On Thursday, March 19th,
the Church honors St. Joseph. According to Lesser Feasts and Fasts -
1997, "...he accepted the vocation of protecting Mary and being a father to
Jesus. ... Joseph was a pious Jew, a descendant of David, and a carpenter by
trade. ... The little that is told of him is a testimony to the trust in God
which values simple everyday duties, and gives an example of a loving husband
and father." (p. 188) Whether Joseph was the biological father of Jesus is
currently under scholarly discussion.