ST. JOSEPH REVEALED

ST. JOSEPH REVEALED

+ IMMACULATE or SANCTIFIED?

+ YOUNG VIRGIN or OLD WIDOWER?

+ ASSUMED or IN THE TOMB?

JOSEPH: THE YOUNG CARPENTER SAINT

Taken from "THE BOOK OF JOSEPH":
 
Young St. Joseph lived a sinless life as he grew in body, wisdom, and in the constant friendship of God. He also began learning the skills of basic carpentry. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich and Servant of God Mother Cecelia Baij reveal this time in Joseph’s life:

When Joseph was about twelve years old, I often saw him visiting the caves where he would pray alone. He also enjoyed making all kinds of little things out of wood; for there was an old carpenter who had a workshop with whom Joseph spent much of his time. He helped him with his work and so little by little learnt his craft (A. Emmerich, 1953, pg. 77).

As Joseph grew older, he made great strides in the practice of virtue, in the love for God, and in the study of the Scriptures, especially the Davidic Psalms. His life developed along these lines for fifteen years without causing in God any displeasure, committing no sin: and he made every effort to avoid even the very shadow of sin (C. Baij, 1997, pg. 33, 34).

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♔ THE JOY OF THE MARRIAGE OF ST. JOSEPH AND THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY ♔

Today let us honor St. Joseph and contemplate the Joy of his selection as the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary! May the Lord God be praised and glorified through His wonderful mysteries!

St. Luke 1:27 The Virgin was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David.

Venerable Maria de Agreda: The Most High spoke to the heart of the high priest, inspiring him to place into the hands of each one of the young men a dry stick, with the command that each ask his Majesty with a lively faith, to single out the one whom He had chosen as the spouse of Mary. While they were thus engaged in prayer the staff which Joseph held was seen to blossom and at the same time a dove of purest white and resplendent with admirable light, was seen to descend and rest upon the head of the saint... And the priest espoused Mary to the most chaste and holy of men, Saint Joseph.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich: As Joseph was about to lay his staff on the altar before the Holy of Holies, a white flower like a lily blossomed out of the top … I saw over him an appearance of light like the Holy Ghost.

Servant of God, Mother Cecilia Baij: Suddenly Joseph saw his branch begin to sprout and become bedecked with snow-white blossoms! Everyone around him was soon staring at this miraculous sign. … All those present now saw a snow-white dove descend from Heaven and settle on the head of Joseph. It was now quite certain that of all the candidates, Joseph was the man of God’s choice.

St. Francis de Sales: How exalted in the virtue of virginity must Joseph have been who was destined by the Eternal Father to be the companion in virginity of Mary! Both had made a vow to preserve virginity for their entire lives, and it was the Will of God to join them in the bond of a holy marriage.

Pope Benedict XVI, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 18 March 2009: Joseph teaches us that it is possible to love without possessing. In contemplating Joseph, all men and women can, by God’s grace, come to experience healing from their emotional wounds, if only they embrace the plan that God has begun to bring about in those close to him, just as Joseph entered into the work of redemption through Mary and as a result of what God had already done in her.

✠ 1 OUR FATHER ✠ 10 HAIL JOSEPH ✠ 1 GLORY BE ✠

✠ Hail Joseph Son of David, God is with you! blessed are you among men and blessed is our Lord Jesus Christ! Holy Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us and be with us now and as we sigh our last breath. Amen. ✠

Please click HERE to read more on the Holy Espousals of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

♔ THE SELECTION OF JOSEPH AS THE HUSBAND OF MARY & THE HOLY ESPOUSALS ♔

The Virgin was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David.

- St. Luke 1:27

The Fathers and Doctors of the Church agree that God Himself predestined and sanctified St Joseph in order that he would be the husband and upholder of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the father and protector of God the Son – Jesus. St.Epiphanius and St. Gregory, among other saints, believed that the selection of Joseph as Mary’s spouse, predestined by God, was brought out by lot. This brings to mind the process of the selection of the apostle Matthias in the New Testament.

When the Apostles were trying to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Christ, they gathered and prayed to God for a sign of who was to be chosen and they drew lots between them:

Acts 1:24-26 – And they prayed and said, “Thou, Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show us which of these two men you have chosen . . .” And they drew lots between them and the lot fell upon Matthias…

When it came to the selection of St. Joseph, there were gathered a group of young men of the House of David, Joseph among them, one of whom was to be chosen as the husband of Mary. According to tradition, and the saints and mystics of the Church, in order to discern a suitable husband for Mary, the high priest Zachary, by divine inspiration, recalled how the Israelites rebelled against Moses and Aaron. In order to convince the Israelites that Aaron was the chosen High Priest, God said to Moses:

Numbers 17:1-23 – “Speak to the Israelites and get one staff from each of them ... Mark each man’s name on his staff; and mark Aaron’s name . . . Then lay them down in the Meeting Tent . . . There the staff of the man of My choice will sprout.” . . . The next day, when Moses entered the Tent, Aaron’s staff . . . had sprouted and put forth not only shoots, but blossoms as well, and even bore ripe almonds.

