Saints · Ages 5-8 · 25 pages
Saint Joseph: The Quiet, Strong Father
by Kyle Hancock
An angel came to Joseph in a dream. And when Joseph woke up, he did what God asked. Joseph was a carpenter in a small town called Nazareth, from the family of King David — strong and quiet and very good with his hands. He was going to marry a young woman named Mary, and he loved her very much. When he learned that Mary was going to have a baby, he did not know what to do, until one night an angel came to him in a dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” When Joseph woke up, he did exactly what the angel said. Jesus is God’s own Son, and God chose Joseph to be His father here on earth — to love Him, protect Him, and take care of Him. In Bethlehem, Joseph made sure Mary and the newborn baby were warm and safe. When a wicked king named Herod wanted to hurt baby Jesus, the angel came to Joseph again, and Joseph didn’t wait until morning: he got up in the dark, and they went to Egypt. Back home in Nazareth he taught Jesus his trade, side by side in the workshop, and every year he took Jesus and Mary to Jerusalem for the Passover. When Jesus was twelve and stayed behind in the Temple, Mary and Joseph searched for Him for three whole days. Not one word of Joseph’s was ever written down, but his love spoke louder than words ever could. Saint Joseph: The Quiet, Strong Father tells his true story in warm watercolor illustrations and simple read-aloud words — from the carpenter’s workshop to the long road to Egypt by night, and to the end of his life, when, as Christians have always believed, he died peacefully at home in Nazareth with Jesus and Mary right beside him. Today he is the patron saint of fathers, of workers, and of the whole Church. Saint Joseph teaches us that you don’t need to say a lot to love a lot — and the people who take care of us quietly, every day, are a little bit like him. Written for ages 4 to 8 — a read-aloud for the youngest, and a first saint story for children who are starting to read on their own. Inside you’ll find a Scripture page from the Gospel of Matthew (“When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.”); the true story told in short lines little ones can follow; A Note for Families about who Joseph was, how Jesus has one Father in Heaven and Joseph as His father on earth, Mary ever-virgin, what we know and do not know about Joseph’s death, and why he is the patron of the whole Church; a prayer to pray together, for dads and for everyone who looks after us; Talk About It Together, questions for after the story; and a page about his life for the grown-up reading aloud, with what the Bible tells us and what the Church holds and Christians have handed down. Feast days: March 19, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and May 1, Saint Joseph the Worker.
