St. Joseph the Song Writer was born in Sicily into a pious family. Fleeing from the barbarian invasions, his parents moved to the Peloponnese. In his youth, Joseph went to Thessalonica, where he became a monk. He was distinguished by his meekness, hard work and deep faith, for which he was loved by the brethren and subsequently ordained a presbyter.
A fateful meeting was with St. Gregory the Decapolite, who took him with him to Constantinople. It was a time of iconoclastic persecution under Emperor Leo the Armenian. Joseph, along with his mentor, openly defended the veneration of icons, preached and strengthened the faithful, despite the danger.
On behalf of the Orthodox monks, Joseph went to Rome to ask for support from the pope, but on the way he was captured by Arab robbers and imprisoned in Crete. He spent six years in prison supporting other prisoners. On Christmas night, St. Nicholas appeared to him, announcing the end of the persecution. After that, according to legend, Joseph miraculously freed himself and returned to Constantinople.
Here he founded a monastery and built a church in honor of St. Nicholas. Later, after receiving part of the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew, he wanted to glorify the saint, but did not dare to write hymns. After a long prayer, the Apostle Bartholomew appeared to him and blessed him for this work. From that moment on, Joseph began to create church hymns praising the Mother of God and the saints. His gift made him one of the greatest hymnographers of the Church.
During the new round of iconoclasm under Emperor Theophilus, Joseph suffered again — he spent 11 years in exile. After the restoration of the veneration of icons under Queen Theodora, he was returned to Constantinople and appointed a vessel guard for St. Sophia Cathedral. For exposing untruth, he was exiled again, but later reinstated in ministry and became the confessor of the metropolitan clergy.
Having lived to a ripe old age, the Monk Joseph peacefully departed to the Lord in 883, having prepared himself in advance for death by prayer and communion. The Church honors him as a great hymnwriter, whose hymns are distinguished by their depth of thought and spiritual power. His creations have spread throughout the Christian world, helping believers to get closer to God through word and music.