- He never actually speaks in the Bible - nothing he said was ever recorded in scripture.
- The Gospel of Mark doesn't mention him at all, although the other three gospels do. While Mary is mentioned as being present at various events during the adult ministry of Jesus, Joseph never is.
- He may not have been a carpenter at all. His occupation is only referred to once in the gospels, in Matthew 13:55 to be exact when it is asked about Jesus: "Is not this the carpenter's son?" The word used in the original Greek is "tektōnos", which was translated as carpenter, but is actually not as specific in meaning as that. The word comes from the same root as the modern word "technology" and would actually cover artisans of all types, including those who made things from metal or stone as well as wood. It's even possible he wasn't a workman at all, since in the Talmud the word "carpenter" is used to mean a wise and learned man who is highly literate in the Torah.
- No matter what his occupation really was, he is the patron of craftsmen, engineers, and workers. On top of that, he is also patron of the Universal Church, families, fathers, pregnant women, immigrants, travellers and happy deaths. He even got an extra feast day on May 1, that of "Saint Joseph the Worker" which happens to coincide with International Workers' Day.
- He's also patron of numerous places, including the Americas, Carinthia, Styria, Tyrol, Sicily, Canada, China, Croatia, Mexico, Korea, Austria, Belgium, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam. Then there are all the cities and towns named after him. According to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, San Jose, Spanish for Saint Joseph, is the most common place name in the world.
- The Bible says nothing of Joseph's life before he was betrothed to Mary. The church has filled in the gaps, telling his story in a way which preserves the perpetual virginity of Mary. According to tradition, he was 90 years old when the couple became betrothed. He was a widower who had a family by a former wife, which explains how come the Bible can talk about Jesus having brothers and sisters. He became betrothed to Mary, who had already taken a vow of chastity, more as a protector and guardian than a husband. She had been living in his home since she was twelve, working as a nanny to his younger children until she was old enough to get married at 14.
- His absence from accounts of events in the life of Jesus has led various traditions to allege that he died before Jesus began his ministry, when Jesus was about 20.
- An early title given to him was nutritor Domini, meaning “guardian of the Lord.”
- If St Joseph's feast day falls on a week day during Lent, it is permissible to break your fast.
- A superstition connected to Saint Joseph states that if you're trying to sell your house, if you place a statue of him on your house it will sell more quickly.
New!
Closing the Circle
A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.
Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader.
Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.
The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.
Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.
Available from:
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