Much of Saint Joseph’s life is a mystery to us. We know very little about him, but we do know for a fact that he was the husband of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus. We know his ancestry is from the lineage of David. The gospels describe Joseph as a carpenter.

Joseph was betrothed to Mary. We do not know how old Joseph was at the time. We do not know exactly when the Incarnation happened, but when Joseph found that she was with child, he wanted to divorce her privately. (“Behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. . . And Joseph, rising from his sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.” Matthew 1:19 20-24.) We know that Caesar Augustus ordered a census for the whole world to be enrolled. Every man had to return to his home town to be enrolled. Mary was due to give birth, and Joseph brought her to his home town, Bethlehem for the census. Here we find the story of Christ’s birth.

The Bible tells us of the flight to Egypt. An angel told Joseph in his sleep that King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Joseph was told to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt. We do not know how long the Holy Family was in Egypt for, but we know the story of the finding of Jesus teaching in the temple. Here, the Bible again mentions Saint Joseph. We do not know exactly when Saint Joseph’s death occurred, but we may suppose it happened before Jesus’s public ministry.

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church, families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, working people, carpenters, fathers, happy death, Social Justice, Belgium, Canada, China, Peru, Russia, and Vietnam. Saint Joseph’s feast day is March 19 and the whole month of March is dedicated to him.

Prayer to Saint Joseph:

Guardian of virgins, and holy father Joseph, to whose faithful custody Christ Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of Virgins, were committed, I pray and beseech thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body, ever serve Jesus and Mary most chastely all the days of my life. Amen.

(Indulgence of 100 days, once a day.)