Joseph: The Man Closest to Jesus. The Complete Life, Theology and Devotional History of St. Joseph

by Francis L. Filas

Never before has all this wealth of intensely interesting and little known facts about St. Joseph been compiled into a single book. This can truly be called a little Summa of St. Joseph, as the only survey existing in any language of the complete life, theology, and devotional history of St. Joseph. Four previous books of Father Filas are the basis for the present The Man Closest to Jesus. Complete revision, expansion of all material that needed updating, and the re-issuance of earlier sections of permanent value make it possible to offer this full thesaurus of facts (sometimes published here for the first time in English) about St. Joseph. The present book is composed of six units. The first analyzes the source material for our knowledge of St. Joseph, the second develops what we can know about St. Joseph's ancestry, his relationship to other biblical figures, his trade, and his age when he married Our Lady. The third unit is completely devoted to questions concerning his marriage, such as the question of its genuinity, and St. Joseph's doubt over Mary. In the fourth unit, we are presented with Father Filas' comprehensive survey of Joseph's fatherly relationship to Jesus. The fifth section takes up the topic of Joseph's dignity, holiness, supernatural privileges, patronage, and possible advancement in the liturgy. The concluding section surveys the complete history of the devotion to St. Joseph, from the earliest years of the Church to the present, and quotes (with accompanying commentary) all modern papal pronouncements concerning St. Joseph. An appendix offers a new translation of all indulgenced and other new prayers honoring St. Joseph. Fully indexed for handy reference.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1962