So using this example, Zachary told each of the young men of the House of David to bring a rod with his name engraved on it, and the man whose rod blossomed would be the chosen husband of Mary. Of course it was Joseph’s rod that blossomed. This scene was seen as part of a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah and was revealed to Venerable Maria de Agreda and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich:

Isaiah 11:1-5 – a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud will blossom. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him...

Venerable Maria de Agreda: Among the number was Joseph . . . for he was one of the descendants of the royal race of David . . . The Most High spoke to the heart of the high priest, inspiring him to place into the hands of each one of the young men a dry stick, with the command that each ask his Majesty with a lively faith, to single out the one whom He had chosen as the spouse of Mary. While they were thus engaged in prayer the staff which Joseph held was seen to blossom and at the same time a dove of purest white and resplendent with admirable light, was seen to descend and rest upon the head of the saint …

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich: As Joseph was about to lay his staff on the altar before the Holy of Holies, a white flower like a lily blossomed out of the top … I saw over him an appearance of light like the Holy Ghost.

Servant of God, Mother Cecilia Baij: Suddenly Joseph saw his branch begin to sprout and become bedecked with snow-white blossoms! Everyone around him was soon staring at this miraculous sign. … All those present now saw a snow-white dove descend from Heaven and settle on the head of Joseph. It was now quite certain that of all the candidates, Joseph was the man of God’s choice.

This tradition of the selection of St. Joseph is still upheld by Christians to this day and in almost every image or statue of St. Joseph, he is shown holding his staff which is blooming flowers (either lilies or spikenard) or just holding the flowers themselves. This is as a reminder of both his worthiness and purity in the eyes of the Heavenly Father to be chosen as the spouse of the Mother of God.

Imagine how honored Joseph would have felt to be the chosen one. Out of all these men, some more successful than he, God chose a humble worker. Think of how happy and yet nervous he would have been when seeing the Virgin Mary. Think of the innocent awkwardness of Joseph and Mary when they first encountered each other alone, in order to get to know each other. They would both have been nervous because they had both made vows of virginity to the Lord. Mary would have told Joseph this in order to be completely honest with him. He should not expect to have sexual relations with her and therefore, she could not bear him children. If he wanted, he could find a more suitable wife who had not made this vow to the Lord.

Joseph however, was relieved at hearing these words. He too had made a vow to the Lord to remain a virgin. How perfect a union this would be and how wonderful the moment of their espousals—the choirs of angels must have rejoiced in the Heavens at that sacred moment in history!

Venerable Maria de Agreda: In the interior of his heart God spoke: “Joseph, my servant, Mary shall be thy spouse; accept her with attentive reverence, for she is acceptable in my eyes, just and most pure in soul and body…” At this manifestation and token from heaven the priests declared Saint Joseph to be the spouse selected by God himself for the maiden Mary. Calling her forth for her espousal, the chosen one issued forth like the sun, more resplendent than the moon, and she entered into the presence of all with a countenance more beautiful than that of an angel, incomparable in the charm of her beauty, nobility and grace; and the priests espoused her to the most chaste and holy of men, Saint Joseph.

Proverbs 31:10-29 – Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize! She brings him good, and not evil . . . She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Her husband is prominent . . . She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel . . . Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all!

When we read the beautiful Nuptial Ode, in the Book of Psalms, we can easily envision Mary saying to her beloved:

Psalm 45:2-8 – “My heart overflows with a goodly theme as I sing my ode . . . Fairer in beauty are you than the sons of men; grace is poured out upon your lips; thus God has blessed you forever . . . God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your . . . kings!”

And Joseph serenades his bride:

Psalm 45:14-17 – “All glorious is the . . . daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold. In embroidered apparel she is borne in . . . Behind her the virgins of her train . . . are borne in with gladness and joy; . . . I will make your name memorable through all generations; therefore shall nations praise you forever and ever!”

The importance of the espousals between Joseph and Mary is shown to us in the words of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Leo XIII:

Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican Gardens, 5 July 2010: The espousals between Joseph and Mary are an episode of great importance. Joseph was of the royal line of David and, in virtue of his marriage to Mary, would confer on the Son of the Virgin — on God's Son — the legal tile of "Son of David," thus fulfilling the prophecies. The espousals of Joseph and Mary are, because of this, a human event, but determinant in the history of humanity's salvation, in the realization of the promises of God; because of this, it also has a supernatural connotation, which the two protagonists accept with humility and trust.

