Saint Joseph: Reflections on a Father's Heart

Forum Teologiczne

The study presents three images of St. Joseph included in selected writings of the last three popes: John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. It notes that despite the same data from Scripture, the analysed images are different. Their diversity results from different sources used in theological reflection as well as from different methods of interpretation. John Paul II interprets the figure of the Guardian of the Redeemer in the light of God revealing Himself, carrying out His eternal plan. The emphasis was placed on God’s eternal plan that was actualized in earthly history and in human events. This made it possible to show both the realization of the divine plan in concrete terms, as well as the cooperation, faith and obedience of the carpenters of Nazareth in this work. In turn, Cardinal Ratzinger shows the figure of Joseph based on the message contained in a Baroque relief of a Portuguese altar. The symbolic language of the anonymous sculptor and the message con...

Forum Teologiczne, 2022

Post-modernity, also referred to as postmodernism or late modernity, is a keyword used to describe contemporary social, cultural and religious changes. The first part of the paper presents the socio-cultural and religious context in which Christian education is provided. A fundamental question was put: can the character of St. Joseph still be an effective role model for the contemporary world in such an adverse context. Papal teachings were used when seeking the answer to this question, with particular focus placed on two documents: Redemptoris custos by John Paul II and Patris corde by Pope Francis. It was pointed out that particularly the latter, owing to its fresh approach and existential sense of its author, can provide guidance on where one should seek the answer to this question. There are no ready solutions concerning the way of talking about St. Joseph, so that Christian education does not become an empty, contentless general moral topos, with no consequence. Christian education, inspired by the character of St. Joseph, is a task to be performed by tutors at all times, especially those who try to present him as a living role model for their pupils.

2009

The Franciscan movement is widely known for its Christocentric spirituality. Francis of Assisi cherished profoundly the mysteries of Christ's life, especially the mystery of the Incarnation and the mystery of Redemption. Franciscan sanctuaries like Greccio and La Verna are living reminders of Francis' deep devotion to the humanity of Christ. They are like replicas of the Holy Places which Francis visited in 1219-1220, when he went to the Orient as a herald of evangelical peace.

Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, 2023

This article aims at demonstrating the historical probability that Joseph, the father of Jesus, should be regarded as a legendary figure. It seems that the Joseph figure is modeled after the patriarch in the First Testament. Here Joseph was exalted despite of slander. He married an 'impure' virgin. He became the adversary of Judah. His sons, bom in Egypt, were seen as the forefathers of the illegitimate Samaritans. He was regarded as an ethical paradigm. He served as the ideal type for God's beloved child. The search for the historical Joseph leads to the conclusion that Jesus grew up fatherless . . This conclusion has enormous consequences for the quest for the historical Jesus.

Gesta, 2016

Between 1370 and 1384 Ugolino di Prete Ilario, a local artist, honored the long-standing Marian devotion in Orvieto by painting in the cathedral tribune one of the most comprehensive monumental narratives ever created of the life of the Virgin. In the sixteenth century Giorgio Vasari, attributing the murals to Ambrogio Lorenzetti, praised them for their composition, invention, and handling of historical scenes, but modern scholars have paid them little notice. Comparisons with other monumental Marian and Christological programs before 1350, however, especially Lorenzo Maitani’s reliefs on the cathedral facade, support Vasari’s acclaim. Because of the large size of the tribune, several episodes seldom seen outside illuminated manuscripts appear, whereas other, customary scenes either are omitted or contain something exceptional. Some of these variants depend on textual sources, which extend beyond the usual canonical, noncanonical, and legendary texts to include devotional manuals, writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Bridget, and the local cycle of liturgical dramas. Most remarkably, the frescoes convey both a substantial reverence for St. Joseph several decades before his cult gained widespread acceptance and a precocious local devotion. Joseph, officially declared the patron saint of Orvieto only in the seventeenth century, not only participates in several traditional scenes that usually omit or marginalize him but is present in each of the uncommon scenes, where he is vital to the story. The rare scene of Joseph in his workshop subtly discloses Joseph’s divinely ordained role as paterfamilias, “artisan of the soul,” and counterpart of, and collaborator with, the heavenly father.

The Biblical Annals

The article presents the figure of Joseph and his place in the narrative by the first evangelist in Matt 1–2. Apart from the arguments for the unifying function of Mary’s spouse in the whole Infancy Narrative, the most important features of Joseph highlighted by Matthew are emphasised. Those include the attitude of the righteous man, the fact of belonging to the royal family of King David, the bond and similarity to the actions of the patriarchs, as well as the silent and ascetic nature of the spouse and parent. Despite many similarities to the Lukan narrative, the first evangelist stresses different aspects in his characterisation of Joseph. Using the tools proposed by Cornelis Bennema, the author of the paper also assesses the degree of characterisation of the person under study, his role in the narrative and his representative value for the modern reader.