We all know and hopefully have often turned to and leaned upon our next Saint on the Road.
St. Joseph is the earthly father of our Lord, Jesus. He is the patron of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants, and a happy death
Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture.
We know he was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55). He wasn’t rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).
Both Matthew and Luke mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as “son of David,” a royal title used also for Jesus. We know Joseph respected God. He followed God’s commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus’ birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.
We know little about St. Joseph. But, Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was — “a righteous man” (Matthew 1:18).
St. Joseph is the patron saint of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus’ public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.
St. Joseph is also patron saint of the Universal Church, families, fathers, expectant mothers (pregnant women), travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and working people in general.
St. Joseph is a great shoulder for fathers and men to lean upon.
The whole of March is dedicated to this mega-Saint.
St. Joseph is called the “Terror of Demons” due to his exceptional holiness and powerful intercessory role. As the earthly father of Jesus and husband of Mary, Joseph’s unwavering faith, obedience to God, and his role in protecting the Holy Family made him a formidable adversary to evil forces. His quiet strength and righteousness are believed to strike fear into demons, making him a powerful patron for those seeking protection against spiritual warfare.
“Saint Joseph urged me to have a constant devotion to him. He himself told me to recite three prayers [the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be] and the Memorare once every day. He looked at me with great kindness and gave me to know how much he is supporting this work [of mercy]. He has promised me this special help and protection. I recite the requested prayers every day and feel his special protection.” – Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1203