Help me get to know St. Joseph

[AgeTaylor]

I’ve only recently come to understand Mother Mary and how imperative it is to have a relationship with our God given spiritual Mother. And this raises questions for me about St. Joseph.

Does the Church officially teach that St. Joseph was sinless? I can’t seem to find info one way or the other.

I’ve learned that there is no official Church teaching on St. Joseph’s virginity, that we are free to believe the apocraphyl Marian apologetic in the Protoevangelium (sp) Gospel of James that St. Joseph was a 90 year old widower when he was betrothed to the young Mary, or believe that St. Joseph was a young virgin himself at the time of their betrothal. Is there a favored belief amongst Catholics these days? I am curious in the plausibility of the former (that St. Joseph was a widower) and that he could have been sinless, as it doesn’t seem a fitting situation to convey his sinlessness (if this is a teaching of the Church). Not that marrying after being a widowed is a sin, but it’s just a little more “messy” if you will, than a virgin at betrothal. None of this paragraph really matters, just curious the thoughts out there on this subject.

Lastly, what is our relationship with St. Joseph to be like? Christ perfectly fulfilled the law, abiding by the commandments and thus perfectly honoring His mother and father. I assume this would include both God and St. Joseph? We are called to immitate our Lord, and thus perfectly honor God the father and Mother Mary… where does St. Joseph fit into the picture? Are we called to have a particular devotion to St. Joseph perhaps over the other saints, like Mother Mary?

I rarely hear about St. Joseph and would love to know more!

 

[thistle]

I’ve only recently come to understand Mother Mary and how imperative it is to have a relationship with our God given spiritual Mother. And this raises questions for me about St. Joseph.

Does the Church officially teach that St. Joseph was sinless? I can’t seem to find info one way or the other.

I’ve learned that there is no official Church teaching on St. Joseph’s virginity, that we are free to believe the apocraphyl Marian apologetic in the Protoevangelium (sp) Gospel of James that St. Joseph was a 90 year old widower when he was betrothed to the young Mary, or believe that St. Joseph was a young virgin himself at the time of their betrothal. Is there a favored belief amongst Catholics these days? I am curious in the plausibility of the former (that St. Joseph was a widower) and that he could have been sinless, as it doesn’t seem a fitting situation to convey his sinlessness (if this is a teaching of the Church). Not that marrying after being a widowed is a sin, but it’s just a little more “messy” if you will, than a virgin at betrothal. None of this paragraph really matters, just curious the thoughts out there on this subject.

Lastly, what is our relationship with St. Joseph to be like? Christ perfectly fulfilled the law, abiding by the commandments and thus perfectly honoring His mother and father. I assume this would include both God and St. Joseph? We are called to immitate our Lord, and thus perfectly honor God the father and Mother Mary… where does St. Joseph fit into the picture? Are we called to have a particular devotion to St. Joseph perhaps over the other saints, like Mother Mary?

I rarely hear about St. Joseph and would love to know more!

The Church does not teach St Joseph was sinless.
Apart from Jesus the only other the Church teaches was sinless is Mary.

 

[AgeTaylor]

Excellent, thank you! That’s what I figured, though I’ve run into many people who hold to the sinless-ness of St. Joseph as part of the Holy Family, which that desire makes sense.

 

[beth40n2]

Joseph was “a just man”. This praise bestowed by the Holy Ghost, and the privilege of having been chosen by God to be the foster-father of Jesus and the spouse of the Virgin Mother, are the foundations of the honour paid to St. Joseph by the Church.

Here is a great link with lots of info about St. Joseph.
newadvent.org/cathen/08504a.htm

 

[thistle]

I’ve only recently come to understand Mother Mary and how imperative it is to have a relationship with our God given spiritual Mother. And this raises questions for me about St. Joseph.

Does the Church officially teach that St. Joseph was sinless? I can’t seem to find info one way or the other.

I’ve learned that there is no official Church teaching on St. Joseph’s virginity, that we are free to believe the apocraphyl Marian apologetic in the Protoevangelium (sp) Gospel of James that St. Joseph was a 90 year old widower when he was betrothed to the young Mary, or believe that St. Joseph was a young virgin himself at the time of their betrothal. Is there a favored belief amongst Catholics these days? I am curious in the plausibility of the former (that St. Joseph was a widower) and that he could have been sinless, as it doesn’t seem a fitting situation to convey his sinlessness (if this is a teaching of the Church). Not that marrying after being a widowed is a sin, but it’s just a little more “messy” if you will, than a virgin at betrothal. None of this paragraph really matters, just curious the thoughts out there on this subject.

Lastly, what is our relationship with St. Joseph to be like? Christ perfectly fulfilled the law, abiding by the commandments and thus perfectly honoring His mother and father. I assume this would include both God and St. Joseph? We are called to immitate our Lord, and thus perfectly honor God the father and Mother Mary… where does St. Joseph fit into the picture? Are we called to have a particular devotion to St. Joseph perhaps over the other saints, like Mother Mary?

I rarely hear about St. Joseph and would love to know more!

My wife prays The Holy Cloak of St Joseph Novena. It is recited for 30 consecutive days.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

Very little is actually known about Joseph, the husband of Mary and STEP-FATHER of Jesus.

His name is mentioned in the Bible, and on at least two occasions he was visited by an angel in a dream.

Other than that, absolutely nothing concrete is known.

It is believed that he was considerably older than Mary (which was quite common at that time), and likely was a widower. It is quite probable that the siblings of Jesus spoken about in the Bible were Joseph’s children from his first marriage, which would have made them step-siblings to Jesus.

It is believed that he was a carpenter.

Other than that, it is all 100% speculation.

He is never referred to after Jesus went up to the Temple at the age of 12 (just as there is virtually no mention of what Jesus was doing). There is NO mention of him during the Ministry of Jesus, which leads to the presumption that he had died before Jesus began that ministry. But we really do not know.

I have read, and heard, LOTS of stories about St.Joseph, but they are nothing more than pious fables.