Saint Joseph - Earthly Father of Jesus Christ

St. Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus

The Catholic Church describes St. Joseph as a righteous man of God. Scripture presents him as a faithful, obedient protector of the family. Saint Joseph is venerated as the patron of the Universal Church and the Patron of the family. He is praised for his faithfulness, humility, and obedience to God’s will.

Immaculate Conception: While the Bible does not describe Mary’s Conception as “immaculate”, Catholic tradition holds that she was preserved from original sin. Joseph is not described as sinless in Scripture, but he is considered a righteous man.

The Feast day for St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated on March 19th.

In Catholic devotion, Joseph is seen as a protector of the Church and a model of righteous living.

Bible verses

Matthew 1:18-25 describes Joseph’s response to learning that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, being a “righteous man” and not wanting to publicly shame her, planned to divorce her quietly. An angel appeared to him in a dream, instructing him to take Mary as his wife and explaining that the Holy Spirit would conceive the child. Joseph named the child Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves”, and fulfilled the prophecy that the virgin would give birth to a son called Immanuel.

Matthew 1:1-17, Joseph is listed in the genealogy of Jesus as the husband of Mary, the mother of the Messiah. This establishes his role within the lineage of the promised King of David.

Luke 2:1 1-20 Joseph traveled to Bethlehem for a census, where Jesus was born. Joseph’s obedience to God’s plan is evident in his willingness to register there, even though it meant giving up his home in Nazareth.

This Father’s Day, may we be reminded to send our love and devotion to our Father in Heaven, Jesus’ Earthly father, Saint Joseph, and our Earthly Father. Amen.

In summary, the Catholic Bible does not specify St. Joseph’s age at marriage to Mary. Tradition and apocryphal writings suggest he could have been a young man or an older widower, but the canonical Gospels leave the exact age open to interpretation.