Artists have always depicted St. Joseph as an old man. Though the Scriptures tell us nothing about his life before his betrothal to the Blessed Mother, around the second century, the tradition appeared that Joseph was a widower with no children of his own and that he was chosen as the foster father of Jesus and the protector of the Blessed Mother.
An article written by Bishop Fulton Sheen takes issue with this tradition. His argument is basically that this tradition grew up as a means of protecting the Blessed Mother’s virginity by means of marrying her to an elderly man. Yet the Scriptures call Joseph a “just” man, a term that is used of men and women who were first and foremost in right relationship to God. Bishop Sheen also points out that the Talmud, the book in which we learn of Judaism’s traditions and customs, a marriage of disproportionate age was frowned upon by all Jewish elders.
If the Mary is revered for her virginity, why characterize her husband as a man who has lost his vitality. Would it not be far more credited to both of them if they were young people who were both able to honor God’s will. The Gospel of St. Matthew tells us that Joseph was also visited by Gabriel who revealed the very same news to him that St. Luke records in his Gospel. When asked to take Mary into his home, he also said “yes” to God’s will.
For his willingness to accept the responsibility of the lives of Mary and Jesus, St. Joseph is revered today as the protector of the Church. We should see him as strong, virile, athletic, handsome, chaste, and disciplined. God would choose nothing less in a man to whom he gave such a great responsibility.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator