St.  Joseph  has  two  feast  days  on  the  liturgical  calendar.  The  first  is  March 19—   Joseph,  the  Husband  of  Mary   and  the  second  is   May 1—  Joseph,   the   Worker.

 

“Saint   Joseph  is  a  man  of   great  spirit.  He  is  great  in  faith,  not  because  he   speaks  his  own  words,  but  above  all  because  he  listens  to  the  words  of  the  Living   God.  He  listens  in  silence. 

And  his  heart  ceaselessly   perseveres   in   the   readiness   to  accept  the  Truth  contained  in  the word

of  the  Living  God,”                      Pope John Paul II

 

There  is  very  little  known  about  the  life  of  Joseph  in  scripture  only  that he  was  the  husband  of Mary,   the  foster  father  of  Jesus,  a  carpenter  and   a   man  who was  not  wealthy.  We  also  know  that

he  came  from  the royal  lineage  of  King  David.    We  can  see  from  his  actions  in  scripture that Joseph was a compassionate  man,  and obedient to the  will of God. He also loved Mary and Jesus and wanted  to  protect  and  provide  for  them.

Since  Joseph  does  not  appear  in  Jesus' public  life,  at  his death, or  resurrection, many  historians believe   Joseph  had   probably  died  before  Jesus  entered  public  ministry.

 

In   our  Church   there  are  two  stained-glass  windows  which  feature St Joseph.  The   first  shows Joseph  the carpenter, and the second shows the death of Joseph.  We also have a statue of St Joseph carrying  the  Infant   Jesus.

He  almost  seems  to be the forgotten  person  in the  Christmas story,   yet  it  was Joseph  who took  on the role of protector to Mary,  and then the young child Jesus.  It  was  Joseph  to  whom the angel appeared and told him to escape from King  Herod’s  soldiers,  and it was Joseph whose  skills as a carpenter provided all that was needed in  Jesus’ early life.  He ensured their safety when travelling  from  Bethlehem to Egypt  and then back to Nazareth  and he  worried like any father with a missing child,  searching  unceasingly  until Jesus was found in the temple.

St Joseph is the patron of many things, including the universal Church,    fathers,   the dying and social justice.