Icons or Famous Depictions of St. Joseph?

[Margaret_Ann]

My late father was Ukrainian Greek Catholic and my late mother was Byzantine (Carpatho-Rusyn) Catholic, so my siblings and I were raised Ukrainian Greek Catholic. However, we attended Liturgy at Byzantine Catholic churches too (visiting mom’s relatives in upstate PA).

 

[MikeInVA]

There are many highly accomplished older endurance athletes.

Saint Joseph was a carpenter. I imagine that he was strong as an ox, but probably wasn’t much of a walker or runner.

 

[LordofByz]

In recent years, people have been more likely to see Joseph as a younger man of normal age to be marrying a young girl, and not a widower. Mother Angelica said she thought of Joseph as young because of the physically demanding stuff he was recorded as doing in Scripture: “old men don’t walk to Egypt”.

There are numerous examples of men doing great things in their old age in Scripture. Abraham was 75 when he was called by God to the Promised Land, and he did walk to Egypt during his travels. Moses was 80 when he led the Exodus and 120 when he died. Joshua led a military campaign for the Promised Land until he was old and far advanced in years. Given that St. Joseph is descended from the same stock as the Hebrew Patriarchs and that he would have been fit as a carpenter, I don’t think he had to be 20 or 30 years old to make the journey. I think that part of it is that in modern Western culture we tend to shun the idea of an older man marrying a younger girl.

 

[LordofByz]

If you look at the liturgy, it’s St John the Baptist who stood out traditionally… with St Joseph gaining more attention in recent times.

You’re absolutely correct. In the traditional Latin Mass, St. John the Baptist is mentioned in the confiteor (twice), in the prayer “Suscipe, Sancte Pater”, in the Roman Canon, and in the Last Gospel. Not to mention that the “Ecce, Agnus Dei” is taken from the mouth of St. John the Baptist. That’s a total of 9 times. If you look at the Eastern rites, you will see a similar great devotion to St. John the Baptist in the Divine Liturgy. St. John the Baptist is the more traditional candidate for second to Our Lady (not that I find it very fruitful to get into online discussions about whose the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven).

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I mean, off the top of my head, the only Saint i can think of who had a particularly strong devotion to St. Joseph was Teresa of Avila.

There are a number of saints with strong devotions to St. Joseph. Fr. Calloway discusses them all in his book. They include St. Teresa of Avila, St. Andre Bessette (who caused St. Joseph’s Oratory to be built), St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Francis de Sales, St. Pope John XXIII, St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Bernadine of Siena, St. Jose Manyanet, and I’m sure there are several more not coming to my mind right now.