St. Joseph

Feastday: 19 March
Patron Saint of: Fathers, Unborn Children, Workers, Travelers, Immigrants, the Universal Church, a Happy Death

Saint Joseph is a prominent figure in the bible and we know that he was the husband of Mary and the “earthly” father of Jesus. There is evidence in the bible to suggest that he lived in Nazareth and was a humble carpenter by trade. In Matthew 13:55 we see that Jesus was called “the carpenter’s son” and in Luke 3:23, “Jesus, the son of Joseph”. Although Saint Joseph displayed large humility in his life, he was actually of royal lineage and a descendant of the house of King David.

He led a righteous life and did not shirk in his duties as the valiant protector of the holy family and the chosen of God to watch after his Son during his time on earth. Even after finding out that Mary was pregnant, he was unwilling to expose her to public disgrace and was honorable to the Lord’s name. He played a big role in the life of Jesus and we see his fatherly spirit manifest in various passages of the bible.

One particular event was the in Luke 2:45 when both Mary & Joseph where frantically looking for their child because they thought that he had went missing. As it turned out Jesus was preaching in the temple courts. Just as any parent would, they questioned Jesus asking him why would he have made them worry as such, to which Jesus replied with “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”. At that point they did not yet understand what he was saying because they were so overwhelmed by their parental instinct to protect their son.

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the universal Church, workers, and a happy death by which we call upon him for divine intercession. Many Catholics and other Christians honor him as a model of virtue and devotion.