♔ THE NOBILITY OF ST JOSEPH SON OF DAVID ♔

And David the king begot Solomon... Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and of her was born Jesus who is called Christ. – St. Matthew 1:1-16

In all, there were forty generations from Abraham to Jesus Christ. St. Joseph was a descendent of great patriarchs, princes, and kings, and when Jesus chose Joseph to be his father on earth, he too became linked with this esteemed lineage. This brings to mind a prophecy from the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“Fear not, O Jacob . . . I will pour out My Spirit upon your offspring, and My blessing upon your descendents. … One shall say, ‘I am the Lord’s’, another shall be named after Jacob, and this one will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s’ and Israel will be his surname.” – Isaiah 44:2-5

STOLEN BIRTHRIGHT

In the Book of Genesis, the prophecy of Jacob states that the kingdom will be taken away from God’s chosen people when the arrival of Jesus, the Redeemer, is at hand. The loss of the Davidic crown was the sign of the coming of the Christ.

The scepter shall not depart from Judea… until He comes to whom it   belongs. To Him will be the obedience of nations.

– Genesis 49:10

This removal of authority happened by the time when Joseph was born into the world, to be the herald of the Lord who was to come shortly and proclaim the Kingdom of God. This kingdom would surpass those of the earthly realm and Christ would be its king. Joseph was meant to serve the Lord as a worker and to hide and humble himself in domestic life—therefore sanctifying it and giving dignity to an honest day’s work, while at the same time being a nobleman. St. Joseph had perfect claim to the throne, but with what army would he defeat the foreign king who sat in his place? And besides, what was God’s will in all this? We read the words of St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) and St. Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) who comment that though throne was taken from Joseph’s family, he was no less a king because of it:

St.Peter Julian Eymard:  Therefore, since Christ was King, of the line of David, He made St. Joseph to be born of this same royal line. He wanted him to be noble, of earthly nobility. In the veins of St. Joseph, therefore, flows the blood of David and Solomon, and of all the noble kings of Judah. If his dynasty still sat on the throne, Joseph would be the heir and would have sat on the throne in his turn. Injustice had expelled his family from the throne to which he had the right. For this he is no less a king, the son of these kings of Judah, the greatest, noblest and richest in the world. Thus in the census records of Bethlehem, St. Joseph was inscribed and recognized by the Roman governor as the heir of David: therein lies his royal title, which is easily identifiable, and bears the royal signature.

St.Bernardino of Siena: St. Joseph was born of a patriarchal, royal and princely race in a direct line. The Gospel of St. Matthew establishes the direct line of all the fathers from Abraham to the spouse of the Virgin, clearly demonstrating that all patriarchal, royal and princely dignity came together in him.

The Sovereign Lord had deigned to make St. Joseph of royal blood, placing in him all the honor and glory of the House of David. Though St. Joseph’s family no longer sat on the throne, he was still a continuation of this nobility. He carried this heritage as though it were a secret between himself and his Lord – a sacred bond between an earthly prince and the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. St. Joseph’s royalty was not shown with an outward crown, but one which was hidden within his most Chaste Heart – a heart in which the Lord took great consolation and great delight.

DREAMS OF SPLENDOR

Imagine Joseph working hard during the day, a king hidden amongst us, sweat dripping off his brow as he fought to make ends meet. Imagine him lying in bed at night, pondering life and its meaning. Did he ever wonder what life would be like if he were ruler? He had a claim to the throne and yet here he was, a laborer, making his living by working with his hands. Did he dream of living in the palace with throngs of servants and visiting dignitaries? Did he imagine his beautiful bride, full of virtue and grace? How did he picture her? She would sit next to him at the royal table, her beauty the talk of all the people. They would have banquets in halls of gold and precious stones and entertain friends till dawn. The tables would glisten with gold plates and ornaments, overflowing with fresh fruit and nuts. Musicians would play a constant stream of melodies, filling the royal air that surrounded them. Sweet perfumes and lovely dancers, wine in abundance, entertainers and exotic birds to serenade them throughout the night. Imagine this splendor and luxury. Imagine all the wealth and power he would yield. He would be the envy of every man and he would never have to do manual labour again! Imagine Joseph waking up. Yes, this would all have been a dream, but in actuality would he really have wanted all this?

