You don't see statues of Joseph anywhere. You don't see private schools named after him. Just as Mary was chosen to be Jesus' earthly mother, Joseph was his earthly father. Can't you just make a few churches here and there and give the guy a break?
2006-10-01 08:41:09 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow. A lot of quick responses. Thank you.
I didn't realize there are statues and places named after Joseph. That's interesting.
I'm surprised by some of the assumptions being made here: step-fathers aren't important (this guy was just as "there" and loving as your "real" father), Mary was actually a virgin, Mary and Joseph didn't have sex after Jesus even if she was a virgin at the start, that Joseph wasn't a virgin, that Mary is more worthy of prayer than Joseph (why pray to either when you've got God?), etc.
I think the most likely explanation is as someone mentioned, it's easier to convert people who have a female idol if you've got one too ready to take her place. It happened in South and Central America with the indigenous peoples to some extent.
2006-10-01 09:01:28 · update #1
Saint Joseph is a highly respected Christian saint. He is the foster father of Jesus and is a member of the Holy Family. Unfortunately the Bible tells us very little about him.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is the biological mother of Jesus and is important to Catholics because the Bible says she is important to God.
+ Mary is the handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:38), a servant of God just like us.
+ Mary is the first Christian. All other Christians follow her on the road of faith. She is the model for all of us because she actively cooperated with the Will of God by saying "Yes" to God in the plan of salvation.
+ Mary is the model of faith. Mary's faith never wavered throughout Jesus' life, even while watching him die on the cross when most of the Apostles ran away.
+ Mary is full of grace. The angel Gabriel called her, "Full of grace" and said, "The Lord is with you." She is full of grace at that moment; the Lord is with her at that moment, before she says "yes" to the angel's question. Catholics believe the state of grace was with her since her Immaculate Conception. God prepared her for her later role as the mother of Jesus.
+ Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, of God the Son.
+ Mary is a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a tabernacle. The angel Gabriel says to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow." (Like 1:35)
+ God praised Mary through His messenger, the angel Gabriel, "Rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." If God and his angels praise Mary, shouldn't we?
+ Jesus honored Mary. Jesus kept the Commandments and did not sin. Jesus fulfilled the Commandment to honor both his father and his mother. WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus would and did honor Mary, his mother.
+ The Holy Spirit inspired praises of Mary. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women," and "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." (Luke 1:41-45)
+ The Scriptures tell of Mary's place with Jesus. Mary gives birth to Jesus, presents him to the shepherds, to the wise men, to God in the Temple. She lived with him for many years in Nazareth, intercedes with Jesus in Cana, suffers with him at the foot of the Cross, and prays to him with the apostles in the Upper Room.
+ Mary was a prophet. "Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me." (Luke 48-49) As Christians who believe the Bible, we must call Mary "blessed."
+ Mary is our Mother too. While he was on the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple (who represents all Christians), "this is your mother." (John 19:27)
With love in Christ.
2006-10-01 16:25:14 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
On the contrary there are many churches and shrines dedicated to St. Joseph. However, none of the saints have the unique role in salvation history that Mary has. She alone was called "full of grace" by God Himself. She alone was the channel through whom the Savior of Mankind came into the world. She alone of all human beings since the beginning of the world was selected by God to be His own mother. Joseph of course served as foster father of Jesus, and played an important part in raising the Christ child, at least in His early years, and for that we do honor him.
Of course we don't worship any saint. That would constitute idolatry, which the Catholic Church condemns in all its forms. But the honor we give to Mary is a level above the honor we bestow upon the other holy men and women of God, even Joseph.
2006-10-01 09:04:02 · answer #2 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mary was hardly mentioned in your NT. I am not familiar with the Catholic Bible.
The church at Ephesus was trying to get the Greeks to stop worshiping their goddess, Diana, (and the Romans their goddess Artemis), and convert to Christianity. They would not give up their goddesses. So, the church decided to give Mary goddess like status, so they could slowly move Diana out and move Mary in--------still giving the people their goddess concept. With time, this happened. So, Mary's role was set in stone, so to speak. She may not be called a goddess, but that is where her concept came from.
There is also a thought that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier, and Joseph-being a good man-married her as she was pregnant and needed a husband.
When the Bible was translated from the Aramaic and Hebrew a word was mistranslated. The word for young woman was translated as virgin. A young woman may or may not have been a virgin, may or may not have been married. She was just young.
2006-10-01 08:55:54 · answer #3 · answered by Shossi 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As a 41-year old Catholic, I can attest that Catholics do honor Joseph. Every Catholic Church has a statue of both Mary and Joseph on either side of the altar. There are four schools in my area named St Joseph. We frequently attend St Joseph Church, just one town over from ours. Moreover, my family has a holy picture of St Joseph in it. True, Joseph does not get quite the attention of Mary, but remember, Mary actually gave birth to Jesus. Thanks for the question.
2006-10-01 08:46:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics do honor Joseph the foster father of Jesus.
We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome.
Joseph is the patron 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.
Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.
We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
Here is a prayer to St. Joseph--
Prayer:
Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church, watch over the Church as carefully as you watched over Jesus, help protect it and guide it as you did with your adopted son. Amen
If that is not respect, I don't know what is.
2006-10-01 09:49:51 · answer #5 · answered by mr_mister1983 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Joseph did not have a baby.....
if he had then everyone would be respecting Him.
the bible does say that when Jesus returned to Nazareth the people wondered if was the real messiah because they knew his brothers and sisters.
the book of James was written by his brother James. and his brother James became the pastor of the church of jerusalem Joseph and Mary never had sex after Jesus, then where did his brothers and sisters come from.
2006-10-01 08:43:32 · answer #6 · answered by Hannah's Grandpa 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Catholics do respect and honor Joseph, he is a saint in the church. There are churches named after St. Joseph as well as Catholic schools and universities. There is even a order of nuns called the Sisters of St. Joseph. It is after St. Joseph that the priestly vow of chastity is done in honor of his sacrifice.
2006-10-01 08:46:42 · answer #7 · answered by notaxpert 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the scope of the event at that time, Mary played a tremendous part. She carried and gave birth to Jesus. Joseph was nothing more than His stepfather. He played no earth shattering role in Christs birth and death.
2006-10-01 08:44:20 · answer #8 · answered by Sage 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they feel that Joseph had no real part in the conception or birth of Jesus.
Or something. I honestly believe that Joseph knocked Mary up and she had a pretty awesome kid who said a lot of good things.
2006-10-01 08:42:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Church is not about Joesph or Mary. They are rather insignificant, the focus should be on Jesus Christ and what he wants from us.
More importantly, all those statutes of Mary are nothing but Idols, which God speaks agains anyone having. it is consired idol worshp.
2006-10-01 08:51:02 · answer #10 · answered by dreamangel20051 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