The church remembers St. Joseph the Betrothed

More great content, memes, commenting and community not available on this site.

We are also on Facebook and Instagram which have been designated terrorist organizations by the Russian government.

Saint Joseph the Betrothed was an elderly widowed Jew who was famous for his righteousness. He took care of the young Mary, knowing about Her vow to keep her virginity. It is known that both of them were from the family of David. But even the name of Joseph's father is questionable, since the genealogies given in the two Gospels differ: whether he was the son of Elijah or Jacob. The discrepancy can be explained by the widespread custom of levirate in those days, when a widowed woman was married by the brother of the deceased in order to continue his family, and the deceased was formally considered the father of the children. 
There is no reliable data on how many children Joseph himself had. The most common version is four sons and two daughters from his first marriage. Despite the fact that Joseph came from a royal family, he was a simple carpenter.
When Joseph found out that the Virgin Mary was expecting a child, which he had nothing to do with, he wanted to secretly release Her. He usually strictly followed the rules and regulations, but out of his kindness he was even ready to break the law, sympathizing with Maria, not wanting to disgrace Her and harm Her. However, there is another point of view on this situation: he wanted to let Her go, although he already knew the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, but he felt unworthy to be a part of God's great plan. Anyway, Saint Joseph, just like the Mother of God, eventually humbly accepted everything that was prepared for him by the Lord. Despite his advanced years, it was he who played the role of the father and protector of the Infant Christ until He became sufficiently independent.
It was to him that an Angel appeared to inform him that King Herod wanted to destroy the Baby. Joseph took little Christ and Mary and hurried with them to Egypt, where the king could not find the Holy Family and where complete uncertainty awaited them. Of course, the Lord could not help but take care of His Son, but nevertheless, the old Joseph had to solve everyday problems and cope with daily difficulties and needs. It is generally believed that he lived for about 100 years.
The Gospel says nothing about his death. The last time he appeared in the Bible was when, together with the Mother of God and 12-year-old Jesus, he visited Jerusalem for Easter, after which the Son of God remained in the temple. Although it is further stated that Christ returned with his parents to Nazareth, where the family lived after Herod's death, there is no further mention of Joseph.
Abbot Daniel, who described in detail his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the 13th century, tells about visiting the grave of St. Joseph and retells the legend that "Christ Himself buried him with His Own pure hands."
That's all the information about the man who raised and cared for Christ. There is, however, another beautiful legend that when choosing a bridegroom for the Virgin Mary, a staff blossomed in Joseph's hands. There are also artistic speculations about how emotionally he reacted to the news of the pregnancy of the Most Pure. But in fact, the details of his life are not so important. It is enough that he was by Christ's side when He needed Him, and quietly and imperceptibly departed when the time came. And, as accurately noted in the akathist dedicated to Saint Righteous Joseph, he gained eternal glory through "obscurity."

More great content, memes, commenting and community not available on this site.

We are also on Facebook and Instagram which have been designated terrorist organizations by the Russian government.