The covetous man is never satisfied with money, and the lover of wealth reaps no fruit from it; … Where there are great riches, there are also many to devour them. Of what use are they to the owner except to feast his eyes upon? Sleep is sweet to the laboring man, whether he eats little or much, but the rich man’s abundance allows him no sleep.

– Sirach 5:9-12

Joseph’s humility exalted him above all his noble ancestors and made him great in the sight of God. Joseph did indeed have royal blood flowing through his veins, but he lived like an average Jewish man. He lived like an “average Joe.” No palace, no power, no crown. And this was fine with him because he enjoyed his life and felt blessed to have what he did. In him, the Lord was preparing a true friend, and just as Jesus chose some of His apostles from among the lowly, He too chose His father. When Christ gives us the Beatitudes, surely we see Joseph as one of the blessed in God’s eyes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. … Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. … Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in Heaven! – St. Matthew 5:3-12

Nobility of St Joseph - St Peter Julian Eymard

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Excerpts from "Mois de St Joseph, le Premier et le Plus Parfait des Adorateurs"

When God the Father decided to give His Son to the world, He wanted to do so with honor, since He is worthy of all honor and glory. He thus prepared Him a court and royal service worthy of Him: God desired that His Son should have an honorable and glorious reception on earth, if not in the eyes of the world, at least in His own eyes. The mystery of grace in the Incarnation of the Word was not improvised, and those who were chosen to take part in it had been prepared by Him long in advance. 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.

Let us consider particularly St. Joseph. Charged with the formation of the Royal Prince of Heaven and Earth, responsible for directing and serving Him, it was necessary that St. Joseph’s service should be on a par with his Divine Pupil - it would not be fitting for God to be ashamed of His father. Therefore, since He was King, of the line of David, He made St. Joseph to be born of this same royal line. He wanted him to be noble, of an earthly nobility. In the veins of St. Joseph, therefore, flowed the blood of David and Solomon, and of all the noble kings of Judah. If his dynasty had remained on the throne, St. Joseph would have been the heir and would have sat on the throne in his turn.

Pay no mind to his actual poverty: injustice had expelled his family from the throne to which he had the right. For this he was no less a king, the son of these kings of Judah, the greatest, noblest and richest in the world. Thus in the census records of Bethlehem, St. Joseph was inscribed and recognized by the Roman governor as the heir of David: therein lies his royal title, which is easily identifiable and bears the royal signature.

But someone might ask, "What is the importance of Joseph’s nobility? Jesus came only to humble Himself." I answer that the Son of God, who wanted to humble Himself for a time, also wished to unite in His Person all types of grandeur. He also is a King, by right of inheritance, since He is of royal blood. Jesus was noble, and when He chose His Apostles from the common people, He made them nobles. He had that right, given that He was the Son of Abraham and heir to the throne of David. He loves this honor of family. The Church does not judge nobility in terms of democracy. Let us respect, therefore, what she respects. Nobility belongs to God.

Must one, then, be noble to serve Our Lord? If you were noble, you would give Him further glory, but it is not necessary. He is satisfied with good will and nobility of heart. Albeit, Church annals show us that a large number of Saints, and the more illustrious ones, had a coat of arms, a name, and a distinguished family - some were even of royal blood.

Our Lord loves to be honored by all that is honorable. St. Joseph received an exquisite formation in the Temple; thus God prepared him to be the noble servant of His Son, the knight of the most noble Prince, the protector of the most august Queen, the Queen of the universe.

