THE PATRON SAINT OF RAMACCA, OUR VILLAGE, IS ST JOSEPH. HE WAS A CARPENTER AND LIVED WITH MARY AND JESUS IN BETHLEHEM. HE IS THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT SAINT IN RELIGIOUS HISTORY. THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND MARY BEGINS IN THE GOSPELS WITH THE EPISODE OF THE ANNUNCIATION: “IN THE SITH MONTH THE ANGEL GABRIEL WAS SENT BY GOD TO A CITY IN IN GALILEE”, CALLED NAZARETH, TO A VIRGIN, BETROTHED TO A MAN OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID , CALLED JOSEPH. THE VIRGIN WAS CALLED MARY”. JOSEPH IS PRESENTED AS THE DESCENDANT OF DAVID, HUSBAND OF THE HOLY VIRGIN WHO BECAME THE PROTAGONIST OF THE MISTERY OF THE INCARNATION. “BY THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, MARY CONCEIVED A SON, WHO WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH”. WHEN MARIA TOLD JOSEPH SHE WAS PREGNANT, HE THOUGHT HE WAS BETRAYED BY HER. ONE NIGHT, WHILE JOSEPH WAS SLEEPING, AN ANGEL CAME TO HIM IN A DREAM AND TOLD HIM THAT THE SON THAT MARY HAD IN HER WOMB WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK. JOSEPH LIVED WITH MARIA AND JESUS UNTIL HE DIED .
THE CULT OF SAINT JOSEPH AS THE PUTATIVE FATHER OF JESUS WAS ALREADY PRACTICED IN THE EASTERN CHURCH AROUND THE FOUTH CENTURY. IN THE WEST THE CULT HAD ITS RESONANCE ONLY AROUND THE YAER 1000. SAINT JOSEPH IS THE SYMBOL OF HUMILITY AND DEDICATION. HE’S THE PATRON SAINT OF FATHERS, CARPENTERS AND THE HOMELESS. ON THE 8th DECEMBER 1870 POPE PIUS IX PROCLAIMED HIM PATRON OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH. THE SOLEMN FEAST IS ON THE 19th MARCH BUT IT IS ALSO CELEBRATED IN THE LITURGICAL AND SOCIAL FIELDS ON THE 1ST MAY, THE FEAST OF LABOUR. FUGURE OF GENEROUS HUMILITY , SAINT JOSEPH IS AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH IN GOD.
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