ST. JOSEPH: A SON OF DAVID

From Part One, Chapter Four of THE BOOK OF JOSEPH

 

As Joseph works and lives in Jerusalem, a decree goes out from the temple to all the unmarried male descendants of King David: All sons of the royal House of David are to report to the Jerusalem temple in order that a suitable husband for the temple virgin, Mary, daughter of Heli (Joachim), be chosen from among them. Joseph, being a son of David, is required to report. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich writes:

When the Blessed Virgin had reached the age of fourteen

and was to be dismissed from the Temple, I saw that the

messengers were sent throughout the land and all

unmarried men of the  line  of  David

were summoned  to  the  Temple

(A. Emmerich, 1953, pg. 81).

JOSEPH’S DAVIDIC 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 sceptre shall not be taken away from Judah,

… till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the

expectation of nations (Genesis 49:10 DRV).

This removal of authority had already happened by the time Joseph was born into the world as the foreign King Herod of Ascalon had usurped the throne of the sons of King David. Nevertheless, Joseph remained the rightful heir of the kings of Judea. However, in the Divine plan, Joseph was meant to serve the Lord as a worker and to hide and humble himself in domestic life, while at the same time being a nobleman. St. Joseph would have had perfect claim to the throne. St. Peter Julian Eymard and St. Bernardino of Sienna comment that though the throne was taken from Joseph’s family, he was no less a king because of it:

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

(P. Eymard, 1948, pg. 60).

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

(B. Albizensci, 1956, pg. 20).

The Sovereign Lord had deigned to make St. Joseph of royal blood, placing in him all the honour 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 heart — a heart in which the Lord took great consolation and great delight.

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☩ ST. JOSEPH'S WEDNESDAY ☩

Don't forget, dear friends, that every Wednesday is dedicated to St. Joseph (as declared by Pope Benedict XV in Bonum Sane,1920). It still applies today, so be sure to pay him homage and ask him to pray for you before the throne of Christ! 

St. Bernardino of Siena: Joseph was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of His greatest treasures, namely, His divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s spouse. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’

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♔ CROWN OF ETERNAL LIFE: THE ASSUMPTION OF ST. JOSEPH ♔ (NOT OFFICIALLY DEFINED AS DOGMA BY THE CHURCH)

St. Bernardino of Siena: In the same way that Mary was assumed into Heaven, it is thought that Jesus deigned to glorify Joseph. In this way, all of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph – who lived together on Earth, would reign together in Heaven.

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Hail Joseph Son of David, God is with you! Blessed are you amongst 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.
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♔ REVERENCE TO ST. JOSEPH - St. Bernardino of Sienna ♔

♔ St. Bernardino of Sienna ♔ What then is Joseph’s position in the whole Church of Christ? Is he not a man chosen and set apart? Through him and, yes, under him, Christ was fittingly and honorably introduced into the world. Holy Church in its entirety is indebted to the Virgin Mother because through her it was judged worthy to receive Christ. But after her we undoubtedly owe special gratitude and reverence to Saint Joseph. 

♔ THE GREAT DIGNITY OF ST. JOSEPH ♔ – by St. Leonard of Port-Maurice

Text by St. Leonard of Port-Maurice - There is a prophetic figure who embodies the greatness of our saint: according to St. Bernardine, Joseph of the Old Testament represents in the distant past the awe-inspiring prerogatives of Mary’s spouse.

You will remember that extraordinary dream in which the first Joseph saw the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowing down at his feet. (Genesis37:9) This dream was an ecstatic vision sent to Joseph by God Himself to show his imminent rise in rank, and to also point out the future greatness of our saint.

I leave it to you to ponder over the great destiny of the first Joseph who saw not only his family, but all of Egypt, prostrate at his feet.

Almighty God, who could ever begin to fathom it! Do you not think St. Joseph was moved to see Jesus and Mary at his feet, as if they were servants, showing the most loving signs of respect? This is what makes me bold enough to assert that Joseph, in order to become Mary’s spouse, must have been the greatest person to have ever lived, after the Virgin herself. I don’t mean that kind of greatness in which the ambitious boast of their honors to gain the empty respect of men. If you study his lineage you will see that Joseph, not lacking such greatness, could boast of having fourteen kings as ancestors, and as many patriarchs and leaders – none of them as great as he despite their scepters and crowns. According to St. Bernardine of Siena, Joseph came from a line of such illustrious nobility, reaching nearly to the Heavens and including many prophets and patriarchs, that he was able to bestow earthly nobility on the Word Itself.

However it is not because of this greatness that Joseph is praised. If he has dignity in himself, it is not because of the greatness of his ancestors. His identity as a carpenter was as dear to him as the title of prince. The royal scepter was not more important to him than the workman’s hammer. His greatness comes above all from his glorious title: “the just one”. This is what pleases him most; for this he will be admired for all time. All Joseph’s glories are summed up in the eulogy: Joseph was a just man. (St. Matthew 1:19).

If you really want to understand the greatness of St. Joseph as “just”: analyze the word itself. It sums up all the virtues and height of Christian perfection. The holy Father of the Church, St. Maximinus of Turin, tells us the same thing: “Do you wish to know why Joseph is called just? Because he possessed perfectly all the virtues.” What more can one say about a man than to say that he posses all the virtues to a perfect degree? Is this not the highest praise? And who could compare himself in grandeur to Joseph who deserved this praise? Could Adam who, before the fall, appeared with all the animals subject to him? Could Moses who commanded creatures with his rod? Could Abraham surrounded by his descendants like a sun in the midst of stars? Call to mind Josue stopping the sun at the command of his voice; Solomon seeing queens prostrate before his throne; and you, miracle workers, show us how nature obeys your commands. Realize, however, that all these powers cannot make you equal to St. Joseph. For you received these powers and virtues only in part, while Joseph had them all and to a perfect degree.

Humble yourselves then at his feet, all you prophets, patriarchs, apostles, martyrs, miracle workers, all you great ones of Heaven and earth, just as in ancient times the sun and the moon and the stars bowed down to honor the first Joseph.

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If Our Lord Jesus Christ – God-made-man, second Person of the Holy Trinity, Redeemer of the World, and His Blessed Virgin Mother, humbled themselves in the service of the established Head of the Holy Family, why then should we be any different? Let us imitate Our Lord in His absolute humility to be subject to St. Joseph of Nazareth. Are we too proud to honor the man whom God Himself honored as His earthly father? Or even His Blessed Mother? Will we pick and choose what parts of Christ’s life to imitate, or will we surrender ourselves to His entire livelihood? Jesus I trust in You and I trust in honoring those whom You honor, in loving those whom You love.  – J. Rodrigues

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