Joseph was born around 1st century AD during the Roman Empire in Palestine. Jacob is the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
When Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take your Mary, your wife, into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him, Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet (Luke 1:18-22):
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us"(Luke 1:23).
When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him, Jesus (Luke 1:24-25).
The Birth of Jesus
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with the child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. Mary wrapped him in a swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:1-7).
The Presentation in the Temple
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord," and to offer the sacrifice of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons," in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord (Luke 2:22-24).
The Flight to Egypt
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son" (Matthew 2:13-15).
The Return from Egypt
When Herod died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called Nazorean" (Luke 2:19-23).
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem and look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have looking for you with great anxiety." And Jesus said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" Joseph and Mary did not understand them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man (Luke 2:41-52).
Joseph died of old age around 1st century AD. He was venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Church, Methodism Church, Lutheranism Church, and Anglican Communion Church. According to Western Christianity, the feast day of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary, is on March 19, while according to Roman Catholicism, the feast day of Saint Joseph the Worker, his feast day is on May 1. Saint Joseph is a patron saint of unborn children, fathers, immigrants, workers, employment, explorer, pilgrims, traveller, carpenters, realtors, against doubt and hesitation, and of a happy death.
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Book of Ancient Saints: Volume 1
Non-FictionSaints are people, who are accepted as being holy, religious, and virtuous. In Christianity, more than thousands of saints gave up their life for God or died for Jesus Christ. This volume are true-to-life stories of saints who were born between BC...