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

 

ST JOSEPH: PERFECT ADORER OF CHRIST

Excerpts from the writings of St. Peter Julian Eymard

 
In profound adoration St. Joseph united himself to the special grace of each one of the  events in the life of Jesus.  He adored our Lord in His hidden life and in His Passion and Death; he adored in advance the Eucharistic Christ in His tabernacles: there was nothing that our Lord could hide from Saint Joseph. Aside from the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph was the first and most perfect adorer of our Lord.

How greatly the Word Incarnate was glorified by the adoration of Mary and Joseph as they atoned for the indifference and ingratitude of His creatures! Saint Joseph joined with Mary in adoration and united himself to Christ, Whose heart surged with sentiments of adoration, love and praise for the Father and of charity for men. 

Saint Joseph’s adoration kept pace with every stage of our Lord’s life, drawing upon the grace, the spirit, and the virtue of each mystery.  In the Incarnation he adored the self-annihilation of the Son of God; at Bethlehem, the poverty; at Nazareth, the silence, the apparent weakness, the obedience, and all the other virtues of Christ.  He knew them well and he grasped clearly the reason why Christ practiced them—for the love and glory of His Heavenly Father.

Faith, humility, purity, and love—these were the keynotes of his adoration.  No saint ever vibrated with a more ardent faith or bowed down in deeper humility; no angel ever glistened with brighter purity; and as for his love, neither saint nor angel ever has or ever will come within range of his burning charity which expressed itself so fully in devotedness.

Because his faith was so strong, Joseph's mind and heart bowed in perfect adoration. Imitate his faith as you kneel before the humble Christ annihilated in the Eucharist.  Pierce the veil which covers this furnace of love and adore the hidden God.  At the same time respect the veil of love and make the immolation of your mind and heart your most beautiful homage of faith.

Among the graces which Jesus gave to His foster-father—and He flooded him with the graces attached to every one of His mysteries—is that special to an adorer of the Blessed Sacrament.  That is the one we must ask of St. Joseph.  Have confidence, strong confidence in him.  Take him as the patron and the model of your life of adoration. From close union with this holy adorer I shall learn to adore our Lord and to live in intimacy with Him.  I shall then be the Joseph of the Eucharist as he was the Joseph of Nazareth.

Nobility of St Joseph Son of David

.And David the king begot Solomon... Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, and of her was born Jesus who is called Christ. - St. Matthew 1:1-16

The Sovereign Lord had deigned to make St. Joseph of royal blood, placing in him all the honor and glory of the House of David.

Though St. Joseph’s family no longer sat on the throne, he was still a continuation of this nobility. He carried this heritage as though it were a secret between himself and his Lord – a sacred bond between an earthly prince and the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. 

St. Joseph’s royalty was not shown with an outward crown, but one which was hidden within his most Chaste Heart – a heart in which the Lord Jesus took great consolation and great delight. - Joe Rodrigues, "St. Joseph Prince of the Church"

St. Peter Julian Eymard: Therefore, since Christ was King, of the line of David, He made Saint Joseph to be born of this same royal line. He wanted him to be noble, of earthly nobility. In the veins of St. Joseph, therefore, flows the blood of David and Solomon, and of all the noble kings of Judah. If his dynasty still sat on the throne, St. Joseph would be the heir and would have sat on the throne in his turn.

St. Bernardino of Siena: St. Joseph was born of a patriarchal, royal and princely race in a direct line. (The Gospel of) St. Matthew establishes the direct line of all the fathers from Abraham to the spouse of the Virgin, clearly demonstrating that all patriarchal, royal and princely dignity came together in him. 

St. Peter Julian Eymard: Injustice had expelled his family from the throne to which he had the right. For this he is no less a king, the son of these kings of Judah, the greatest, noblest and richest in the world. Thus in the census records of Bethlehem, St. Joseph was inscribed and recognized by the Roman governor as the heir of David: therein lies his royal title, which is easily identifiable, and bears the royal signature.

 

Royalty of St Joseph - Apostolate Mini-Presentation