Saint Joseph

The life of Saint Joseph

St. Joseph is a figure of the New Testament mentioned in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. Both evangelists show that Joseph is from the family of David, the legendary king of Israel. Joseph was a craftsman by profession, more precisely, a carpenter or master builder. In the biblical Christmas story it is told that Joseph was engaged to Mary, the mother of Jesus. After an angel announced to the carpenter at night in a dream that his chosen one would conceive a child sent directly from God, he took Mary as his wife, even though she formally expected an illegitimate baby from him. In doing so, he abandoned his original plan to leave his wife secretly because of the pregnancy without exposing her to her fellow men.

The further course of the biblical Christmas story is widely known: Because of a census proclaimed by the Emperor Augustus, Joseph had to make his way to Bethlehem with his highly pregnant wife Mary. Joseph had his wife ride on a donkey to make the arduous journey easier for her. In Bethlehem - the city was completely overcrowded because of the census - Joseph initially could not find a free room where he could spend the night with his wife. A merciful landlady left the young couple a stable where Mary gave birth to her son at night, whom Joseph called "Jesus" according to the angel's prophecy.

After the birth of Jesus, the life of the family did not become easier: King Herod feared losing his power to the newborn king and ordered that all newborns in Bethlehem be murdered. Again an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to flee with his family to Israel and settle in Nazareth. Here the young family was to find a home.

Nothing is known about the further life of Joseph. Jerome assumed that Joseph died before the baptism of Jesus. Apocrypha, on the other hand, reported that Joseph passed away before the crucifixion of Jesus. In the Catholic and Greek Orthodox tradition, it is assumed that Mary and Joseph continued to live together without having intercourse. This type of marriage is also known as the "Joseph marriage".

Saint Joseph as patron saint

The special role of Joseph, who recognized Jesus as a kind of foster son and raised a child that he had not fathered, triggered and continues to trigger admiration and irritation. According to legend, Joseph died in the presence of Mary and Jesus, which made him the patron saint of the dying. He is also the patron saint of married couples and virgins. In 1870, St. Joseph of Nazareth received a very special tribute: Pope Pius IX appointed the saint patron saint of the Catholic Church. Countless churches were consecrated to the popular saint.

Numerous other patronages were assigned to Saint Joseph. Thus he is the patron saint of workers, craftsmen, carpenters, educators and travelers. He is said to help in desperate situations, with eye diseases and against temptations.

Iconography

Josef is a popular motif of many wood carvers. You can buy a carved Joseph as a nativity scene figure or you can give him a special place in your home in the form of a sacred wooden figures all year round. Joseph is always depicted as a strong, muscular man with a beard. The walking stick and tools such as an angle measure are characteristic attributes of the saint. Often a white lily can also be seen on a wooden figure depicting Joseph. This stands symbolically for chastity. Occasionally there are carved figures of Joseph, which show the carpenter sleeping, which refers to the dream experiences of Joseph. As part of the Christmas crib, Joseph usually holds a lantern in his hand, bends over the crib and turns to his wife Mary and the newborn baby Jesus.

Remember

March 19 is the so-called "Joseph's Day", the day of commemoration for St. Joseph. This day in the spring is also a part of many folklore rules.