Pilgrim of this Reality
Member
Why dont Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and other like belief systems venerate Joseph as much as they do Mary? Yes Mary was chosen to give birth to Jesus, but Joseph was chosen to raise him as his earthly father. Jesus would have spent more time with Joseph in that culture than with his mother. Afterall, Joseph would have wanted to pass on his trade to his eldest son. Also, Joseph had it much harder and had to have more faith than Mary because Jesus wasnt his own flesh. Joseph would have known only through dreams that Jesus was the Messiah. That is a great faith to believe dreams; faith in God and in the Jewish beliefs.