Statue of Saint Joseph

St Joseph statue at Catholic Hythe
Saint Joseph is the Patron of the Universal (Catholic) Church. Our statue is to the right of the sanctuary.

Our knowledge of him is from the Bible.

Joseph was descended from King David (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). This fulfilled the scripture prophecy that the Messiah would come from 'the house of David.' The Old Testament prophecies found in 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Jeremiah 23:5; & Psalm 89:3-4 are seen as being fulfilled in Christ's genealogy (see Matthew 1 and Luke 3.) The Gospels indicate he was a compassionate, wise man of great faith. For example, before knowing that Mary was carrying the Son of God he stood by her. He knew the child was not his but wished to protect her from the shame and suffering she would have endured without him. (Matthew 1:19-25). He showed great faith and obedience to God. When the angel told Joseph the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately took Mary as his wife. When the angel told him his family was in danger, he left everything behind, fleeing to Egypt with his wife and baby. He waited there until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

 

He was not wealthy which we see when Jesus and Mary took the baby Jesus to be presented in the Temple and offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves - this being for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24). In Chapter 2 of Luke Joseph is mentioned in the story of Jesus being found teaching in the temple at age twelve and then returning to live in Nazareth with Joseph and Mary. In Matthew's Gospel we learn he was a carpenter, when the Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55).

As Joseph does not appear later in the Gospels many believe he died before Jesus' public ministry began. He is the patron of the dying as it is assumed he died with Jesus and Mary beside him.

He was "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).

Prayer to St Joseph

Almighty God, at the beginnings of our salvation, when Mary conceived your Son and brought him into the world, you placed them both under Joseph's watchful care. May his prayer still help your Church to be an equally faithful guardian of your mysteries, and a sign of Christ to mankind. AMEN

(St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice - pray for us.)