St. Joseph is the foster father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. Matthew and Luke are the only Gospels that tell us anything about Joseph’s life. Joseph’s father was named Jacob, and he was a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:16). Joseph was willing to respect Mary’s vow to remain virgin forever while working as a Carpenter in Nazareth.
Joseph was naturally suspicious when Mary became pregnant. He assumed that she had betrayed him. He could have denounced her, thus sparing his reputation while ruining hers, but he didn’t want to hurt her — so he decided to combine mercy and justice by divorcing her quietly. The angel of the Lord revealed to Joseph the truth after he made this noble choice (Matthew 1:18-25). Joseph was convinced by this message. He married Mary and took her to Bethlehem to take part in a census. While there, Jesus Christ was born.
Joseph was the leader of the Holy Family and God sent him an angel to warn them to flee into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15). When it was safe to do so, the Holy Family returned home to Nazareth. Joseph, a hardworking and upright man, taught Jesus carpentry and faithfully…
