Who Was Saint Joseph?
Saint Joseph is a biblical character. He is revered as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, and as well as Anglicanism. St. Joseph is believed to be the legitimate father of Jesus. The first appearance of St Joseph is observed in the Bible in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, where it is mentioned that his ancestry originated from King David. Saint Joseph biography reveals that he was born circa 100 B.C.E.
Saint Joseph is known as the patron of the universal church according to Roman Catholicism. Joseph was married to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. He was the foster-father of Jesus. In the Bible, the mentions of Saint Joseph are not overwhelming. St. Joseph's life story is recorded in the Gospels. Saint Joseph is regarded as the patron saint of workers and is associated with various feast days.
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Birth And Early Life
The first mention of St Joseph is in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, from around 80-90 AD. The lineage of St Joseph came from King David through different sons. In the epistles of Paul, the father of Jesus is not referred to. According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Joseph was born circa 100 B.C.E. There are underwhelming mentions of St Joseph early life in the Bible. But it is revealed that he was a carpenter. It is mentioned in the Gospels of Luke that Joseph lived in Nazareth.
Marriage To Mary
St. Joseph got married to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to the Gospels, St Joseph found her already pregnant. In the Gospels of Matthew, St . Joseph is mentioned as a virtuous man as instead of exposing Mary to public disgrace, he decided to divorce her quietly. Reference to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, St Joseph was informed by an angel that the child was the Son of God. After being convinced by the holy angel, he accepted Mary.
Birth Of Jesus
After Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, the holy family of St. Joseph received another angel named Magi, who informed Joseph and Mary about the violence against the children by King Herod the Great, the ruler of the Roman provinces of Judaea. After knowing that Joseph and Mary decided to flee to Egypt with their son Jesus. This incident had a significant impact on St Joseph life story. They started living in Egypt peacefully, where St. Joseph started working as a carpenter, according to the Gospels of Matthew.
After several years that angel again appeared in the dream of Joseph, informing him about the death of Herod and instructed Mary and Joseph to return to the holy land of Bethlehem with their son Jesus. According to the Gospels of Matthew, Joseph and Mary decided to avoid Bethlehem out of fear of King Herod's Successor. They decided to settle in Nazareth in Galilee.
Professional Life Of Saint Joseph
In the Gospels of Matthew, Saint Joseph was mentioned as a "tekton". The word "tekton" suggests "technical" or "technology." It suggests carpenters. On the other hand, Geza Vermes has stated Joseph as "Naggar." At that time, Nazareth was a village of Galilee that was about forty miles from the holy city of Jerusalem. According to the Gospels of Matthew, it is assumed that Jesus got the training of craft from Joseph in Nazareth.
Death Of Saint Joseph
Death is that part of Saint Joseph biography that has no mention in the new testament of the Bible. Thus the circumstances of his death are still a mystery. According to the Gospels of Luke, Joseph was last mentioned when he and Mary were searching for little Jesus in Jerusalem, where they found little Jesus in the temple where Jesus astonished them with his ironic questions. In contrast to that, in the apocryphal History of Joseph the Carpenter, it is mentioned that Joseph had a peaceful death at the age of 111, in the presence of Jesus, Mary, and angels.
On the other hand, the Cristian tradition showed Mary as a widow during the ministry of her son Jesus. It is observed that Joseph is not mentioned as being present at the beginning of Jesus's mission. None of the Gospels mentioned St Joseph during the ministry of Jesus. In the Gospels of Matthew, Jesus is called " the carpenter's son" by the townspeople of Nazareth. Thus the death of St Joseph remains unknown.
Sainthood Of Saint Joseph
Joseph is regarded as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church as well as Orthodox and Oriental Orth Church. Saint Joseph is bestowed as the patron saint of workers by the catholic traditions. It is associated with various feast days. The month of March is dedicated to the greatness of St Joseph. As it is believed that Saint Joseph died in the presence of Jesus and Mary, he is a symbol of a happy death. The most glorified title of St Joseph life history is both the Patron and Protector of the Catholic Church. According to the dogma of perpetual virginity of Mary, specific respect is also dedicated to Saint Joseph and Mary for being the most pure-hearted parents of the Lord Jesus.
What Are Feast Days?
Feast days are the religious celebration of Christians that includes sacred community meals. The Feast day of Saint Joseph is also known as Saint Joseph's Day. Generally, In Western Christianity, St Joseph's day has been celebrated on 19th March since the 10th century. Whereas In Eastern Orthodoxy, the first Sunday after the Nativity of Christ is celebrated as the principal feast day of St Joseph. The day is celebrated wearing red-colored clothing, carrying fava beans which are considered to be blessed. In many Italian-American communities, thanksgiving ceremonies to Saint Joseph are observed for preventing a drought during the middle ages in Sicily.
Saint Joseph is known as the Patron and the Protector of The Universal Catholic Church. Though there is very little information available in the Gospels about Saint Joseph early life and his death, it is essential to know Saint Joseph before knowing Jesus. His progressive approach and affection for Jesus were inspiring. Saint Joseph and Mary have dedicated special respect for being the most pure-hearted parents of the Lord Jesus. Saint Joseph's Day is celebrated worldwide to pay respect to the patron saint of workers.
FAQs on Saint Joseph Biography
1. Describe the lineage of St.Joseph briefly.
In Luke, St.Joseph appears as the father of Jesus. Also, he appears in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew and Luke show his ancestry from David but through different sons as both genealogies of Jesus. From Solomon, following the great royal line is Matthew, whereas Lucas traces his origin from Nathan, son to David and Bathsheba. Variances in the genealogy between Matthew and Luke are given in a number of ways. According to Jewish law, Matthew’s genealogy traces Jesus’s descent through Joseph, whereas Luke’s genealogy traces his descent through Mary.
2. Write something about St.Joseph's day.
19th March is celebrated as St.Joseph's day. In western Christianity, it has been celebrated as the principal feast day since the 10th century. In the eastern orthodoxy, it is celebrated on the First Sunday after the Nativity of Jesus. Customs among various Christians observing St.Joseph’s day is attending masses, carrying dried fava beans, eating a Neapolitan pastry, and wearing red-colored clothes. Providing food to needy people is St.Joseph’s Day custom. In Sicily, Saint Joseph is regarded as their patron saint.
3. Write a short note on the life and death of Saint Joseph.
Saint Joseph was born in Bethlehem. He was a renowned patron of the Roman Catholic church. He was a pious person. God chose him to be the father of Lord Jesus, the messiah of the people. Saint Joseph, the father of Jesus, died in Nazareth in Israel. Saint Joseph is said to have died before the crucifixion of Lord Jesus. The death of Saint Joseph has not been mentioned in great detail in the new testament. Saint Joseph was often mentioned along with Lord Jesus. The last mention about Saint Joseph was when looking for Lord Jesus in his childhood along with Saint Mary, his wife, the mother of Jesus.
4. Write down the reason why Saint Joseph was loved by his people?
Saint Joseph was an obedient man. He always obeyed the orders of God. He took Saint Mary as his wife and Lord Jesus as his child according to the instructions of God. Saint Joseph was a man of endurance. He could endure all the pain. He always wished to listen to the voice of God. He was an exemplary father to Jesus. He is a model symbolizing fatherhood for mankind. He was a helpful person and always gave his best to help people around him. He was an ideal symbol of humanity. He always protected his family and worked very hard to support his family.
