St Joseph, patron of the universal church

In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St Joseph patron of the Universal Church. Exactly 150 years later, on December 8th 2020, pope Francis opened a year of St Joseph ending on December 8th 2021. So it seems only fitting to write a blog post on the 'foster-father' of Jesus as well. 

He is hardly mentioned in the gospels and no words at all of him are recorded. So he is a witness through his deeds only. What do the gospels report on him? Jacob [was] the father of Joseph (Mat 1:16), Joseph [was] the son of Heli (Luke 3:23, perhaps a nickname?), Joseph [was] a descendant of David (Luke 1:27), a carpenter (Mat 13:55), Joseph was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace (Mat 1:19, after finding out that Mary was pregnant before living together), but then an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream (Mat 1:20) and reassured him that the child was of the Holy Spirit. They lived in Galilee [in the] town of Nazareth (Luke 2:39). Two more times an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream: when the Magi had gone, to warn him of Herod intending to kill Jesus & in Egypt after Herod died that they could safely return (Mat 2:13&19).

There's further a popular legend about St Joseph which originates from the (non-canonical) Protoevangelion and gospel of Pseudo-Matthew. It tells that when Mary was of marriable age in the temple where she had been living since a young age (there's after all the feast of the presentation of Mary in the tempel on November 21st), the High Priest invited marriageable men of the Davidic line; they all left their staff and that of Joseph flowered indicating that God had chosen him as spouse for Mary. St Joseph is still generally depicted with a staff with lilies (also a symbol of virginity).

Besides, interesting parallels can be pointed out with his namesake, the patriarch Joseph: both were royalty (the patriarch the right hand of the pharao and the saint of the royal line of David, one can even argue he was THE heir to the throne so the real "Return of the King";-), yet started out as insignificant persons; both further received revelations in dreams and went to Egypt. These many coincidents must have a purpose. Perhaps that the Jews taking the bones of the patriarch with them to the 'promised land' (Gen 50:25) is a revelation of the saints' remains being taken up to heaven like those of his spouse?! After all the gospels tell us that after the crucifixion many of the righteous came out of their graves (Mat 27:52) but not what happened to them afterwards...

In this context it is interesting to discuss Jesus' remark about the ones sitting at his left and right hand in his kingdom for whom it had been 'prepared by the Father' (Mat 20:23). Who could that be?Without doubt the greatest saint is Mary, Jesus' mother, and so she must be sitting at Jesus' right hand (the most prominent place also indicating a primacy in helping to execute His will) in his kingdom after having been taken up into heaven with body and soul (most recent dogma of 1950). It's no coincidence that Mary has also been the closest to Jesus in his earthly life, being present from conception to death and even at his appearances after the resurrection. Nevertheless, Joseph was the main responsible for protecting Jesus as a child, a key in his education (was called 'father' by him after all) and has been with Jesus the great majority of his life (the many 'hidden' years in Nazareth; there even exists the idea that Joseph's death actually marked the start of Jesus' ministry, as he then no longer needed to be 'obedient' cf. Luke 2:51). This makes a good case for Joseph being the second greatest saint and so for him sitting at Jesus' left hand in his kingdom. Then it would also be no more than reasonable if, like John the Baptist, he was already cleansed in the womb from original sin, it is even said right after conception...

Nowadays Joseph is also the second most famous saint, and San Jose even the most common place name in the world. The records of devotion to St Joseph start in the year 800, in the 9th century his title Nutritor Domini (educator/guardian of the Lord) began to appear, and its use increased up to the 14th century. In 1889 P. Leo XIII in his encyclical Quamquam pluries encouraged praying to St Joseph to help the church's challenges. Exactly hundred years later P. John Paul II presented St Joseph's role in the plan of redemption in his encyclical Redemptoris Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer). Before, in 1962, P. John XXIII had inserted the name of Joseph in the canon of the mass, immediately after that of his spouse, and in 2013 P. Francis also added it to the three other Eucharistic prayers, again indicating his primacy after Mother Mary.

Joseph's primary feast is on March 19th; besides, May 1st (international Labour day) celebrates Joseph the Worker [NB only three other male saints have two feasts: Peter, Paul & John the Baptist].

Apparitions of St Joseph are extremely rare: he was seen in Knock (Ireland) and Fatima (Portugal) accompanying Mary; his only recognized apparition alone (and where he spoke) was in Cotignac (south of France) in 1660. There he helped a shepard find a miraculous spring under an impossibly heavy rock. Ten years later he allegedly appeared in Kalisz (Poland) as well which now has a sanctuary of St Joseph. His largest sanctuary in the world is St Joseph's Oratory in Montreal (Canada).

The primary prayer to St Joseph is his Litany, listing his 24 primary titles: Renowned offspring of David, Light of patriarchs, Spouse of the Mother of God, Chaste guardian of the Virgin, Foster-father of the Son of God, Diligent protector of Christ, Head of the Holy Family, Most just, Most chaste, Most prudent, Most strong, Most obedient, Most faithful, Mirror of patience, Lover of poverty, Model of artisans, Glory of home life, Guardian of virgins, Pillar of families, Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, Patron of the dying, Terror of demons, Protector of holy Church.

He is further the patron saint of unborn children, fathers, immigrants, workers, employment, explorers, pilgrims, travellers, carpenters, engineers, realtors, and against doubt and hesitation.

Orders have been founded under his patronage as well: the Sisters of St Joseph in 1650 (with about 14 thousand members worldwide); the Josephite Fathers in 1871, for working with the poor; and the Oblates of St Joseph in 1878 by Joseph Marello.

St Joseph has often been depicted in art. Until the 17th century this was almost exclusively as an old man, afterwards increasingly as someone younger and more vigorous.

To conclude in short the story of St Joseph's Spiral Staircase (1877, Santa Fé, USA; see picture). After enlarging their chapel the sisters there could not find a carpenter who could built them a staircase to the choir. After a novena to St Joseph one was found that built this masterpiece of engineering and design (still!) that is often claimed as miraculous; for those sisters there it was definitely a gift from heaven!