Joe, King of Heaven?

Like Mary, Joe's dignity comes from his relationship to the Incarnate Word: Mary's dignity comes from being Jesus' mother; Joe's dignity comes from being Mary's spouse. This past Sunday, we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King of the Universe in the Roman Catholic Church. Many use this as the launch point for believing that Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth. But what about Joe? Is he of royal dignity like Jesus and Mary?

Yes, he is "son of David," the great King of Israel (Matt. 1:20), but is there more? Let's take another look at the Old Testament Joseph. We all know the story: Joseph has dreams and special clothes and is sold as a slave into Egypt (Gen. 37), he goes to jail for being chaste (Gen. 39), he interprets dreams in jail (Gen. 40), and after being in jail for two years, he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh (Gen. 41). In gratitude for Joseph's response, Pharaoh says to him, "You shall be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your command. Only in respect to the throne will I outrank you." (Gen. 41:40)

Does not the same happen with Joe? The Father says to him, "You shall be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your command. Only in respect to the throne will I outrank you."

So, is Joe "King of Heaven"? No, but he's only a step below God - although, it is an infinite step between him and God.

"He made him lord over his household, ruler over all his possessions"

-Psalm 105:21

Why is Joe always holding lilies?

Do you know why Joe is almost always holding lilies? It partly has to do with today’s celebration of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple. This is an ancient feast, and we find it mentioned in a couple different early stories, particularly in the Protoevangelium of James and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary. In both, the account of Mary being presented in the Temple at the age of three is followed by the account of her betrothal to Joe. Here is the account according to the Protoevangelium of James (8-9):



When she was twelve years old, there was held a council of the priests, saying: Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord? 

And they said to the high priest: You stand by the altar of the Lord; go in, and pray concerning her; and whatever the Lord shall manifest unto you, that also will we do. And the high priest went in, taking the robe with the twelve bells into the holy of holies; and he prayed concerning her. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him, saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be. And the heralds went out through all the circuit of Judæa, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all ran.

And Joseph, throwing away his axe, went out to meet them; and when they had assembled, they went away to the high priest, taking with them their rods. And he, taking the rods of all of them, entered into the temple, and prayed; and having ended his prayer, he took the rods and came out, and gave them to them: but there was no sign in them, and Joseph took his rod last; and, behold, a dove came out of the rod, and flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the virgin of the Lord.

But Joseph refused, saying: I have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl. I am afraid lest I become a laughing-stock to the sons of Israel. And the priest said to Joseph: Fear the Lord your God, and remember what the Lord did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah (Numbers 16:31-33) how the earth opened, and they were swallowed up on account of their contradiction. And now fear, O Joseph, lest the same things happen in your house. And Joseph was afraid, and took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary: Behold, I have received you from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave you in my house, and go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to you. The Lord will protect you.

Jesus' Prayer for Joe

Last week, I shared Joe's prayer of preparation for death according to the History of Joseph the Carpenter. This week, I'm sharing the same story's account of Jesus praying for Joe at the moment of his death. May this be our prayer for those who are dying!

O Father of all mercy, eye which see, and ear which hear, hearken to my prayers and supplications in behalf of the old man Joseph; and send Michael, the prince of Your angels, and Gabriel, the herald of light, and all the light of Your angels, and let their whole array walk with the soul of my father Joseph, until they shall have conducted it to You. This is the hour in which my father has need of compassion. And I say unto you, that all the saints, yea, as many men as are born in the world, whether they be just or whether they be perverse, must of necessity taste of death

Joe's Prayer of Preparation

It is well known that Joe does not have a single recorded line or word spoken in the Holy Scriptures. However, there are a number of significant ancient works that tell Joe's story. One of these is entitled The History of Joseph the Carpenter, which many believe was written sometime between 300 and 500 AD by a Coptic Christian (by the way, the icons are Coptic). The author of the work, puts into Joe's mouth this prayer in anticipation of his death, and it is certainly a great prayer for all of us:

O God! Author of all consolation, God of all compassion, and Lord of the whole human race; God of my soul, body, and spirit; with supplications I reverence you, O Lord and my God. 

If now my days are ended, and the time draws near when I must leave this world, send me, I beseech You, the great Michael, the prince of Your holy angels: let him remain with me, that my wretched soul may depart from this afflicted body without trouble, without terror and impatience. 

For great fear and intense sadness take hold of all bodies on the day of their death, whether it be man or woman, beast wild or tame, or whatever creeps on the ground or flies in the air. At the last all creatures under heaven in whom is the breath of life are struck with horror, and their souls depart from their bodies with strong fear and great depression. 

Now therefore, O Lord and my God, let Your holy angel be present with his help to my soul and body, until they shall be dissevered from each other. And let not the face of the angel, appointed my guardian from the day of my birth, be turned away from me; but may he be the companion of my journey even until he bring me to You: let his countenance be pleasant and gladsome to me, and let him accompany me in peace. 

And let not demons of frightful aspect come near me in the way in which I am to go, until I come to You in bliss. And let not the doorkeepers hinder my soul from entering paradise. 

And do not uncover my sins, and expose me to condemnation before Your terrible tribunal. Let not the lions rush in upon me; nor let the waves of the sea of fire overwhelm my soul— for this must every soul pass through — before I have seen the glory of Your Godhead. 

God, most righteous Judge, who in justice and equity will judge mankind, and will render unto each one according to his works, O Lord and my God, I beseech You, be present to me in Your compassion, and enlighten my path that I may come to You; for You are a fountain overflowing with all good things, and with glory for evermore. Amen.