woman in blue long sleeve shirt lying on brown wooden bench

Who is Saint Joseph?

Saint Joseph is the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. He was a humble carpenter and was always said to be a protector of his family.

Saint Joseph and his Royal Lineage

Even though he was a humble and simple man, Saint Joseph comes from a royal lineage. According to Luke and Matthew’s Gospels, Saint Joseph’s origin can be traced back to King David.

Saint Joseph: A Kindhearted and Respectful Man

When Saint Joseph found out about Mary’s pregnancy, he immediately knew the child was not his but was still unconscious that she was carrying Jesus, the son of God, he wanted to divorce her silently. This decision to divorce Mary silently is something to be noted as very kind and caring. During those times, if a woman is pregnant with another man who is not her husband, it is customary to be stoned to death. He then also became an excellent father to Jesus as he treated Jesus as his own son.

Saint Joseph is also known as someone who always obeyed God’s commands and lived a life faithful to Him.

The Sleeping Saint Joseph

In 2016, Pope Francis popularized the image of the Sleeping Saint Joseph. The Pope spoke about his devotion to him during his visit to the Philippines. He shared that he has an image of the Sleeping Saint Joseph on his desk for decades and that he places notes of some of his difficulties underneath it and asks him to intercede for his intentions.

You might be wondering what’s so significant of an image of Saint Joseph sleeping. This has a powerful implication. In the Bible, God often spoke to Saint Joseph through his dreams. Here are the three particular times that it has happened.

The first time was when he was thinking of silently divorcing Mary, and the angel appeared to him through his dreams. (Matthew 1:19-25)

Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

(Matthew 1:19-25)

The second time God spoke to him through a dream was when He told him to save Jesus from Herod. (Matthew 2:12-14)

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.

(Matthew 2:12-14)

and Lastly, God spoke to Saint Joseph while he was sleeping during the time Herod had died, and He wanted him to take Jesus to Israel. (Matthew 2:19-21)

When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

 (Matthew 2:19-21)

Saint Joseph the Patron Saint

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of many things. For one, he is the patron saint for a happy death, as his death is something that was not mentioned during Jesus’ public life. It was implied that he had a happy death since he was in Jesus and Mary’s close presence when it happened. 

He is also the patron saint of craftsmen, engineers, house sellers, and working people. This is because Saint Joseph was a hardworking, honest man. He was a skilled carpenter who had much respect for his work.

Lastly, Saint Joseph is also the Universal Church’s patron saint, fathers, expectant mothers, and families. We all know that he was the head of the Holy Family and was the guardian of Jesus and Our Lady’s husband.

The Year of Saint Joseph

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has declared that it is Saint Joseph’s year from December 8, 2020, to December 8, 2021. This is to recall his 150th anniversary as the declaration that Saint Joseph is the Universal Church’s Patron.

The Feast of Saint Joseph

The Feast of Saint Joseph is celebrated on two days. The first one is on March 19, as it celebrates him being the husband of Our Lady. The second feast day is on May 1, which Pope Pius XII established in 1955. This feast day is known as the “feast day of Saint Joseph the Worker,” as May 1 also fall son Labor day.

St Joseph Novena

Saint Joseph played an essential role in Jesus’ life, and he is very close to Him, which is why his prayers and intercessions are powerful. To foster a more intimate and loving relationship with Saint Joseph, try praying a novena to him. Click here for the Novena to Saint Joseph!

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