Who is saint joseph?
Second only to Mary, Saint Joseph is the person that spent the most earthly hours and days with Jesus. The names of his mother and father have been lost to history – unknown. Genealogy research shows he was of the house of David, lineage through Solomon. Also lost to history are the date and place of St. Joseph’s birth and the date of his death, so his chronological age is always based upon guesswork. The Christmas story tells us he and Mary had to return to Bethlehem for the census, so we know there is some sort of direct connection to that community, whether at birth or later years. We learn some details of St. Joseph’s life through teachings about his dreams and from encounters with angels. The first is when he is assured by an angel in a dream that he is to take Mary as his wife, so we know he was single at that point. Whether he was a widower with children from a prior marriage is a possibility, but there is not current agreement from biblical scholars on that point. That point fu