Pope Leo XIII, Quamquam Pluries: The dignity of the Mother of God is certainly so sublime that nothing can surpass it; but none the less, since the bond of marriage existed between Joseph and the Blessed Virgin, there can be no doubt that, more than any other person, he approached that supereminent dignity by which the Mother of God is raised far above all created natures. For marriage is the closest possible union and relationship whereby each spouse mutually participates in the goods of the other. Consequently, if God gave Joseph as a spouse to the Virgin he assuredly gave him not only as a companion in life, a witness of her virginity, and the guardian of her honor, but also as a sharer in her exalted dignity by reason of the conjugal tie itself.

Feast of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph: January 23 - Approved in 1546 by Pope Paul III to celebrate the holy espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

♔ THE HOLY CHILD SAINT JOSEPH ♔

In the scriptures we are not given any details of St. Joseph’s childhood or his early manhood, so, as with the details of St Joseph’s conception and birth, we have to look to other divinely inspired sources for even a glimpse of Joseph before he appears in the Holy Bible.

Concerning the child Joseph, we have the revelations of Venerable Maria de Agreda, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, and Servant of God Mother Cecilia Baij. We are told that he was a humble and holy boy who possessed great understanding and awareness of God at a young age:

Blessed Anne Catherine  Emmerich: Joseph, whom I saw in this vision at about the age of eight, was very was very gifted and was a very good scholar, but he was simple, quiet, devout, and not at all ambitious . . .  I often saw him kneeling down with his face to the wall, praying with outstretched arms. 

Venerable Maria de Agreda: The holy child Joseph was born most beautiful and perfect of body and caused in his parents and in his relations an extraordinary delight… The  Lord hastened the use of his reason, endowing it with infused science and augmenting his soul with new graces and virtues. … The child began to know God … as the cause and Author of all things. He eagerly listened and understood profoundly all that was taught him in regard to God and his      works. … He was of a kind disposition, loving, and affable, sincere, showing inclinations not only holy but angelic, growing in virtue and perfection and advancing toward his espousal with most holy Mary by an altogether irreproachable life.

Mother Cecilia Baij: Joseph had the best of dispositions … He matured in a most outstanding manner, both physically and spiritually … God fashioned him according to His own heart and spirit, in order to eventually make him a worthy bridegroom for the Mother of the Divine Word. The child gratefully acknowledged these gifts which he was receiving from God. …

Joseph already possessed the gift of the use of reason, together with the gift of sanctifying grace, and as a result had a greater comprehension of  God and of the offences committed by mankind against Him. He shed copious tears in this regard and offered them to God with the plea that He might have mercy upon poor sinners, that He would enlighten them, and    enable them to see their grievous error…

THE EPIPHANY, THE CONTROVERSIAL SIGN & ST JOSEPH HOSTS THE MAGI

Taken from the book: "St Joseph Prince of the Church"

Nations will come to your light, 

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

- Isaiah 60:3

Just as Jesus had been revealed to the Jews by way of the shepherds at his crib, so too, he was revealed to the Gentiles by means of the infamous “Three Kings” or “Wise Men”. As early as 361 A.D., Christians fixed the date of January 6 to be the feast day of the Epiphany, commemorating the Visitation of the Magi (Persian wise men or astrologers) to adore the Infant Jesus. This encounter was to be the revelation of Christ to all nations, as they represented the non-Jewish people of the world.

VISITORS FROM THE EAST

According to the Gospel of St. Matthew the Wise Men of the East came to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews. Since three gifts were given to the baby Jesus from the Magi, it has always been assumed that there were three Wise Men sometimes called the “Three Kings of the East”. The Bible does not give us their names, but tradition as early as the 6^th century gives us their names: Gaspar (sometimes Caspar or Jaspar), Melchior and Balthasar.

As for where they traveled from, we are only told that they “came from the East”, but traditionally they were held to be from Persia, as their earliest depictions in art show them in Persian costume.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, Magi came from the East to Jerusalem... - St. Matthew 2:1

A CONTROVERSIAL SIGN

The Magi were following a sign in the sky – a bright and unusual star – which guided them to Bethlehem. This star, and the Wise Men who followed it, have been the topic of debate for some people, as there are some who claim that this star was the work of the Devil, most notably the religious group “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. Their reasoning behind this claim is that since these Wise Men, also known as Magi, were astrologers, they were to be condemned rather than celebrated. They see the arrival of the Wise Men from the East, who were thought to be astrologers, as something diabolical since the Bible condemns sorcery and astrology in such books as Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 47:13-14.

Also, the fact that the star followed by the Magi led them directly to the evil King Herod does not help their case. Because the Wise Men spoke to King Herod regarding the birth of Jesus (the prophesied King of the Jews); he later sought to kill the child. Had the Wise Men not seen the star and followed it, King Herod would not have been alerted about the birth of this “King of the Jews” whom he saw to be a threat to his power.

