- March 10, 2011
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Did You Know? St. Joseph (Feast Day: March 19)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.TANBooks.com/SaintJoseph
Did You Know? St. Joseph (Feast Day: March 19)
The first episode in an ongoing series of brief videos filled with interesting details regarding the lives and miracles of well-known and lesser-known saints, and the devotions and traditions that have developed around them over time.
TRANSCRIPTION
Saint Joseph was a carpenter and the foster-father of Jesus. Not much is known of Joseph’s life, except that he was “of the House of David” and lived in Nazareth, Israel…where today, the Church of St. Joseph’s Carpentry marks the traditional location of his workshop.
Ever wonder why statues and paintings of Joseph depict his staff topped with flowers? The flowered staff is a reminder of how Mary’s spouse was chosen.
According to legend, when the time came for Mary to be betrothed, the Temple priests gathered the walking sticks of all prospective suitors. Miraculously, Joseph’s burst into flower. This was a sign that God had chosen Joseph as the earthly spouse and guardian of Our Lady.
It is not known when Joseph died, but we do know that he was still living when Jesus was twelve years old.
For the first 1400 years of the Church there was virtually no devotion to St. Joseph. Due to early heresies that denied that Christ was divine, the Church Fathers found it prudent to downplay the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus.
Around 1400, there was a sudden surge in devotion to St. Joseph, culminating in 1479 when Pope Sixtus IV finally gave Joseph a feast day — March 19.
This increase in attention led to the 1650 founding of the Sister’s of St. Joseph, who today number more than 14,000 worldwide, and the elaborate St. Joseph’s Day Altars – constructed annually around the world and adorned with candles, flowers, statues, and food – all dedicated to this holy carpenter on his feast day.
Joseph’s profession is undoubtedly why he was chosen to be the patron saint of workers, but his popularity went further. He was declared the patron saint of several countries including Canada, China and Mexico. And in 1870 Pope Pius IX gave St. Joseph his highest honor, declaring him Universal Protector of the Catholic Church.
And that’s how a simple carpenter became the saint we know today.
Did You Know? St. Joseph (Feast Day: March 19)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.TANBooks.com/SaintJoseph
Did You Know? St. Joseph (Feast Day: March 19)
The first episode in an ongoing series of brief videos filled with interesting details regarding the lives and miracles of well-known and lesser-known saints, and the devotions and traditions that have developed around them over time.
TRANSCRIPTION
Saint Joseph was a carpenter and the foster-father of Jesus. Not much is known of Joseph’s life, except that he was “of the House of David” and lived in Nazareth, Israel…where today, the Church of St. Joseph’s Carpentry marks the traditional location of his workshop.
Ever wonder why statues and paintings of Joseph depict his staff topped with flowers? The flowered staff is a reminder of how Mary’s spouse was chosen.
According to legend, when the time came for Mary to be betrothed, the Temple priests gathered the walking sticks of all prospective suitors. Miraculously, Joseph’s burst into flower. This was a sign that God had chosen Joseph as the earthly spouse and guardian of Our Lady.
It is not known when Joseph died, but we do know that he was still living when Jesus was twelve years old.
For the first 1400 years of the Church there was virtually no devotion to St. Joseph. Due to early heresies that denied that Christ was divine, the Church Fathers found it prudent to downplay the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus.
Around 1400, there was a sudden surge in devotion to St. Joseph, culminating in 1479 when Pope Sixtus IV finally gave Joseph a feast day — March 19.
This increase in attention led to the 1650 founding of the Sister’s of St. Joseph, who today number more than 14,000 worldwide, and the elaborate St. Joseph’s Day Altars – constructed annually around the world and adorned with candles, flowers, statues, and food – all dedicated to this holy carpenter on his feast day.
Joseph’s profession is undoubtedly why he was chosen to be the patron saint of workers, but his popularity went further. He was declared the patron saint of several countries including Canada, China and Mexico. And in 1870 Pope Pius IX gave St. Joseph his highest honor, declaring him Universal Protector of the Catholic Church.
And that’s how a simple carpenter became the saint we know today.