[Magdalen] Images and words about Mary

[Sibyl Smirl]

On 1/30/16 5:49 PM, ME Michaud wrote:
> LOL. Rather traditional to see Joseph depicted with a white beard in icons,
> so it's been around for awhile. And my Catholic friends claim Joseph was a
> widower (to explain the rhetorical question about Jesus' brothers and
> sisters in (Matthew 13. That is, they're half-siblings.)
> -M
>
>
> On Saturday, January 30, 2016, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Where did the idea that Joseph was an older man come from? Nothing in the
>> scripture suggests that.

 From the Protoevangelium of James
Dated by the RCC at c 150 AD
respected, if not called Scripture
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0847.htm



8. And her parents went down marvelling, and praising the Lord God, 
because the child had not turned back. And Mary was in the temple of the 
Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt there, and she received food from 
the hand of an angel. And when she was twelve years old there was held a 
council of the priests, saying: Behold, Mary has reached the age of 
twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, 
lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord? And they said to 
the high priest: You stand by the altar of the Lord; go in, and pray 
concerning her; and whatever the Lord shall manifest unto you, that also 
will we do. And the high priest went in, taking the robe with the twelve 
bells into the holy of holies; and he prayed concerning her. And behold 
an angel of the Lord stood by him, saying unto him: Zacharias, 
Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let them 
bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his 
wife shall she be. And the heralds went out through all the circuit of 
Judæa, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and all ran.

9. And Joseph, throwing away his axe, went out to meet them; and when 
they had assembled, they went away to the high priest, taking with them 
their rods. And he, taking the rods of all of them, entered into the 
temple, and prayed; and having ended his prayer, he took the rods and 
came out, and gave them to them: but there was no sign in them, and 
Joseph took his rod last; and, behold, a dove came out of the rod, and 
flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, You have been 
chosen by lot to take into your keeping the virgin of the Lord. But 
Joseph refused, saying: I have children, and I am an old man, and she is 
a young girl. I am afraid lest I become a laughing-stock to the sons of 
Israel. And the priest said to Joseph: Fear the Lord your God, and 
remember what the Lord did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah; (Numbers 
16:31-33) how the earth opened, and they were swallowed up on account of 
their contradiction. And now fear, O Joseph, lest the same things happen 
in your house. And Joseph was afraid, and took her into his keeping. And 
Joseph said to Mary: Behold, I have received you from the temple of the 
Lord; and now I leave you in my house, and go away to build my 
buildings, and I shall come to you. The Lord will protect you.




-- 
Sibyl Smirl
I will take no bull from your house!  Psalms 50:9a
mailto:polycarpa3 at ckt.net