SAINT JOSEPH THE FOSTER FATHER OF JESUS CHRIST

 SAINT JOSEPH, THE TERROR OF DEMONS AND PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

INTRODUCTION

St. Joseph is known as the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the foster father of Jesus in the New Testament. He is also the patron saint of fathers and workers. The name Joseph means God will add

Just as St Joseph was the father of Jesus Christ, as a loving father, he will direct us with the authority of God the Father, will protect us in times of trouble, and is the one uniquely chosen to be the father of the family to which we belong.

HIS ROLE IN THE GOSPEL

In the Gospel according to Matthew and Luke, Joseph is presented as the legal father of Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mama Maria. 

HIS OCCUPATION

Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus also became a carpenter, as mentioned in Mark 6:3. 

PATRONAGE

St. Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church, fathers, families, the dying, virgins, workers, carpenters, expecting mothers, unborn children, attorneys, emigrants, travelers, house hunters, the New World, China, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Peru, Vietnam, and several cities and dioceses.

FEAST DAY

Many Catholic nations honor St. Joseph on March 19 with the title of JOSEPH, SPOSE OF VIRGIN MARY. Some also celebrate St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. Others are: 3rd Sunday after Easter and August 24 as St Joseph of Chene.

JOSEPH THE JUST MAN

The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a just man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts.

When the Bible speaks of God justifying someone, it means that God, the all-holy or righteous one, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in the holiness of God, and hence it is really right for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games, acting as if we were lovable when we are not.

By saying Joseph was just, the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God.

The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mama Maria, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage.

It is no contradiction of the manly holiness of Joseph that he decided to divorce Mama Maria when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this quietly because he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame (Matthew 1:19).

The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God; in marrying Mama Maria, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage.

BIOGRAPHY

While the exact dates of the birth and death of St Joseph are unknown, he lived in the 1st century AD, flourishing in Nazareth, Galilee, and was married to Mama Maria, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. His place of residence was Nazareth. He was from Nazareth, in the region of Galilee, Palestine. 

Joseph was a descendant of the house of King David. After marrying Mama Maria, he found her already pregnant and, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace (Matthew 1:19), decided to divorce her quietly, but an angel told him that the child was the Son of God and was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Obeying the angel, Joseph took Mama Maria as his wife. After the birth of Jesus Christ at Bethlehem in Judaea, where the Holy Family received the Magi, an angel warned Joseph and Mama Maria about the impending violence against the child by King Herod the Great of Judaea, whereupon they fled to Egypt. There the angel again appeared to Joseph, informing him of the death of Herod and instructing him to return to the Holy Land.

Some of the subsequent apocryphal narratives concerning Joseph are extravagantly fictitious. The 2nd-century Protoevangelium of James and the 4th-century History of Joseph the Carpenter present him as a widower with children at the time of his betrothal to Mama Maria, contributing to the confusion over the question of the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. The allegation that he lived to be 111 years old is spurious. Reliable information about Joseph is found only in the Gospels, for the later pious stories distort his image and helped delay his commemoration.

SOME QUALITIES OF SAINT JOSEPH

Saint Joseph is celebrated for his righteousness, obedience, faithfulness, and quiet strength, serving as a model of a loving and protective father, a faithful husband, and a humble servant of God. 

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND OBEDIENCE: St. Joseph is described as a righteous man in Scripture, meaning he was devout and followed the commandments of God. He was also known for his unwavering obedience to the will of God, even when faced with difficult circumstances. 

FAITHFULNESS AND TRUST: The fidelity of Joseph to Mama Maria and his trust in the plan of God are central to his character. He remained steadfast in his commitment to Mama Maria and Jesus, even when faced with uncertainty and hardship. 

QUIET STRENGTH AND HUMILITY: While not a flashy or outwardly dramatic figure, St. Joseph possessed a quiet strength and humility that allowed him to guide and protect the Holy Family. He trusted in the guidance of God and never sought attention for himself. 

PROTECTOR AND PROVIDER: St. Joseph is seen as a model of a loving and protective father, who provided for his family and protected them from harm. He is often depicted as a carpenter, emphasizing the value of hard work and providing for his family. 

VIRTUES OF ST. JOSEPH TO IMITATE

Here are some virtues of St. Joseph that can we imitate to become better versions of ourselves.

Righteous  Do not just follow rules, but commit to doing what is good.

Protector  Look out for those who God has put in your care.

Worker  Resist the temptation to cut corners, and do the work God has given.

Chaste  Realize that the gift of self is greater than mere physicality.

Terror of Demons  Strive toward holiness by cooperating with the grace given at Baptism. The forces of Hell will be scared.

 

THE VENERATION OF SAINT JOSEPH

Although the veneration of Joseph seems to have begun in Egypt, the earliest Western devotion to him dates from the early 14th century, when the Servites, an order of mendicant friars, observed his feast on March 19, the traditional day of his death. Among the subsequent promoters of the devotion were Pope Sixtus IV, who introduced it at Rome about 1479, and the celebrated 16th-century mystic St. Teresa of Ávila. 

Already patron of Mexico, Canada, and Belgium, Joseph was declared patron of the universal church by Pope Pius IX in 1870. In 1955 Pope Pius XII established the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1 as a counter-celebration to the May Day of the communists.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CELEBRATION OF ST JOSEPH

The life of Joseph is seen as an example of faith, obedience, and service to God, and he is revered as a model for fathers and workers. 

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are known as the Holy Family, and Joseph played a vital role in their lives, protecting them and providing for their needs. 

REFLECTION

The Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:4151). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to realize that the holiest family was like every other family, that the circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every family, so that when the mysterious nature of Jesus began to appear, people could not believe that he came from such humble beginnings: Is he not the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother named Mary? (Matthew 13:55a). It was almost as indignant as Can anything good come from Nazareth? (John 1:46b).

PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH

Saint Joseph, you were obedient to the will of the Father in Heaven as it was revealed to you by an angel. You took Mama Maria as your wife and Jesus Christ as your Son. You raised Him, protected Him, and exercised a fatherly authority over Him. Please exercise that same fatherly authority over my life. I entrust myself to your intercession and authority and pray that you protect me always, guiding me to your Son in Heaven. AMEN

Saint Joseph, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You

Rev Fr. Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

March 19 2025