“Saint Joseph is a man of great spirit. He is great in faith, not because he speaks his own words, but above all because he listens to the words of the Living God. He listens in silence. And his heart ceaselessly perseveres in the readiness to accept the Truth contained in the word of the Living God” -Pope John Paul II about St. Joseph

Although the Bible contains very little information about St. Joseph's life, we do know that he was Mary's husband, the foster father of Jesus, a carpenter, and a man of modest means. Additionally, we are aware that he descended from King David's royal family.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states that St. Joseph was born in Bethlehem, Judea, under the Roman Empire, and his Apocryphal Birth Date is 90 BC. Jacob was the father of Saint Joseph, according to the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:16). Heli is identified as Joseph's father in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:23). One explanation for this discrepancy is that Luke's genealogy reveals Jesus' physical descent through Mary, whilst Matthew's genealogy gives Jesus' legal Jewish law-based descent through Joseph.

Scripture demonstrates that St. Joseph was a kind man who submitted to God's will through his deeds. He also cared for and wished to protect Mary and Jesus because he loved them.

The absence of St. Joseph from Jesus' public life, death, or resurrection has led many historians to the conclusion that Joseph had most likely passed away before Jesus began his public ministry.

Pope Pius XII established the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955 in an effort to strengthen Catholics' ardent devotion to Saint Joseph and in response to Communist-sponsored May Day celebrations for workers. The longstanding bond between St. Joseph and the cause of laborers in Catholic devotion and faith is strengthened by this feast. The value of human labor as an element of God's creative work has long been praised, from the Book of Genesis. By working, humanity complies with the Book of Genesis' directive to protect the environment and produce fruitful results from their labors (Gn 2:15). One illustration of the sanctity of human labor is Saint Joseph, a carpenter and Jesus' foster father.

Jesus was a carpenter as well. Saint Joseph taught him the craft, and he worked side by side with him in his carpentry shop during his formative years before departing to focus on his preaching and healing ministry.

The liturgical calendar celebrates St. Joseph with two feast days. The first is on March 19 which is Joseph, Mary's Husband and the second is on May 1, Joseph, the Worker. St. Joseph is the patron saint of numerous things, including the global Church, fathers, the dying, and social justice.

Other Saints of the Day
Saint Benedict of Szkalka
Saint Richard Pampuri
Saint Brieuc of Brittany
Saint Peregrine Laziosi
Saint John-Louis Bonnard