Posted on 12/29/2008 1:34:30 AM PST by GonzoII
We need to learn to give our “Yes” to the God whose Love invites our participation. Joseph is our teacher on this way, a true 'Man’s Man', calling all men to follow Jesus. CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - “Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary; of whom Jesus was born, he who is called Christ. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him." Matthew 1:16 – 24 From antiquity, Christians have cherished Joseph as a model of genuine manly virtue.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholic.org ...
A survey was done about a year ago comparing fathers and mothers and how their faith impacted their children.
Fathers that had a devout faith really affected their children's faith.
I believe that!
St. Joseph is one of my favorite saints. We should consider asking St. Joseph to pray for us. I’m certain Jesus would listen to Joseph’s entreaties on our behalf, as Jesus must have loved Joseph very much.
Exactly right!
I am curious. What do we know about Joseph? Next to nothing is said about him in the Scriptures. I am just wondering the basis for commemorating him.
He was the reputed "father" of the God-Man, Jesus Christ. That's a great responsibility, what if he had failed to be a good father? He taught Jesus his trade, how to speak, he fled into Egypt with him to save his life, what if he had not saved the Lord's life?
He's also great role model for those of us who live ordinary lives, the silence concerning Joseph in the Gospel's tells us how ordinary he was as regards fulfilling daily duties, he did nothing great in the eyes of the world; he was a "Dad" whom Jesus obeyed.
"And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said to them: How is it that you sought me? did you not know, that I must be about my father's business? 50 And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart. Lk 2: 48-51
Don’t mean to be contrary, but there is a lot of argument from silence. I recall someone, perhaps several someones, developing a rather extensive thesis about who he was, and what he did. I am wrong in seeing a significant amount of extrapolation about how he was and what he did?
True, but Scripture is clear that Joseph was a just man, he saved Jesus' life, and was concerned about the Blessed Virgin Mary's reputation when she was found with child out of wedlock and he was obedient to the angel sent to him by God; this speaks volumes about the man, Joseph.
NO argument there. Still, it seems to me a whole lot more has been written about him...and I am wondering where it all comes from. Seems a lot of things are assumed. Maybe I am wrong.
Nothing Will Be Denied Him (St. Joseph)
The Heart of a Father [St. Joseph]
Quemadmodum Deus - Decree Under Blessed Pius IX, Making St. Joseph Patron of the Church
Father & Child (An Evangelical Minister preaches on St. Joseph)
March 19 - Feast of St. Joseph - Husband of Mary - Intercessor of civil leaders
St. Joseph's Spirit of Silence
St. Joseph's Humility (By St. Francis de Sales)
St. Joseph [Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary], Solemnity, March 19
The Heart of St. Joseph
MORE THAN PATRON OF HOMES, IT'S TIME FOR ST. JOSEPH TO GAIN HIGHEST OF RECOGNITION [Fatherhood]
The Importance of Devotion to St. Joseph
St. Francis de Sales on St. Joseph (Some Excerpts for St. Joseph's Day 2004)
St. Joseph: REDEMPTORIS CUSTOS (Guardian Of The Redeemer)
(Saint) Joseph the Patriarch: A Reflection on the Solemnity of St. Joseph
How I Rediscovered a "Neglected" Saint: Work of Art Inspires Young Man to Rediscover St. Joseph
Biblically all that is written on Joseph is contained in the gospels of Mathew and Luke.
However, there are other written texts that recorded oral information passed down from the apostles and Jesus’s Mother Mary about Joseph, and about Mary’s childhood with her parents Anna and Joachim. Some of the stories are considered as “legends”, and relate to the holiness of Mary’s parents, Jesus’s grandparents. Also, about Joseph as a just man who was god-fearing in every way, and a descendant of the house of David. Joseph was selected to be the spouse of Mary from a group of men. One legend says that a lily appeared on Joseph’s staff indicating he was the one. For that reason many statues of Joseph show a lily at the top of his staff. The concept of a lily is rather far-fetched, but often such stories have some basis in truth. Perhaps a more realistic sign appeared to indicate Joseph as the preferred spouse for Mary. Such stories become lost in antiquity.
Certainly not found in the Biblical record.
All nice stories, but I am one of those who restrict their understanding to the Scriptures. The Scriptures are “God-breathed”, the rest is hearsay!
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