Afterwards, Herod would deploy his soldiers into the town of Bethlehem to destroy all the male children under the age of two, in the hopes that one of them would be the newborn king. Though this would be a heartbreaking event in history, these slain Innocents would become the first martyrs who shed their blood for Christ. In the end, the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that this star and the Wise Men were part of the Devil’s ploy to do away with the Son of God.

REDEEMED ASTROLOGERS

We can read in the Bible that the Wise Men were meaning to find Jesus not to cause him harm, but rather to “come to worship him” (St. Matthew 2:2). Though the star was discovered and followed by these Magi, who practised astrology, it was meant to be a sign of hope to the foreign people, the Gentiles, as well as to those most in need of redemption, the sinners. St. John Chrysostom (347-407) believed that the star was a means by God to purposely attract the Gentiles of the East. Also, according to St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Christ chose to make himself known to pious and simple shepherd Jews as well as the Wise Men of Persia.

“God calls them by means of the things they are most familiar with; and He shows them a large and extraordinary star so that they would be impressed by its size and beauty." - St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Gospel of St. Matthew

“The shepherds were Israelites, the Magi were Gentiles. The former were nigh to Him, the latter far from Him. Both hastened to Him together as to the cornerstone. ...As unskillfulness predominates in the rustic manners of the shepherds, so ungodliness abounds in the profane rites of the Magi. Yet did this Corner-Stone draw both to Itself; inasmuch as He came ‘to choose the foolish things that He might confound the wise’, and ‘not to call the just, but sinners,’”- St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon on the Epiphany

The Bible even tells us that when they found where Jesus was, they “rejoiced exceedingly” and “falling down, they worshiped him.” (St. Matthew 2:11). The Magi are described as falling down and this is important to note that, in the Roman and Jewish traditions, kneeling or prostration was seen as undignified. To this day, people of the Jewish faith do not kneel when they pray, but rather they stand. This was the complete opposite for the Persians; to them this was a sign of the greatest respect and reverence, used when venerating a recognized King. To this day kneeling is an important element of Christian worship particularly within the Catholic Church where genuflecting is also a part of worship. 

Eastern tradition holds that after they adored the Infant Jesus and presented their gifts, the Virgin Mary gave them, as a token of friendship, some of Our Lord’s garments to bring back with them to the East. The Magi returned to Persia and in the year 40 A.D., they were baptized by St. Thomas the Apostle. Later on, dying for their faith in Jesus Christ, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar were celebrated as martyrs and saints. In renaissance art they are often depicted with halos.

ST. JOSEPH’S COURT

We wonder, what was the purpose of the Magi meeting in Herod’s palace before finding the Holy Family? St. John Chrysostom (347-407) gives us the significance of this meeting:

“The star had been hidden from them so that, on finding themselves without their guide, they would have no alternative but to consult the Jews [in King Herod’s court]. In this way the birth of Jesus would be made known to all.” - St. John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of St. Matthew

After leaving the extravagant court of King Herod, the three Wise Men found themselves in the humble court of St. Joseph. He would have felt especially honoured to receive these esteemed men as guests and would have respectfully invited them in to adore the Infant Jesus. These men would have been used to the finer things in life, but would gladly set aside their pomp for the simple surroundings they now found themselves in.  After adoring the Holy Child, we are told by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich that St. Joseph sought to be a kind host and entertain his guests with a meal and some good conversation, putting everyone at ease:

“Meanwhile Joseph... had set out a light meal in the kings’ tent... I saw Joseph receiving them with great friendliness and begging them to be his guests and accept this modest meal. He reclined among them round the low table as they ate. He was not at all shy, and was so happy...” - Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Part 13, Chapter 22

At this gathering there were no rich or poor, royal or lowly, but rather they were all men of equal integrity. Though the Wise Men had come to see the new born King of the Jews expecting to be led to a palace, they knew that upon entering they were in fact in a royal court, however meek but dignified. The throne Christ sat upon was not of gold or set with diamonds, but rather was the lap of the Blessed Virgin – the jewel of God’s creation. The Divine Infant King was not clothed in robes of fine silks, but rather in simple swaddling clothes, bestowed upon him by his mother.  St. Joseph, though not outwardly of royal nobility, was the Prince of this little kingdom on earth and was the most gracious and noble of those men present. (The phrase "not outwardly of royal nobility" meaning that the throne was suppressed from his family, therefore his was a hidden royalty. More on the nobility of St Joseph HERE)

When God the Father decided to give His Son to the world, He wanted to do so with honour, since He is worthy of all honour and glory. He thus prepared Him a court and royal service worthy of Him: God desired that His Son should have an honourable and glorious reception on earth, if not in the eyes of the world, at least in His own eyes.... The court of the Son of God made Man was composed of Mary and Joseph: God Himself could not have found more worthy servants for His Son. - St. Peter Julian Eymard, Premier et le plus Parfait des Adorateurs