[!] Official Title for St.Joseph

[TheNeutral]

According to most individuals, St.Joseph doesn’t have an official title despite his royal status as a member of Christ’s family. Upon doing some extensive research, however, I found this to be rather questionable. According to reputable sources, St.Joseph was proclaimed the “Patron of the Universal Church” and the “Guardian of the Universal Church” by Pope Pius IX. People may understandably argue that referring to St.Joseph as “Our Guardian” may conflict with other saints who are also eligible for the title such as St.Michael, our Guardian Angels, or God Himself, however there has never been a universal “patron” for the Church in the way that he is, thus, I believe that in honor of the life St.Joseph lived and his unique relationship to Christ, he should therefore be officially titled “Our Patron” for his special and powerful role as the patron saint of the Universal Church.

Our Lord, Our Lady, and Our Patron all love us and are praying for us in Heaven!

God Bless.

 

[TheOldColonel]

St. Joseph was not even mentioned in the Eucharistc Prayers until 1962. Such has been the minimization of his role. Indeed, when depicted, he is made to be an old man holding a lily flower, the symbol of virginity. No doubt, as the Church developed and strengthened its Marian theology, there was perceived a greater need to minimize Joseph’s role as a man and the husband of Mary. Relegating him to the role of elderly, virginal guardian was the only way to make him safe to dogma of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

 

[pianistclare]

Anyone arguing against St. Joseph is a fool rejecting the fact that he raised Christ and protected Our Lady.
St Joesph help us!

Thank God they put him back int he Eucharistic prayer.

 

[Vico]

…

Greek Orthodox title for St. Joseph: Protector of the Virgin Mary.

In our Byzantine Catholic calendar his feast is Sunday after the Nativity: The Commemoration of the Holy and Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, David the King, and James the Brother of God.

(Byzantine) March 19 is The Holy Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria (c. 253).

 

[TheNeutral]

“Protector of the Virgin Mary” doesn’t say anything about St.Joseph himself though; it merely gives a description of St.Joseph in relation to Mary. Also, it doesn’t have to be his only title; If Mary can be called “Theotokos”, “Blessed”, and “Our Lady”, St.Joseph can at least be called “Our Patron” this provides a means of avoiding any doctrinal conflict while giving St.Joseph the appreciation we know he deserves from us.

I say we ought to make it happen and add it to the official language.

 

[Genesis315]

St. Joseph was not even mentioned in the Eucharistc Prayers until 1962. Such has been the minimization of his role. Indeed, when depicted, he is made to be an old man holding a lily flower, the symbol of virginity. No doubt, as the Church developed and strengthened its Marian theology, there was perceived a greater need to minimize Joseph’s role as a man and the husband of Mary. Relegating him to the role of elderly, virginal guardian was the only way to make him safe to dogma of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

I’ve read the reason he was not originally in the Communicantes is because he is technically an OT saint (he died before the death and resurrection of Christ). John the Baptist is likewise excluded from that prayer.

In our day, St. Joseph has replaced St. John the Baptist in popular piety as the number two Saint. In many ways, I think that is because of his relationship to the Blessed Virgin, rather than in spite of it. Just as the veneration we have for Mary is due to her relationship to Christ, so is the veneration due to St. Joseph a function of his relationship to both. Because it is derivative, it has taken longer to develop (unlike St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph received very little direct attention or praise in Scripture).

 

[Vico]

“Protector of the Virgin Mary” doesn’t say anything about St.Joseph himself though; it merely gives a description of St.Joseph in relation to Mary. Also, it doesn’t have to be his only title; If Mary can be called “Theotokos”, “Blessed”, and “Our Lady”, St.Joseph can at least be called “Our Patron” this provides a means of avoiding any doctrinal conflict while giving St.Joseph the appreciation we know he deserves from us.

I say we ought to make it happen and add it to the official language.

These protections are implemented differently in different sui iuris churches. Therefore in the Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy the Toparion and Kontakion are sung:

Toparion of the Sunday after the Nativity

Jo - seph, pro-claim the won - ders you have seen
to Da - vid, the fore - fa-ther of God:
the Vir - gin has giv - en birth;
you have giv - en glo - ry with the shep - herds
and wor - shipped with the wise men;
you have been in- struct-ed by the an - gel.
Ask Christ our God to save our souls

Kontakion of the Sunday after the Nativity

To - day the god - ly Da - vid is filled with joy;
Jo - seph of - fers hymns of praise with James.
Re - joic - ing, they take up the garland of re - la - tion - ship with Christ.
They sing praise to him whose birth on earth de - fies de-scrip - tion
and they cry out: O mer - ci - ful Lord, save those who hon - or you.

 

[phoage]

There is little in the Bible on him, but there is a lot more in one of the apocraphal documents; The Gospel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The short story is, Mary is raised inthe temple. At some point she vows perpertuial virginity. When she is of an age to be married, the temple priests are at a loss as to how this will happen because she is serious about her vow. One of the elders recieves a vision in a dream that they are to gather elegable men and her husband will be made known. The prospective grooms are gathered and Joseph’s Staff blooms a lily. Joseph had previously been married and widowed.

None of this is scripture but it is tradition. The same document also gives the name of Mary’s parents (Anne and Johosaphat).

That is why Joseph is always shown as an old man with a bloomin’ walking stick.

For what it’s worth,

Patrick
AMDG

 

[LilyM]

St. Joseph was not even mentioned in the Eucharistc Prayers until 1962. Such has been the minimization of his role. Indeed, when depicted, he is made to be an old man holding a lily flower, the symbol of virginity. No doubt, as the Church developed and strengthened its Marian theology, there was perceived a greater need to minimize Joseph’s role as a man and the husband of Mary. Relegating him to the role of elderly, virginal guardian was the only way to make him safe to dogma of Mary’s perpetual virginity.

I’ve seen plenty of depictions of him that are relatively young (having him in his 30s or so rather than old enough to be grey).

 

[angel12]

I’ve seen plenty of depictions of him that are relatively young (having him in his 30s or so rather than old enough to be grey).

And that makes sense, especially given the trip to Bethlehem, and then to Egypt & back.