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 The Year of Saint Joseph Scott 1764 (2021) March 19 marks the feast day of Saint Joseph, or as it is formally titled "The Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary". In 2021, Pope Francis declared "The Year of Saint Joseph", and the souvenir sheet above was issued to commemorate the Year. It is the only stamp issued by Vatican City which focuses specifically on Saint Joseph. Wikipedia describes Joseph rather clinically as "a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus." Little is known with certainty about Saint Joseph, although he is said to have descended from the House of David. He is described as a carpenter and considered to be older than Mary. He is cited in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, covering the period from before the birth of Jesus up through the scene where Mary and Joseph find Jesus preaching in the temple (when Jesus was about 12 years old). He is not mentioned in the Gospels again, and it is believed he died in old age prior to Jesus.  "The Dream of Saint Joseph", by Gerard Seghers (circa 1625-1630) From WIkimedia Commons, in the Public Domain The Gospel of Matthew describes the important event of the revelation that Mary will bear the Saviour, Jesus Christ, and Joseph's reaction: "Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:18-21)Historian David Farmer provides information on the growth of devotion to St. Joseph. A Greek cult of St. Joseph developed in the 5th century. A Feast of St. Joseph is recorded prior to 1100 in England. Some medieval saints promoted devotion to Joseph. Fifteenth-century breviaries cite St. Joseph and he was included in the 1505 Roman missal. St. Teresa of Avila dedicated her reformed Carmelite convents to St. Joseph and promoted devotion in her writings as did St. Ignatius of Loyola. Pope Gregory XV made his feast a holy day of obligation and, in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church. Saint Joseph is a patron of fathers, of families, of manual workers such as carpenters, and of those who desire a holy death. Many churches, hospitals, and schools are dedicated to St. Joseph. Some statues of Joseph show him with his tools of the trade and describe him as Saint Joseph the Worker. In addition to today's solemnity, Saint Joseph is also honored by the Church on May 1, the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. His feast day is celebrated with various traditions around the world. One example is found in Sicily, where the tradition of Saint Joseph’s Table (the “Tavola di San Giuseppe”) includes an assortment of breads, pastries and a meatless meal to honor him. Vatican City stamps picturing Saint Joseph show him with Mary and Jesus. Two important events depicted on Vatican City stamps with the Holy Family include Christmas stamps showing the nativity scene (one example is given below) and the Flight to Egypt: 
 Christmas: Nativity by Murillo (Scott 1019, 1996) Flight to Egypt, World Refugee Issue (Scott 275, 1960) REFERENCES: |
