Knights of Saint Joseph
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The Holy Family

 THE HOLY FAMILY
Joseph Mary Jesus

The Knights of Saint Joseph is firmly committed to defending the right to life of every human being, from the moment of conception to natural death. We ask our individual councils to conduct projects aimed at building a culture of life in their individual churches and communities in fo

The Holy family is made up of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. From very early in youth, a person usually learns about the story of Christmas: baby Jesus, and the Holy family. Saint Joseph is generally overlooked and all focus is on Jesus and on Mary. Surely, St. Joseph is a secondary figure in the life of Jesus and rightly so; however, how much information about the life of St. Joseph do we really know?

Who is Saint Joseph? Second only to Mary, Saint Joseph is the person that spent the most earthly hours and days with Jesus. The names of his mother and father have been lost to history – unknown. Genealogy research shows he was of the house of David, lineage through Solomon. Also lost to history are the date and place of St. Joseph's birth and the date of his death, so his chronological age is always based upon guesswork. The Christmas story tells us he and Mary had to return to Bethlehem for the census, so we know there is some sort of direct connection to that community, whether at birth or later years.

We learn some details of St. Joseph's life through teachings about his dreams and from encounters with angels.

The first is when he is assured by an angel in a dream that he is to take Mary as his wife, so we know he was single at that point. Whether he was a widower with children from a prior marriage is a possibility, but there is not current agreement from biblical scholars on that point. That point fuels great discussions as to whether siblings of Jesus were direct siblings or were through a prior marriage of St. Joseph.

Eight days after his birth, St. Joseph brings Jesus to the temple for circumcision, a requirement of the Jewish faith. At this time, St. Joseph gives the baby the name “Jesus” and takes legal paternal custody, just as he was instructed by an angel in his dream.

An inexact few years later, an angel instructs St. Joseph to flee with his family to Egypt to elude death from Herod. Later, a dream angel guides St. Joseph to return to the district of Galilee, which he does and creates a family home in the village of Nazareth. What is an exceptional fact about Saint Joseph's life is that he never speaks in any parts of the Bible. Therefore, we come by these angel appearances and instructions by second-hand, and never directly from the source, which hopefully was Saint Joseph himself in each instance.

Once settled in Nazareth, with Jesus of an unknown age though certainly still in boyhood, Saint Joseph supports the family as a carpenter. Just as we have in today's society, carpentry had many sub-specialties in Jesus' time (framer, rough carpenter, etc.). We are told St. Joseph worked in a carpentry “shop” where Jesus was often with St. Joseph and sometimes worked in the shop. It is not sure that St. Joseph owned the shop, but in any event by today's lingo, he apparently was a “finish” carpenter. Imagine the amount of influence, the direction, the correction, and the formation that Saint Joseph provided to the boy Jesus. Aside from Mary, no other human that has ever lived spent more personal time in direct contact with God, through his anointed son Jesus.

The last time we encounter Saint Joseph is in the description of Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem at the age of twelve. Mary and Joseph had departed from Jerusalem to return home amidst a large entourage heading in the same general direction. His parents assumed Jesus was in the entourage and were shocked to learn otherwise, and it is described St. Joseph and Mary returned to the temple and safely brought Jesus home. Imagine the human fatherly “instruction” Saint Joseph undoubtedly gave to Jesus on that occasion.

That's it. Abrupt end of biography of Saint Joseph. He is never mentioned again in Scripture. The remainder of his life, the cause of his death, the place of his death, and the place of his burial are not clear. We do know Mary is described as a widow when Jesus is about 30 years old, but we have no knowledge of Saint Joseph once Jesus reaches the age of twelve.

The Body and Tomb of St. Joseph
"In an ecstasy, a Saint has seen the body of St. Joseph preserved intact in a tomb, the site of which is yet unlnown. The more the glorious spouse of the most Blessed Virgin is honored, the sooner will the finding of his body take place, which will be a day of great joy for the Church." (Words of Father Paul of Moll, 1824-1896, from Father Paul of Moll, by Edward van Speybrouck, p.238).

An ancient tradition states that the tomb of St. Joseph, now empty, is in the Valley of Josaphat. St. Jerome, on the other hand, was of the opinion that St. Joseph's tomb is within the boundaries of the Garden of Gethsemane. (See Life and Glories of St. Joseph by Edward Healy Thompson, pp.409-410)

 

St. Joseph
Saint Joseph Life
Not much information is known about the life of Saint Joseph and what is known is contradictory. In the gospel of St. Matthew, Saint Joseph is said to be the son of Jacob, (Matthew 1:16) and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. The gospel of St. Luke says that he is the son of Heli, (Luke 3:23), 23Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli.

The New Testament does not provide any information on the birth or death of Saint Joseph. The facts known about Saint Joseph are:
· Husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus
· Foster father of Jesus
· Worked as a carpenter
· Lived in Nazareth, Galilee, Bethlehem, Judea, Egypt

Nine Days Novena to Saint Joseph
The following prayer to St. Joseph was found in 50 A.D. It was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles in 1505 when he was preparing for battle. It is believed that carrying this prayer or reciting this St. Joseph prayer will prevent the person from dying a sudden death, drowning, being killed by poison, being captured by an enemy, being burned, or hurt in battle.
Say this novena to St. Joseph for nine days asking the help of Saint Joseph with a personal intention.
O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. Amen

O Saint Joseph, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. O Saint Joseph, pray for me. (Mention your intention)


Many Catholics give a Saint Joseph medal or a Saint Joseph pendant to loved ones who serve in the armed forces along with a copy of the St. Joseph novena. They hope Saint Joseph will watch over their loved ones while they are serving their country and bring them home safely.

 

St. Joseph Patron Saint

St. Joseph, the loving foster father of Jesus and the loyal husband of the Blessed Virgin is the patron saint of many causes and countries. The following are just a few of the various patronages of St. Joseph:

* The Universal Church
* Workers
* A happy death
* Against doubt and hesitation
* Cabinetmakers
* Bursars
* Carpenters
* Engineers
* Craftsmen
* Families
* Fathers
* Laborers
* Married people
Many Christians, who have St. Joseph as a patron, wear a St. Joseph medal, a St. Joseph charm, or a St. Joseph medallion, asking for his protection. They hope that St. Joseph will watch over them just as he protected and cared for Jesus when he was a child.

St. Joseph Prayer
Prayer to St. Joseph to Obtain a Special Favor

O blessed Saint Joseph, tenderhearted father, faithful guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, we pray and beseech thee to offer to God the Father His divine Son, bathed in blood on the Cross for sinners, and through the thrice-holy Name of Jesus, obtain for us from the Eternal Father the favor we implore. (Name your request.)
Appease the Divine anger so justly inflamed by our crimes; beg of Jesus mercy for thy children. Amid the splendors of eternity, forget not the sorrows of those who suffer, those who pray, those who weep; stay the Almighty arm which smites us, that by thy prayers and those of thy most holy spouse, the Heart of Jesus may be moved to pity and to pardon. Amen. St. Joseph, pray for us.

Prayer to St. Joseph the Workman
Written by Pope St. Pius X

O glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations, to work with gratitude and joy, in a spirit of penance for the remission of my sins, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God, to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties, to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account that I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thine example, O Patriarch, St. Joseph. Such shall be my watchword in life and in death. Amen.

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