Saint Joseph in the Bible and Church Tradition
If we want to discover the person of St. Joseph, we must first turn to the Old Testament. At the beginning, it is worth to explain the etymology of his name. Six men in the Bible were named Joseph. The first is the son of Rachel and Jacob (see Gen. 30:24). Rachel, daughter of Laban, was Jacob's beloved wife. However, she remained barren for a long time. When, after long prayer, she gave birth to her first son, she named him Jōseph, which translates: "May the Lord give me another son." So, the name Joseph means gratitude and a desire for more.
Another person to have this name in Scripture is Joseph of Nazareth, Mary's husband. It is mentioned in the New Testament 14 times. Next was Joseph, a relative of Jesus: "Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?" (cf. Matthew 13:55). This name wore Joseph of Arimathea, a man of dignity, a disciple of Jesus. The next person is Joseph called Barsabbas (son of Saba), nicknamed Justus: "So, they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias". (cf. Acts 1:23). The last to bear this name was Joseph the Levite of Cypriot, named by the Apostles Barnabas - the son of encouragement. (cf. Acts 4:36). We can see clearly - the entire biblical context indicates that this name was borne by people faithful to God, connected with Christ, bearing the mark of God's election.
In the dozen or so lines devoted by the Evangelists to Joseph of Nazareth, there is one basic definition of him as a just man (Hebrew sdq; Greek dikaios). It appears in the context of Joseph's relationship to Mary: "Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly". (cf. Mt 1:19). This adjective, however, was not used accidentally by the Evangelist, but - as John Paul II noted in Redemptoris Custos - describes the deep spiritual trait of Joseph. Relating this attribute to the person of Joseph becomes an eloquent sign of recognizing him worthy of entrusting him with the mission of accepting God's promises in full, that is, accepting the Messiah.
The person of St. Joseph is also very vividly occupied by the apocrypha: The Proto-Gospel of James (from II Century), the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (VI Century), the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary (IX Century), the Gospel of Thomas (IV Century), talking about Joseph's family, his marriage, work and death; but there are too many legends to be taken seriously. They also say little about Joseph's childhood and early youth.
Joseph came from the lineage of King David. This is demonstrated by St. Matthew in the genealogy of St. Joseph. The genealogy is also quoted by St. Luke. This, however, differs fundamentally from the one of St. Matthew. Already Sextus Julius Africanus (III Century) expresses the opinion that this is the genealogy of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Luke, who gave us so many details about her life, could tell us about her pedigree. Under the levirate law St. Joseph could have been the son of Jacob, and at the same time the adopted son of Heli, who was also called Joachim in the Christian tradition, who was the father of the Blessed Virgin. Thus, the genealogy quoted by St. Luke would list the real ancestors of Mary, and regarding Joseph - his legalized ancestors. This is the opinion adopted by many biblical scholars today.
Despite his high origin, Joseph did not have any property. He earned his living by carpentry and working as a carpenter. According to Justin Martyr (c. 100 - c. 166), who lived very close to the times of the Apostles, Joseph made wooden planks and yokes for oxen. So, he produced farms and agricultural tools. The author of Philip's Pseudo-Gospel (c. III) calls Joseph a carpenter.
Engaged to Mary, Joseph was confronted with the secret of the miraculous conception. He was not the natural father of Christ. However, according to Jewish law, he was the legitimate spouse of Mary. Thus, although Mary gave birth to Jesus in virginity, nevertheless, according to Jewish law and the social style of life, Joseph was considered the father of the Lord Jesus. This is also what the Gospels call him. In such a situation it had to be shown that Joseph was directly descended from King David, as foretold by the prophets.
When Joseph learned that Mary was expecting a child, knowing that this was not his descendant, he decided discreetly to remove himself from Mary's life so as not to expose her to shame and slander. However, led into the mystery by an angel, he took Mary home(cf. Mt 1-2; 13:55; Lk 1-2). Following the decree on the census, he went with her to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
After giving the child a name and presenting him in the temple, faced with persecution, he flees with the mother and the child to Egypt. After Herod's death, he goes to Nazareth. The last time Joseph appears on the pages of the Holy Scriptures during his pilgrimage with twelve-year-old Jesus to Jerusalem. During Jesus' public teaching, Joseph is no longer mentioned in the Bible. He was probably dead by then. He had the most beautiful death and funeral on earth because Jesus and Mary were with St. Joseph in the last moments of his life. They also arranged a funeral for him. Maybe that's why tradition called him the patron saint of good death.
The Fathers and writers of the Church emphasize that Providence chose a man of extraordinary virtue to live so closely with Jesus and Mary. That is why the Church rightly places St. Joseph at the head of all the saints and gives him such a distinguished place in the hagiography. First was St. Origen who wrote about Joseph, praising him as "a just man." St. John Chrysostom recalls his tears and joys; St. Augustine writes about the legality of his marriage with Mary and about his paternal rights; St. Gregory of Nazianzus exalts the dignity of Joseph above all Saints.
Saint John XXIII added the name of St. Joseph to the Roman Canon (First Eucharistic Prayer). He also issued a separate apostolic letter about the renewal of devotion to the heavenly Patron (1961). St. Joseph was made patron of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). By the decision of Benedict XVI, announced during the pontificate of Pope Francis, in 2013 the name of St. Joseph was also included in the other Eucharistic prayers.Holy Father Francis in His Letter Patris Corde wrights: “After Mary, the Mother of God, no saint is mentioned more frequently in the papal magisterium than Joseph, her spouse. My Predecessors reflected on the message contained in the limited information handed down by the Gospels in order to appreciate more fully his central role in the history of salvation. Blessed Pius IX declared him “Patron of the Catholic Church”, Venerable Pius XII proposed him as “Patron of Workers” and Saint John Paul II as “Guardian of the Redeemer”. Saint Joseph is universally invoked as the patron of a happy death”.
Saint Joseph, Pray for us
Until Tomorrow
fr. george