to have an abortion on Good Friday).
Thank you for posting this. I look forward to reading the prayers people will post. I'm afraid I'm not very good at that, so I'll leave it up to those who are.
I find it horribly ironic that Terri would be starving and dehydrating to death, on the feast day of Saint Joseph. As we eat our food, Terri cries out for a crumb. As we drink our water, Terri cries out for a drop. May God have mercy on our souls.
I found this site about Saint Joseph. I had to highlight the text to read it, because it blends in with the background, but I thought it was a good site. http://members.aol.com/nonstopny/italiano/march19.htm .
This was a good article in the Daily Press (Virginia). http://www.dailypress.com/features/religion/dp-78021sy0mar19,1,2672086.story?coll=dp-features-faithlife .
St. Teresa of Avila attributed her recovery from a coma and paralysis to St. Joseph, a saint to whom she was very devoted.
I remember reading something about Mother Cabrini, who during her life used to say something like whenever you have a serious need or problem, take it to St. Joseph.
Good advice which I have often followed.
I saw it in a post from Graymatter. God has inspired us all through eachother. Ain't it great when God's children come together, for the love of another one of His precious children?
Today is the feast day of Saint Joseph. During a terrible famine in Sicily, the people prayed to him to deliver them from drought and famine, and their prayers were answered. Saint Joseph is the patron of families, fathers, people in doubt, social justice, travellers, and those who are dying.
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/joseph.htm
Today is the feast day of Saint Joseph. During a terrible famine in Sicily, the people prayed to him to deliver them from drought and famine, and their prayers were answered. Saint Joseph is the patron of families, fathers, people in doubt, social justice, travellers, and those who are dying.
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/joseph.htm
Ah, Joseph isn't mentioned much in the Bible.
Mary was also a virgin so at best Joseph was like a step father to Jesus.
Saint Joseph,
gentle protector of our Lady,
guardian and teacher of Jesus in his youth,
patron of fathers everywhere,
guardian of families,
helper of all those who work,
thank you for being who you are,
gentle,
kind,
understanding,
and oh so patient.
Saint Joseph,
how often we take you for granted,
and you sit there, in the shadows,
doing the work
that God has asked you to do,
with the skilled hands of a patient craftsman.
On this day,
your feastday,
when all the church honors you
for who you are,
and what you have done,
let me say thank you
for being willing to answer the call of God,
for loving and caring for our Lady,
for loving and caring for our Lord,
for loving and caring for us, your foster children.
On this day we honor you,
kiss your son for us,
and tell him how much we love him,
and how much we are grateful
that he is willing to share you with us!
Amen.
"But there are also many other things which Jesus did which, if they were written every one, the world itself. I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written."
John 21:25
We were asking for the intercession of St. Joseph's help after we prayed the Rosary at hospice. Thank you for posting this thread.
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