An Admiring Article on the Character of Saint Joseph (feast day, Friday, May 1)

[mdgspencer]

see denvercatholic.org/like-st-joseph-strong-silent-type/

 

[Digitonomy]

May 1 as Joseph’s feast day? I always thought it was in March.

 

[mdgspencer]

Saint Joseph has two feast days–March 19 for Joseph the husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the worker. I simply took the fact that he has a feast day on May 1 off my Catholic calendar, and I am sorry I unintentionally created any confusion.
see www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=471

 

[Divine3]

There are some private revelations about St. Joseph (which means you can believe it or not), the four volume of the City of God by Venerable Maria Agreda has a lot written about St. Joseph.

 

[Digitonomy]

I don’t understand how the author can say that Joseph was the “silent” type…and also, that he was the family “leader”.
From the scarce bits about him in the early writings, we don’t know that he was a personality that stayed quiet or “silent”. We just don’t know enough about him to know that.

And, it seems from the information that we do have…that Mary was much more prominent and more the one in charge of the family and the leader.

I agree that we mostly idealize Joseph’s role as a father figure, with little knowledge of what he was like or how he fulfilled that role. Just because scripture is silent about what he said, does not mean he was silent.

By the same token, unless I’m missing some story in scripture, I think it’s an unwarranted leap to assume that Mary was the leader of the family.

 

[Digitonomy]

Saint Joseph has two feast days–March 19 for Joseph the husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the worker. I simply took the fact that he has a feast day on May 1 off my Catholic calendar, and I am sorry I unintentionally created any confusion.
see www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=471

Interesting I had never heard of this. Apparently Pius XII was trying to compete with communists with regard to May Day imagery and ideals when he established this in 1955.
americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1370

Other than Mary, are there any other saints who are honored in more than one guise?

 

[Memaw]

I don’t understand how the author can say that Joseph was the “silent” type…and also, that he was the family “leader”.
From the scarce bits about him in the early writings, we don’t know that he was a personality that stayed quiet or “silent”. We just don’t know enough about him to know that.

And, it seems from the information that we do have…that Mary was much more prominent and more the one in charge of the family and the leader.

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Don’t know where you got that idea, Joseph led her to Bethlehem and also to Egypt and back to Nazareth. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Memaw]

I must say, I’ve heard a lot of great leaps-of-logic and assumptions when it comes to most religions, including Christianity. Compared to the long list in my mind, to say that Mary was in charge doesn’t seem that much of a leap to me since first of all, she made the major family decision that determined the course of the rest of their lives; got pregnant without Joseph’s knowledge or consent.
Plus, we later see her taking a more active role in Jesus’ life.
We can only go by the little information we have, and the info we do have shows her being more outspoken and present than Joseph.

Not sure why you are thinking he “led” her to Bethlehem?
Of the few sentences that describe this scene in the gospels, it says they went together but doesn’t specify anyone leading anyone else.
(I haven’t checked the journey specifics to Egypt/Nazareth, but I will).

((Also, as an aside, we are not sure if they even went to Bethlehem, as I’m sure you know. In fact, they probably did not. There is no record of any census happening then (while records of others are recorded) and if there was one, there has never been a empire-wide cencus that would demand them to go back to the town of their ancestors like that.))

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As the head of the Family, Joseph “led” her. The husband was then and still should be the head of the household. Now if you have a problem with that, you’ll have to take it up with God. If you want to get technical, didn’t he lead the donkey?? So your telling the Sacred Scriptures it’ is “wrong” about Bethlehem?? And GOD made the decision for Mary to be the Mother of Jesus and Yes she humbly consented but God took care of informing Joseph and he accepted his role in the lives of Jesus and Mary like the Holy Man he was. God Bless, Memaw

 

[adrift]

As the head of the Family, Joseph “led” her. The husband was then and still should be the head of the household. Now if you have a problem with that, you’ll have to take it up with God. If you want to get technical, didn’t he lead the donkey?? So your telling the Sacred Scriptures it’ is “wrong” about Bethlehem?? And GOD made the decision for Mary to be the Mother of Jesus and Yes she humbly consented but God took care of informing Joseph and he accepted his role in the lives of Jesus and Mary like the Holy Man he was. God Bless, Memaw

No donkey is mentioned in scripture. I doubt if Joseph owned one but I do agree with you on your main part. The angel did not go to Mary to tell her she must go to Egypt but to Joseph. The angel did not go to Mary to tell her that Herod was dead and to return to Israel but to Joseph. It would go against the culture and her up brining for Mary not to consider Joseph the leader.