Saint Joseph - Our Patron Saint
Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus Christ, was a descendant of King David, according to the genealogy presented by the Gospel. Betrothed to Mary, he decided to divorce her quietly when he found she was with child, but an angel of the Lord told him to take her as his wife, since the child to be born was the “Holy One of God.”
Joseph assisted at the birth of Jesus and became his support and guide through childhood. In a dream he was told by an angel to flee from Bethlehem with the infant and his mother, lest Herod kill the child. He accompanied them to the temple where Jesus was presented to God. With Mary, he sought the boy Jesus when he was lost on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In his work as a carpenter he shared the many hours of his trade with his young son.
Joseph, a man of faith, a just man, was a worthy successor to the great patriarchs – Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He followed the call of God through the mysterious circumstances that surrounded the coming of Jesus. God entrusted this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising his only son as a growing child.
